For a diver, Pygmy seahorse is one of the most difficult subjects to spot amongst the gorgonian coral it inhabits. It is unsure whether these individuals can change color with the host, although the ability to change color according to their surroundings does exist in some species. This one was a bright orange color instead of the usual pink.

When I went back to Anilao in Dec 2019, my friend Andy said that they spotted a different color pigmy recently. He knew how crazy I was about these beautiful creatures. It was a challenging dive. We had to travel quite far by boat and dive down to 30 meters to reach the fan where they first spotted them.

I made the mistake of diving with regular air instead of Nitrox. By the time we spotted the first seahorse, I had almost hit my NDL (deco). I had to quickly take a couple of shots and come back to a safer depth. Hopefully, they will still be there when I get a chance to do it again.

Artist: Shinto (FloodedCamera)

Editions: 1/1

Collection: