As I mentioned yesterday, Roma was one of my favorite dive sites the entire week. Within 15 minutes of hitting the water, our diver masters had found us a Blue Ribbon Eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita), and the Tiger Mantis Shrimp I showed you yesterday.

The Ribbon Eel was another critter on my wishlist, and since the brochure for Wakatobi "advertised" that we would see them, it was very nice to not be disappointed. In fact, reviewing the brochure now that we're home, we realize that we saw a majority of what was presented there.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 1/260th sec at f/8. Image Stabilization on. ISO 320 (Auto). Ikelite Housing and Port with Ikelite DS161 Strobe in TTL Mode. No post production.

Why This Photo: Well, let's see... I got certified to scuba dive, saved up for over a year, spent a bunch more for the camera equipment, traveled half-way around the world, all to get to see some of the wonderful creatures I'd only ever seen in nature documentaries and books. I guess I took this photo just 'cause I could.

What Works: The vertical format works well with this subject, and the diagonal line he produces through the shot provides a nice balance. Focus is tack sharp right on the eel's face, and its tiny razor sharp teeth are easily visible. The relatively shallow depth of field produces a softly defocused background to keep the eel as the main subject with minimal distraction.

What Doesn't Work: The black patch on the rock to the right of the eel is a bit distracting, a tighter crop would work better here. Also, the vantage point is still slightly above the eel, a lower vantage point would produce a more intimate image, and perhaps could have made the eel more comfortable with my presence (though I wasn't the only diver sticking a camera in its face!).

Of course, Mike, one of our dive instructors says he's been on dives and seen fields and fields of ribbon eels, but this guy was the first I've seen in person, so he is the coolest ribbon eel I've ever seen.

- Bill