Pictures and branchs January 2014

Dear blog readers,

My blog will not be focussed on branchs in the future any more. It might serve as a public display of some nice underwater and above water images and videos instead. [They are uploaded hopefully in a bad enough resolution that they are not taken without my permission for private nor for professional use. I do care about my pictures, more about quality and integrity than about financial remuneration. Even if you are planning to credit me as the photographer, using any of my photos is not ok without my written approval stating terms and extent of approval. Please contact me if you want to use my photos.]

 

Uploading even good pictures of branchs on a weekly basis would not only be very time consuming for me but also very repetitive and boring for anybody but the keenest branchers out there. Instead of posting reports of my weekly dives I have decided to send out an email with a description, a discussion and a picture of any new species that I find at the Gold Coast Seaway (probably about 10 to 15 emails per year). I am also very interested in sharing and discussing Seaway branchs that I think might need more research. In the email I will also include pictures of branchs that I can not find an ID for. My branching stats will probably go into a separate email containing my dive log. Also, I will probably elaborate on a few issues in diving and branching in general.

Enjoy!

Regards, Patrik

The big Ornate Ghost Pipefish in the background was dancing around me for quite a while. Eventually, he (I think he was pregnant) introduced me to his wife. He led me to what seemed an identical twin, just much smaller than himself.

Cuttlefish - this bloke would not leave the side of his partner. He was attacked by a rival a few times while posing for me patiently or flirting with his partner.



Not a particularly good photo (any donations towards a decent camera appreciated). But this guy is special and probably not seen that often at the Seaway. The blue colour is natural and not photoshopped. I am not sure about the ID. It might be a Sea spider of some sort.

Waiting to work the water

Secret lake - deplored, deep, diveable

Mourning the morning

Green vision



Quiet quarry

 

Just peekin'

 

Wish I could fly

 

Connected

 

Sunshine sky

 

Playing the waves

Sebadoris nubilosa with bite mark

 

Kaloplocamus ramosus

 

Plocamopherus imperialis

 

Chromodoris splendida

 

Striped catfish

Doris immonda

 

Chelidonura fulvipunctata

Cerberilla sp. 1: Copy of the world's first picture of a new species (unedited)

 

Okenia pellucida - family time

 

Bullina lineata

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus

Winning pictures:

Category photography:
1st place: Mourning the morning
2nd place: Wish I could fly
3rd place: Waiting to work the water
4th place: Connected
5th place: Sunshine sky

Branch ratings:
1st place: Cerberilla sp. 1 (rare find)
2nd place: Kaloplocamus ramosus (rare find)
3rd place: Bullina lineata
4th place: Chelidonura fulvipunctata
5th place: Doris immonda

Branch finds January 2014 (31 species):
Aplysia oculifera
Aplysia parvula
Atys sp.
Bullina lineata
Chelidonura fulvipunctata
Chromodoris splendida
Cerberilla sp. 1 (new species)
Dendrodoris fumata
Diversidoris aurantionodulosa
Dolabella auricularia
Doris immonda
Goniobranchus albonares
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus
Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus
Goniobranchus daphne
Goniobranchus geometricus
Goniobranchus verrieri
Goniodoridella sp. 1
Gymnodoris alba
Gymnodoris sp. 3
Hydatina physis
Hypselodoris obscura
Kaloplocamus ramosus
Noumea haliclona
Okenia pellucida
Pleurobranchus peronii
Plocamopherus imperialis
Trinchesia yamasui
Sebadoris nubilosa
Syphonota geographica
Trinchesia yamasui