Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris) – Noula Express, Deerfield Beach, FL
I spent 30 full minutes at 85 feet, tucked in the dark corner of a little room of the Noula Express wreck, nuzzling this Moray and making a friend. What looks scary at first glance, is really just a large puppy dog – gentle, curious, borderline affectionate. I had spotted the eel from about twenty feet away and made the most unassuming approach I could muster up. Inching in with my wide-angle lens is essential, as close proximity is a necessity for a great close-focus wide-angle shot. I expected to get a shot – what I did not expect, though, was that this was about to turn into a full meet and greet. The Moray came out of its lair and rose up over the top of my camera, directly towards my mask. I remained still as it examined me with a series of gentle ‘bumps’ around my arms, head, and torso (Moray’s have terrible eyesight so they feel around to experience their environment). After a minute or so of my pat down, I knew I could start to safely work for my photos. The eel would posture up (as in the first picture) and then lean back in and touch the front of my lens (bottom shot) as if to say “Did you get that?” This happened a number of times. Each time I have been back to the Noula since this episode, I make sure to keep an eye out for this awesome animal.
Canon G15, Nauticam NAG15, Inon s2000 (x2), Sola Photo 800, Inon UWL-S100 ZM80
1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO640