The limits of my language are the limits of my world. – Ludwig Wittgenstein Recently, I’d received several questions on tips for learning Japanese. This is a topic I’d covered in a post 6 years ago, but I’ve since had the time to reflect and work on my Japanese more, so I’m adapting a more recent piece I’d written for another platform and republishing it here. I hope it’s helpful! Preamble I know learning Japanese ... Read More »
I said wanted to see a harlequin shrimp, and my eagle-eyed dive guide/ genie in a bottle Darma Dive Guide – Freelancer found one for me right as we descended. I love the name and appearance of these little shrimps. The underwater world is just full of unimaginably beautiful critters. Read More »
When diving, I tend to come across pink Pygmy Seahorses far more often than the yellow ones. So this little one was a particular delight to see and photograph. As is the case with most of the macro underwater photography I’ve done so far, this was shot off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. Read More »
A nudibranch that bears a striking resemblance to Medusa’s hair. Photographed during a liveaboard trip in Indonesia. Read More »
Xeno crab photographed off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. Read More »
“Does this fur coat look good on me?” A decorator crab photographed off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. These critters like to put bits of anemones on themselves for camouflage, resulting in the fur-coat-on-a-crab appearance. Read More »
A peacock mantis shrimp hogging its eggs. For the uninitiated, this creature has the most complex eyes science has discovered to date. The eyes can see UV light and polarized light. The mantis shrimp also happens to have THE fastest punch in the entire animal kingdom, with punches typically reaching a speed of 10 meters a second and having the power of a bullet from a 0.22 caliber gun. If it punches you, your ... Read More »
Those who don’t believe in aliens simply haven’t gone diving yet. Hehe ;) A nudibranch photographed just off the coast at Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia. Nudibranches are a type of soft-bodied mollusc. Often mistaken for a form of sea slug, they are FASCINATING creatures that come in all shapes and colours. The two stalks are its rhinophores and indicate where the head is. The little “pom pom” at the back is its gills. Read More »
Folks, meet the incredibly cute and aptly-named Pygmy Seahorse. This little cutie I saw today was about 0.5 cm tall (about 1/5th of an inch) and very well-camouflaged in a sea fan – a typical size and environment for them. If you’re wondering how it’s staying upright on the sea fan, look carefully at the bottom of the shot. Like every macro diver, I’ve always wanted to photograph a Pygmy. One ... Read More »
This is a requested post about Raja Ampat for divers. Although Raja Ampat is virtually unheard of by the average person on the street, to divers these two words conjure images of spectacular dives at every turn in one of the most inaccessible spots on earth. I visited Raja Ampat in West Papua, Indonesia between late November and early December 2015 onboard MV Black Manta. This came on the heels of a banner year of diving where I went on ... Read More »
J.J. Pedersen let’s go see the world