The beauty and mystery of Roatan revealed
Roatan is an island in the Republic of Honduras. It is home to more than 41,000 people. It is also one of the world's most beautiful tourist destinations. A group of Canadians made their way to Roatan to experience the magic and the mystery of this unique place. They were not disappointed.
The warmth of the people is one of the first things that grabs you in this little piece of paradise. The food, the smells, and the abundance of culinary choices make exploring this island a pleasure that doesn't stop.
This video provides a close up look at the mystery and wonder of Roatan, filmed on land, underwater, and from the air. The beauty is unrivaled and the magic is unforgettable. Roatan should be on everybody's bucket list.
The animals in Roatan are fascinating. An indigo hamlet darts about, showing off the brilliant blue colour that gives it the name, divers exploring with Native Sons Dive Centre carry their tanks across the beach, hop on a boat and depart on an adventure they will not forget. Two giant porcupine fish frolic over the coral, curious about the divers. An orange spotted file fish changes colour in seconds to blend in with the reef, a spotted eel hunts for food, a school of squid glide past, and a grouper lurks in the soft corals. A great barracuda shows its menacing teeth, a blue spotted file fish regards the divers as it eats algae, and dog tooth snappers follow the divers, hoping for a handout.
A grouper hides in a barrel sponge, getting a teeth cleaning from his little wrasse friend. An upside down jellyfish pulsates on the sand, creating a flow of water to filter nutrients. A basket star expands in the darkness to reach out for its meals, and a moray eel patrols the sea bottom, hoping to ambush an octopus or a fish. a string jellyfish, almost invisible drifts on the current, and a massive channel clinging crab walks along, eating algae. A giant midnight parrot fish turns around in its crevice. A moray eel investigates the camera. A queen angel fish shows off her stunning colours, a school of surgeon fish provide a beautiful display, and a peacock flounder blends in on the sand with impressive camouflage. Creole wrasses dance over the coral head. Scuba divers explore a mysterious swim through, a box fish nibbles, and hungry sharks compete for fish scraps in a controlled feed. Guests visit a sanctuary and get a close look at parrots, sloths, and monkeys. A fire dancer gives a mesmerizing performance on the beach (Moni Noo). Amid shouts of taco taco taco, one of the locals performs as he cooks his wares. A boat takes us on a tour of the mangroves, home to thousands of species that come here to hide until they are big enough to survive in the ocean.
A visit to Roatan provides memories that will last a lifetime.
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Grouper in Roatan gets a teeth cleaning by his little friend
Groupers are intelligent fish, and capable predators. They ambush their prey or actively hunt fish, octopus, and crustaceans. They create a powerful suction as they open their mouths and inhale their prey. Small fish are wise to avoid the powerful jaws of the grouper.
But the ocean is a complex world with many unusual relationships that exist between the inhabitants here. The grouper has found a resting spot in a large barrel sponge. The sponges are animals, although they are rooted in place, unable to move. They draw sea water in and pass it out, filtering nutrients that they consume as food. The gentle water flow may be enjoyable for the grouper as it also enjoys the concealment from predators and their intended prey. Barrel sponges are the longest living animals on the planet, occasionally reaching 2500 years.
This grouper is involved in a mutually beneficial arrangement with the small wrasse that darts in and out of its mouth. The wrasse is known as a cleaner fish and they hide among the corals and sponges until they are called into action. A larger fish such as this grouper signals the wrasse by tilting upwards and opening its mouth wide. The wrasse trusts the grouper in an age old contract that provides the wrasse with food as it cleans the teeth of the grouper. This benefits the grouper by preventing rotting material from remaining in the mouth, causing infections and sores. The grouper gets free dental care and the wrasse gets a meal. The grouper will not break the trust of his little friend.
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Massive hippos bask in the afternoon sun beside the river
Hippos are massive animals that live in Africa. They are the third largest land mammals on earth. Only elephants and white rhinos are larger. They can reach an incredible 4.9m (16 feet) in length and a mass of 1500kg (3,300lb). Due to their aggression and their size, adult hippos are rarely preyed upon. Young hippos are occasionally taken by lions or crocodiles. Surprisingly, the hippo's closest relatives are whales and dolphins. Aquatic mammals like whales evolved from land animals that were very similar to the hippo. Originally, it was believed that hippos were closely related to pigs due to molar structure and other similarities, but DNA and fossil records have c hanged this line of thinking in the past century.
Hippos are most active at night, roaming the shallows along riverbeds in Africa. They are herbivores, eating aquatic vegetation, and occasionally farm crops, which contributes to conflict with humans. Known to be aggressive, even when not provoked, hippos will occasionally charge humans or boats.
The hippo produces a red oil, as can be seen on these sunbathing adults, which acts as a sunblock, protecting them from UV rays.
Fascinating creatures, they are best regarded from a distance as they can be ferocious and deadly.
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Fire dancer in Roatan gives mesmerizing beach performance
A fire dancer's sensual performance on a beach in Roatan is a captivating sight, blending the raw energy of fire with the serene beauty of the ocean and the soft sand underfoot. As the sun set over the water, casting warm hues across the sky, the fire dancer's movements became a mesmerizing dance, each flicker of flame casting shadows that swayed with the rhythm of the waves. Moni Noo appears to forget the crowd as she becomes immersed in the music, carried away by the feeling it gives her.
Her movements are graceful yet intense, weaving intricate patterns of light in the air with her flaming torches. The fire itself seems to respond to her every motion, twisting and twirling in sync with Moni's body, creating an otherworldly spectacle against the backdrop of the sea.
Spectators gather around, drawn by the hypnotic allure of the performance. The atmosphere is charged with excitement and awe as the Moni moves with fluidity and precision, lost in the moment and completely absorbed.
The combination of the sultry beach setting, the hypnotic dance of fire, and the sensuality of the performance creates an experience that is both exhilarating and enchanting, leaving spectators spellbound long after the final ember fades into the night.
Moni is a captivating young woman in Roatan who claimed this beach as her stage to perform for spectators. During her dances, she becomes completely lost in the music and carried away in the moment. Her dance is hypnotic and powerful. Her love for her art is contagious and her charm over the crowd is obvious as applause erupts when she finishes her dance.
Find Moni Noo on Facebook, or on Instagram (wanda.full)
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Happy Great Dane Puppy Wags Her Tail While She Sleeps
Raven is a beautiful soul who is living her best life. She lives on a sprawling country property where she runs free whenever she steps outside. Her humans also take her for daily hikes in the nearby forest where she explores and sniffs trees until she's had her fill. She has dog beds and couches throughout the house, allowing her to peacefully slumber in the afternoon sun after she tires herself out each day.
Raven often enjoys the company of a dog friend or two when family and friends bring their pups to join her on the forest hikes. Raven loves her forest time even more when she has friends along for the fun.
After a particularly long hike with a golden retriever named Aurora, Raven climbed up on her couch and fell asleep happily. Likely dreaming of the day's events, Raven thumped her tail happily while she snoozed. Few things are as adorable as a happy dog. To think that Raven was enjoying a dream wonderful enough to make her tail wag is heart warming.
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Huge moray eel comes at scuba diver for a close inspection
Moray eels are among the ocean's most misunderstood creatures. Up to 2m (6 feet) long, with large heads and fearsome jaws, these animals are widely feared. They are known to have a second jaw, located in the throat, referred to as a pharyngeal jaw. These jaws move forward to seize prey and pull it deep into the moray eel's throat. Moray eels are the only animals known to use pharyngeal jaws to actively capture and restrain prey.
Despite their reputations as ferocious beasts, moray eels rarely bite humans, and in the rare cases where it has happened, the incidents have been related to irresponsible feeding and misunderstanding. Moray eels have poor eyesight and can mistake a hand for food if they are being fed by scuba divers.
Hollywood movies that depict these animals as aggressive contribute to the misconceptions. Although the eels are capable of inflicting serious wounds with their large teeth, they demonstrate no desire to bite people.
Eels are more intelligent than they are given credit for. They have been found to engage in cooperative hunting with groupers. Groupers will approach the eel and perform a head shaking behaviour, communicating to the eel that they are ready to hunt. The eels can work their heads into crevices where fish hide, flushing out the prey and giving the grouper the opportunity to catch them.
For scuba divers who understand these beautiful creatures, they are a welcome sight. This eel was seen swimming in the open. It was as curious about the scuba divers as they were about it.
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Venomous lion fish continuously tries to eat photographers subjects
Lion fish are an invasive species in Caribbean waters, having been introduced by accident to a world where they have no predators. They destroy reefs by devouring huge quantities of small reef fish, upsetting the delicate balance that keeps everything in check. But here, in the waters around Fiji, lion fish like this one are part of that balance.
This lion fish can be seen extending its highly venomous spines to coral small fish in its attempt to inhale them. It is following this scuba diver as she makes her best effort to photograph some of the small fish on a night dive. The lion fish is a crafty fellow and he knows that he can use the diver to help with the attempt to back the small fish into a corner. He is also hoping that the lights give him an advantage as they make it difficult for the prey to see him closing in.
The scuba diver must be careful to avoid the sharp points on the fins. Each one can deliver enough venom to cause intense pain, swelling, and possible respiratory difficulty. In most cases, the sting is not life threatening, but in rare cases, it can require immediate medical treatment to avoid dangerous complications.
Lion fish are beautifully ornate when their fins are extended. Their markings are striking, with contrasting orange, white and black stripes. In the Caribbean, the fish are a menace and scuba divers are encouraged to kill them whenever possible. The meat of the lion fish is delicious and flaky, making them a very appealing source of food. Harvesting lion fish in many places is necessary for the survival of the reef.
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