Diving 3

Some more dive pictures

The next picture shot in Fantasy lake took a while to get. My model did not want to pose for the head shot I wanted.
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The wrecks off the Carolina cost are coated in a thick layer of coral, sponges, and other marine life. The next picture was shot on the hyde. Note the many coral polyps.
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There are many small fish that live in all this marine growth. There are several small basslets and related fish. They tend to be quite territorial and guard their spot. The next one is a Belted Sandfish on the Hyde. Maybe 3 inches long.
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Some fish change colors as they age. We get a number of immature tropicals on our wrecks. The next one is an Intermediate Cocoa Damselfish. We were hanging off the front part of the Hyde watching the bait balls and sand tigers and this one kept swimming back and forth a foot in front of us.
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The sand tigers are a big draw in NC. The next picture was taken on the Hyde. Viz was not the best that day, there were big schools of bait, and the tigers were hanging just off the stern where there was a strong current (to me not to them) so it was not ideal photo conditions. But I counted at least 14 of the big sharks that I could see there. A memorable sight. So the photo brings back memories.
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One of my favorite NC fish is the Atlantic Spade Fish. Sometimes, inside a wreck, you will find some really big ones. This one is an intermediate size. Picture was either on the Hyde or the Gill.
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Toadfish on the dredge wreck.
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Speckled eel on the Gill.
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Queen angels are the beauty on our wrecks. In the summer you see them on every dive. Saw some schools of them on the Gill. First photo on the Gill. Second on the Stone Tug.
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A blenny on the Gill. Saw several of these golden ones.
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Coral on the Gill
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Gill again
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White urchin on the Dredge. We have the black ones also. These have short spines and if you look close there are hundreds of undulating parts.
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The young drums are very attractive with stripes and high fins. This one is a Gubbyu taken on the Stone.
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The next two are coral on the Dredge Wreck.
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