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Me At Work

Sat, Mar 6th, 2010 | Funny Stuff, Places, Adventures 2 Comments

Transitioning from day diving to night diving for the Night Safari event was easy. We had a 24-hour break when we converted over to the night schedule, so I had some time to offload nitrogen and get a bit of rest.

Transitioning from night diving to day diving, however, has been much more difficult, with only a few hours between the last dive of the night dive schedule and the first dive of the day schedule.

So…for the past day or so, I’ve been feeling like this:

sleepy crab

Which explains this snapshot that Eric took of me during our morning dive today.

That’s me in the background, and some of my equipment in the foreground. Note the unique technique I employ to get a black background.

me at work

The Crab and The Nudibranch

Wed, Mar 3rd, 2010 | Funny Stuff, Marine Life, Places, Adventures 4 Comments

Crabs are comical. There’s no doubt about it.

Following on the crab/ pipehorse test of wills I saw two nights ago, last night I watched as a crab and nudibranch matched wits.

From the outset, I had little doubt that the crab would come out the better of the two, but it was still a lot of fun to watch this mini-drama unfold.

It all started when I saw a nudibranch (Marionia pustulosa) making its way across the bottom. We’ve seen a lot of these nudis recently, so I didn’t give it much thought, and I was about to swim by…when I noticed something ambling across the sea bottom toward the nudibranch.

Within seconds, I watched as a crab walked in front of the nudibranch and grabbed the unsuspecting sea slug’s rhinophores to pull it down to a more crab-friendly level. The crafty crustacean proceeded to mount…yes, to mount…the nudibranch.

crab and nudibranch

Of course, no self-respecting opistobranch wants to be seen in public with an unattractive accessory like this crab (much less to have its photo taken with one), so the hapless nudibranch resisted.

The besieged sea slug took off at top speed (for a nudibranch), but the nimble crab quickly changed strategy. It grabbed on from the side as the nudibranch sped away (again at top nudibranch velocity) and clambered atop the fleeing slug.

crab and nudibranch

Once astride the nudibranch, the crab sat back(ward) and rode off into the proverbial sunset (there was, of course, no sunset, since it was just after 22:00 and underwater, but the mental image makes for a nice ending).

crab and nudibranch

The Crab and The Pipehorse

Tue, Mar 2nd, 2010 | Funny Stuff, Marine Life, Places, Adventures 2 Comments

The ocean at night is witness to many a drama. Some involve life-and-death struggles between predator and prey. Others are just funny.

Last night was the first night of the Night Safari hosted by Kasawari Lembeh Resort. We started diving around 17:30, and I came up out of the water on our last dive at around 02:30 the next morning. The moon was full and bright, and Lembeh Strait was teeming with activity.

On the last dive, one of the guides pointed out a little pipehorse (Acentronura sp.), which looks exactly like it sounds…half pipefish, half seahorse.

pipehorse

Like many of the other animals we came across, this little pipehorse was quite active, prowling the bottom looking for food. I followed as it made its way across the sandy bottom of a site called Pantai Parigi, taking photos as and when the opportunity arose, since the pipehorse, like most Sygnathids, was camera shy.

pipehorse

Along the way, the pipehorse grabbed hold of various objects with its prehensile posterior…to steady itself and pause for short breaks.

The funny part came when the pipehorse latched onto a well-camouflaged crab:

pipehorse

Grumpy by nature, the crab was none-too-happy about the situation, and shook the bewildered pipehorse loose a few times. In each instance, the pipehorse turned with a puzzled expression, then wrapped its tail around the crab again…only to be dislodged once more.

Eventually, the crab grew weary of the clueless pipehorse and trundled off in a huff, as indignant crabs are wont to do.

I should’ve taken more photographs, but it’s difficult to hold steady when you’re overcome with uncontrollable laughter.

Meeting Mike

Wed, Feb 24th, 2010 | Funny Stuff, People, Places, Adventures 5 Comments

There are some really strange things in Lembeh. Take Mike for example.

Mike Veitch

Mike is the manager at NAD-Lembeh Dive Resort. He’s been kind enough to invite me over to NAD several times, but I’ve never actually made it over there until tonight (actually, I’ve totally been avoiding him, on the advice of mutual acquaintances).

Mike is from Canada. As if that weren’t sufficient reason to give him wide berth, Mike has been alone for a long time, stuck on a small island in Indonesia.

He is, let’s say, desperate for companionship.

…which is why I was quite happy that Hergen (who is the manager at Lembeh Resort) was also present for the evening.

Hergen is cuter than I am (at least in Mike’s eyes), so he bore the brunt of Mike’s misguided affections.

Mike and Hergen

Not long after I took this photo, Hergen wisely rushed back to his wife at Lembeh Resort, and I ~~fled~~ returned to Kasawari Lembeh Resort, leaving Mike…once again…frustrated and alone.

Note to Mike: This is what you get for inviting me over!

Missing Mojo

Fri, Dec 25th, 2009 | Funny Stuff, People, Places, Adventures 3 Comments

It’s Christmas morning. I was searching for a suitably festive image to post for the holidays, when I stopped and thought: “Nah, that’s boring. Everyone does that.”, and I decided to post something silly instead.

Phil immediately came to mind.

Phil was one of my fellow travellers aboard the MV Golden Dawn on my recent trip to PNG. He was a constant and reliable source of entertainment (the term “court jester” springs to mind), as is evident from this montage of Phil searching for his photographic mojo during the first day or two of the trip:

phil

Despite his resemblance to Dr Evil, Phil is actually much more of an Austin-Powers-type personality.

In case you were wondering, Phil located his misplaced mojo at some stage, as he stopped waving his hands around like a deranged supervillain…though he commenced singing excerpts from cheesy ’80s pop songs at random intervals.

Happy Holidays!

Mimicry

Wed, Dec 23rd, 2009 | Funny Stuff, Marine Life, Places, Adventures 5 Comments

Just over a year ago, I was fortunate enough to see and photograph the recently described Maluku frogfish (Histiophryne psychedelica) in Ambon, Indonesia. (More information about that trip posted here.)

Maluku frogfish

…which is why I jumped up and immediately took notice when I saw the following image on a computer screen during my recent trip to the Eastern Fields in Papua New Guinea.

mushroom coral

Julie Edwards took this photo during a different trip, and it popped up on her display while we were sharing images and stories from past adventures.

Now…while I don’t want to jump to conclusions, I’d be remiss not to point out the obvious and striking similarity between the two images…and suggest the possibility that this could be the first-ever documentary evidence of a type of coral that’s generally under-appreciated and ignored by most divers crying out for attention by mimicking an exceedingly rare and only recently described frogfish.

Or…of course…it could just be a meaningless coincidence that would only excite an easily distracted photographer with a hyperactive imagination who has better things to do but just can’t seem to focus for long enough to make any significant progress.

Choose Your Travel Companions With Care

Sun, Nov 8th, 2009 | Funny Stuff, Marine Life, Places, Adventures 5 Comments

If you travel as frequently as I do, you learn to be careful about the people you associate with. I pride myself on being highly discriminating, choosing to fraternize only with individuals of the utmost sophistication and grace:

giant squid

People who, when confronted with a scientifically valuable discovery of a 351cm giant squid arm segment, would behave in a manner befitting the circumstances:

Though I must admit error in judgement from time to time, as during my most recent excursion, when imprudent choice of travel companions precipitated the need for me to undertake an impromptu ablution to expunge the unyielding aroma of decomposing cephalopod:

The Last Supper

Sat, Oct 31st, 2009 | Funny Stuff, Musings, People 1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I welcomed Eric, Julia, Douglas and Emily to Japan for the start of our quest to photograph and video sperm whales by taking them to dinner at a small sushi restaurant outside Tokyo.

Our trip was a wild success, and Eric and Julia have already gone back. Tonight, we had dinner with Douglas and Emily to say goodbye, as they’ll be boarding a plane for the long trip home tomorrow. Tom, one of Douglas’s friends from high school, joined us too.

kushiyaki

I took them to a small kushiyaki restaurant called Kushihana (串花) in Nishi-azabu. In case you’re not familiar with kushiyaki cuisine, it’s basically delicious bite-sized morsels of stuff skewered and deep-fried on little sticks, generally washed down with copious quantities of beer, shochu, or whatever other form of alcohol is on hand.

Nishi-azabu a swank neighborhood in Tokyo with lots of fancy shops, restaurants and clubs, but this place is quaint and cozy, and just about everyone who goes there is a diver. The owner is a diver and a big fan of underwater photography, so it seemed like an appropriate place for our last dinner together.

Of course, we couldn’t let the evening go by without a bit of fun…at Douglas’s expense:

I’m sure Douglas had a nagging feeling that he was being set up, but he was a good sport and played along, much to the amusement of all the other people in the restaurant (who were all in on the gag).

If you’re ever in Tokyo and feel like going to a small place that’s not packed with tourists and socialites, this is a map to Kushihana, and the address is Minato-ku, Nishiazabu 4-2-15, 106-0031 (港区西麻布4-2-15, 106-0031). You have to speak Japanese though.

And make sure you visit the bathroom, where one of my sperm whale photos is on display.

Shhhhhhhhh

Sun, Jul 12th, 2009 | Funny Stuff No Comments

While I was out shopping the other day (actually, more accurate would be…while I was out holding shopping bags and trying my best to look interested the other day), ~~I was forced to spend time~~ I visited a shop that had some sort of sale going on…some thing or another that originally cost Yen 1995 was selling at a special price of two for Yen 3150 (Can you tell how emotionally invested I was in the shopping process?).

khush

Somewhat curious, but more concerned about devising a subtle but effective strategy for minimising my time holding said shopping bags, I didn’t give it much thought…until a few minutes later, when I noticed another sign at a nearby retail establishment, whose oddly familiar name seemed to suggest a preference for keeping things quiet:

store

A bit of quick math and I understood why.

The second outlet (Hushush), offering discounts of 30% to 50%, was clearly undercutting the first outlet (Khush Khush), as the first outlet’s two for Yen 3150 amounted to a measly 21% off.

Obviously, Hushush didn’t want Khush Khush to catch on to its competitive advantage.

Mum’s the word.

How I Tricked A Sea Lion

Sat, Jun 20th, 2009 | Funny Stuff, Marine Life 51 Comments

In the process of looking through images for an article, I came across this photograph, which I haven’t posted or published before. It’s an Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) that I met last year.

sea lion

If you’re concerned about the fish-in-distress, don’t worry…it survived. Here’s the story:

While we were playing together, the sea lion dashed off and zig-zagged around the seabed, occasionally “looking over its shoulder”, so to speak, indicating for me to tag along.

Actually, we had been cavorting in the shallows for the better part of an hour by that point, so the sea lion most likely knew I would do my best to keep up, but it sure seemed like he turned back to check on me a few times.

After zipping around for a bit, he slammed on the brakes, shoved his face into a pile of seaweed, executed a pinpoint 180º turn and presented me with a fish…taking obvious pride in his find. I took a few photos, then indicated as best that I could that I didn’t need a snack, and I wasn’t particularly interested in holding the fish in my mouth.

He must have understood, because he let the fish go and looked at me with a puzzled, somewhat insulted, expression, as if asking: “What is wrong with you?”.

Meanwhile, the poor little fish tried to swim (actually…limp) away, but the sea lion would have none of it. He executed a quick flourish and re-captured it, once again presenting the despondent fish to me.

Once again, I deferred.

Once again, he questioned my sanity…as the fish made a desperate, but hopeless, dash for freedom.

Once again, he snagged the (now thoroughly exhausted) fish and offered it to me.

And yes…once again…I indicated “No, I am absolutely not going to chew on the fish, no matter how pretty it is.” this time, doing a flourish of my own accentuated by a couple of flips in the water…as an attempt to distract the persistent pinniped.

Fortunately for the fish, my little ruse worked. The ever-curious sea lion spit out the (now completely panicked, hyperventilating) fish, and swam over to check out why I was doing flips in the water.

…then, there was a “Wait a second…” moment (picture light bulb over Elmer Fudd’s head), when the sea lion looked at me, looked back at where he’d left the fish, and realised that he’d just been duped.

In far less than the blink of an eye, he was back to where his catch had been, but by then, the little fish had managed to disappear into a morass of seaweed.

The sea lion made a complete mess of the seaweed in an attempt to relocate his prey/ toy, but in the end, he stopped looking and gave me the cold shoulder..until of course, I did a few more flips in the water and he zipped right over to play again.

The point of the story? Somewhere out there is a fish that owes me.

Signs

Tue, Apr 7th, 2009 | Funny Stuff 2 Comments

l’m not entirely certain when, how or why I developed this penchant…but I enjoy looking at signs. Billboards, shop signs, posters…anything that’s intended to communicate a message.

It’s particularly entertaining in Japan, where the message actually communicated often differs from the message (probably) intended.

Take this example, from an upscale beauty place in a mall:

beauty shop

I shudder to imagine what the purpose or effect of subjecting customers to pure fumes could be.

Or this one, which is from a clothing store close to the beauty-oriented fumigation shop:

ciao sign

The best I could figure is that once fumigated, flustered customers would want to say goodbye in a hurry.

Tokyo Toilet

Tue, Mar 31st, 2009 | Funny Stuff No Comments

In the course of my travels, I often run across things that cause me to pause and reflect. Take this toilet in Tokyo’s Narita international airport for example.

Narita is a terrible airport. It’s too far from the city. The operating hours are too restricted. The layout isn’t user-friendly. It’s expensive. Basically, it sucks.

But…despite the many deficiencies of this airport, the officials in charge seem to have invested substantial thought and effort into one core competency that all airports should pay more attention to…namely, sanitising smelly travellers.

This is a set of instructions for operating a public toilet in Narita. If you read the sign, you’ll see that this shows you how to use the toilet, specifically how to use the “Equipment to cleansing the buttocks with warm water.”

toilet sign

There are multilingual instructions for “Washing the rear” and “Rear washing stopped”, along with a helpful diagram on how to fine-tune water pressure…presumably so you don’t inadvertently injure sensitive areas with too vigourous an ablution.

The true value of this unique amenity for travellers, however, must lie in the “Extra deodrizing” function of the “Powerful Deodorizer”, which provides “Increased absorption strength for removing odors.”

I, of course, didn’t require the extra-strength help. Regular strength was sufficient.

toilet sign