Red Sea - Echinoderms

Here are some pictures of starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers that you might meet in the Red Sea.

Starfish and Feather Stars

Starfish and feather stars can be found if you look closely enough.

Sea Urchins

Lots of Blue-black sea urchins can be seen in the Red Sea but you have to look harder for other types of urchin. in fact many of which only come into the open at night to feed. Many of these pictures were taken at night using flash photography.

Sea Cucumbers

The following pictures are of Sea Cucumbers. These are quite common and unremarkable. That is except if they get upset. If this happens they tend to spew their sticky toxic guts out of their bottoms!

June 2010

The recent weather has been good for diving, light winds and/or northerlys which means that the vis has improved. The plankton bloom is going fast and the water is getting warmer.

After a couple of years of failed attempts (weather!), we finally managed to dive the Mixon Hole this weekend, not once but twice and it was fantastic, we had no idea that there was such diverse topography just off our shores.

We were dropped in on the northern ledge which we touched at about 5m. The vis was 10-15m and the colours were breathtaking. Outbreaks of kelp and other species, all manner of greens and browns against a backdrop of vivid green water being illuminated by the sun and a clear blue sky. Then we looked behind us and only a few metres away from us was the edge. We descended over the edge and followed a wall down to about 10m. The wall was made up of soft mud/clay and was home to lots of edible crab. Then a sloping bank continued downward. Even at 20m we could easily tell when clouds passed overhead. On the second dive we encounted a Gurnard and lobster as well as many more breathtaking views of the wall and ridge above us. At one point there is an overhang which is spectacular.

We are looking forward to getting back there with the cameras as soon as we can.

Thank you to Mulberry Divers for the most excellent diving.