GalapagosGuys

Scuba divers in the Galapagos Islands can expect to see almost anything, including many species of large sharks. The waters are full of hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, whitetips, and silky sharks. The sights underwater are beautiful beyond description. But the animals can be intimidating as well. The animals here are mostly predators and they are well adapted for the struggles for survival. Humans are clumsy guests in this domain and there would be little a scuba diver could do to repel a determined shark. The sight of these whitetips coming to investigate made the divers' hearts beat a little faster. There is a thrill in seeing such a powerful animal coming close to inspect you. Although it feels like, or appears like these sharks posed a threat to the divers in the video, there very few documents cases of injury from sharks, and even less incidents where a death was caused. In almost all of those cases, the attacks have been the unfortunate consequence of irresponsible behaviour by the humans. As people continue to feed sharks and try to interact with them, some misunderstandings are inevitable. But sharks are rarely intentionally aggressive toward humans. Sharks are also crucial to the health of the reefs and oceans around the world. If they ceased to exist, there would be a collapse of the delicate balance in this undersea world, and it would have direct consequences on the entire planet.

Peacock flounders are beautiful fish that use their color-change abilities to mimic their surroundings to hide from predators. They can become blue, green, grey, beige, and other colors. They can change their patterns as well in order to match the surface that is beneath them. Flounders can change their color and markings in seconds, even well enough to match a checkerboard pattern. They lie flat on the bottom in order to disguise themselves, and also to ambush their prey. A unique feature of flounders is that they begin life in a vertical position with their flattened bodies resembling most other fish. They have a eye on each side of their head and a mouth that opens and closes vertically, as with other fish. But, as they mature, one of the flounder's eyes migrate from one side to the other, causing them to swim flat, instead of vertically. The eye that migrates is different, depending on the species. In the case of the peacock flounder, the right eye migrates to the left side. As an adult, the flounder is able to look forward with one eye and backward with the other, simultaneously. The eyes are raised like short stumps, allowing the flounder to bury itself in sand for even better camouflage. The eyes protrude slightly, allowing the flounder to see its surroundings while it hides. Peacock flounders can reach a maximum length of 45cm (1.5 feet) and can be found in depths up to 150m, although they prefer shallower areas with a sandy or rocky bottom. The Peacock flounder releases two to three million eggs which are fertilized by the males. The eggs float near the surface until they are ready to hatch. They sink to the bottom as they hatch. The juvenile flounders float in the open ocean, with their eyes beginning to migrate as they mature. The color matching process of the flounder is not well understood but we know that it relies on vision and hormones. If the flounder suffers damage to one eye, it's ability to color change is adversely affected. Flounders are fascinating and beautiful fish and a welcome sight for scuba divers.

The Pacific seahorse, also known as the giant seahorse, is the largest species of seahorse. Their name (Hippocampus) comes from the Greek word hippos, which means "horse" and campus, which means "sea monster. This is the only seahorse species found in the eastern Pacific Ocean. These seahorses can reach 30cm (12 in) in height. Pacific seahorses can be a variety of colors, including green, brown, maroon, grey, and yellow. Males can be distinguished from females by their prominent keel.[6] Pacific seahorses, like other seahorses, have a prehensile tail used for anchoring. Unlike most fish, they have skin instead of scales, a digestive tract without a distinct stomach, no teeth, and the ability to move each eye independently. They are under the great threat due to unsustainable levels of harvest and international trade. South America, in particular Peru, is the home of the most illegal trade of Pacific seahorses. Females seahorses deposit their eggs in the brood pouch of the male, where they are fertilized by the male and sealed into the pouch. Pacific seahorse males can brood up to 2000 eggs at once, and may brood multiple times in a breeding season. At the end of the fourteen day gestation period, the male goes into labor and must force the young out of the pouch one at a time, which sometimes takes hours. Habitat loss and destruction pose a threat to Pacific seahorses as humans destroy and pollute their habitats. Commercial fishing also poses as threat to Pacific seahorses. Fisherman often catch and kill them in their nets. Chinese medicine is one of the main risks to the Pacific seahorse. They are one of the most vulnerable fish populations in the world. Pacific seahorses account for the majority of species identified in Chinese medicinal markets around the world. Giant Pacific seahorses eat small organisms that live on the bottom of the sea such as small crustaceans and plankton. Like most seahorses, Pacific seahorses ambush their prey. They camouflage in their habitats and wait for their prey to pass. They then suck their prey in and swallow it whole. They have no teeth to chew.

Mola Mola are unique in several ways, including in their freakish appearance. Descended from porcupine fish, they have evolved into immense animals that appear to be a floating head with enlarged fins. They swim slowly with their mouths open. In fact, they are unable to close them at all. They are also incapable of quick propulsion. Primitive in their design, they have no means of defence except to dive deep to escape predators. They feed on squid, small fish, eggs and larvae, and even jellyfish. They move at a ridiculously slow speed, except in short bursts. They also lie flat on the surface of the water to sun themselves. They are a truly strange fish that is baffling to naturalists and biologists. There is a lot that scientists don't yet understand about these giants of the deep. Known to lay the most eggs of any vertebrate in the world, they can produce up to 300,000,000 at a time. They are the world's largest bony fish, reaching an incredible 2200kg (4700lbs). At full size, they have few predators, but they are vulnerable to almost any shark, orca or sea lion when they are growing. These fish often suspend themselves in an upright position to take advantage of cleaning stations, or areas where smaller wrasses rid larger animals of parasites on their bodies and around their mouths. Although they generally very shy and reclusive, they will sometimes allow a slow and cautious diver to approach them. The scuba diver with the camera is experiencing something very rare as the giant fish swims past him so close that it almost bumped him. Possibly curious, it seemed to inspect him closely as it went past.