Page 275 - The Virgin Islands

ight diving can be done from boat or through many experiments. Yet still, their to discover all of the fascinating creatures

N shore. Popular night dive sites include uncanny ability to change millions of cell duirng a night dive.
wreck dives due primarily to all of the fasci- formations in both color and texture eludes
N ight Dive Fish - Most species of fish in
nating creatures that inhabit these sites at scientists to this day. sleep at night, allowing divers to ap-
night.
A Es the sun settles into the sea the reef
inhabitants undergo a complete meta- els are active at night and sea eels that proach them much closer than during the
typically sleep and dwell in caves during day. One of the more fascinatingly fish you
the day can be seen free swimming at night will see on your night dive is the Parrot Fish.

morphosis, well beyond the obvious docile as they prey on unsuspecting fish lying in Parrot fish can be difficult to approach dur-

appearances of many usually active fish. vulnerable dormant states. There are several ing the day. At night you will find Parrot Fish

By the time the sun has completely set, the species of eels, with the Green Moray eel be- sleeping comfortably on the bottom and

rerefs will have shifted into full nocturnal ing the most common, during the day and easy to photograph.

mode, with changes literally as different as at night.
day and night. Octopi swim freely at night
asket stars are among the many enig-
Bas many of their predators sleep, creating matic creatures inhabiting the sea. An
Nvivid imagery of a cornucopia of colors as echinoderm - most closely related to Brittle
udibranch are possibly the most fasci-
nating of all night creatures to inhabit

their chameleon-like traits enable them the Night; tiny and insect-like in appear- Stars in that their 5 primary arms branch off

to change not only color but texture. Stop ance, nudibranch come in every imaginable a central disc and exchange gas via a wa-

and gaze as they perform magically before shape and color. From caterpillar like crawl- ter vascular network. They live for up to 35

your eyes, seemingly defying physical laws ers to brilliant multi colored globs. Nudi- years and reach an extended diameter of 1-2

as they change from one type of organism branch will be unquestionably one of the feet.

into something appearing completely dif- more fascinating encounters you will expe-

ferent. An octopus’ intelligence is claimed rience on any night dive. Even highly trained

to be very close to that of a dolphin—or a divemasters and professional underwater

chimpanzee, which has been demonstrated photographers have to search long and hard