What are Coral Reefs? Coral colonies are composed of many tiny, cup-shaped animals called polyps, which are related to jellyfish. A single coral polyp may be as large as a saucer or smaller than the head of a pin. Millions of polyps working together in a cooperative colony generation after generation create the limestone skeletons that form the framework of the beautiful coral reef. Corals begin life in tropical waters as free-floating larvae. After a relatively short period of time, the larva eventually attaches itself to a hard surface and becomes a polyp. Polyps divide asexually and form colonies. Coral colonies reproduce both sexually and asexually. In sexual reproduction, the coral polyps release both eggs and sperm into the water. (This is also known as coral spawning.) One type of asexual reproduction occurs when fragments of coral are broken off as a result of storm action. The broken pieces of corals usually survive and continue to grow and produce a new colony. This process is referred to as "fragmentation".

Underwater images of crustaceans including shrimps, crabs, lobsters, brittle stars, sleepy sponge crabs, arrow crabs and rough spined sea urchins from the Cayman Islands, Caribbean, Hawaii, the Pacific, the Atlantic, Asia and Europe. High quality print and stock images.

A dive with the magnificent Giant Oceanic Manta Ray, Manta birostris, is something really special. The largest recorded Oceanic Manta Ray was more than 25 ft (7.6 m) across from wing-tip to wing-tip and weighed over 5,300 pounds (2,400 kg). Manta Rays have a short tail and no stinging spine. They are very acrobatic and you can see them perform aerobatic flips and rolls as they glide through the water. Visit my blog @ http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com/dive-site-reviews/hawaiian-dive-sites/scuba-diving-hawaii-manta-ray-dive/ for a detailed description of this incredible dive.

Photographs of Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sea lions and more. Come explore these magnificent creatures.

Underwater images of Moray Eels from the Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean including Zebra Moray, Undulated Moray, Yellow Margin Eel, and Green Moray. High quality print and stock images.

Photographs of fish, Manta Rays, sharks, Moray Eels, and much more this gallery features both normal and macro photography as well as wide angle images from Australia, Hawaii, North America, Europe and Asia

Sea turtle pictures from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. There are two families of sea turtles the Cheloniidae family, which includes the Flatback sea turtle, Green sea turtle, Hawksbill sea turtle, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, Loggerhead sea turtle and the Olive ridley sea turtle and the Dermochelyidae Family which has only one member the Leatherback sea turtle. • Family Cheloniidae o Chelonia mydas, green sea turtle o Eretmochelys imbricata, hawksbill sea turtle o Natator depressus, flatback sea turtle o Caretta caretta, loggerhead sea turtle o Lepidochelys kempii, Kemp's ridley sea turtle o Lepidochelys olivacea, olive ridley sea turtle • Family Dermochelyidae o Dermochelys coriacea, leatherback sea turtle Come explore this wonderful creatures.

The Southern Stingray has a diamond-like shaped reminding me somewhat of a “stealth” bomber when seen from the front. The top of the body varies in color from a olive brown to green tints in adults and a darker grey for juveniles. The underside or “belly” of the Southern Stingray is a beautiful white. The wing-like fins provide propulsion through the water by using an undulating motion. You will certainly enjoy watching these creatures glide around you. On top of the stingray you will see its eyes along with a couple of openings known as spiracles. The spiracle is where the stingray takes in water and passes the water over its gills for respiration. The gill openings are located on the underside of the ray. The location of the spiracle allows the ray to sit on the bottom buried in sand and still breath. The females can grow up to a width of about 60 inches or 150 cm while males grow up to a width of about 26 inches or 67 cm.

Underwater images of sea sponges from around the world, vase sponges, tube sponges, barrel sponges, rope sponges, elephant ear sponges, colony sponges from the Pacific, Caribbean and Atlantic. High quality print and stock images.

Humpback Whales Breaching from Maui as well as Blue Whales and Grey Whales from around the world