Seen in the Shallows

 

On Apulit Island in the Philippines. During the low tide, you'd be surprised by all the things you can see. Suddenly, it makes sense that so much of the coral is grey towards the shore. It's not just human disturbance, it's simply because for large swaths of the day, the rocks get too much air.

When you see these in the water, they are such a brilliant blue-green, you can hardly tell that they are actually clams. They shrink at the slightest change in water movement. 

 

I suppose if I stuck around long enough, I would have seen one of these faces. Something else that delighted me to no end -- the tiny, tiny baby fish that seem to live under slabs of rock in the shallows, out of harm's way. They were as tiny as a breath mint.

A little whirlpool activity that lets you know that there is a fish inside.

I'm guessing this is when they expel sand out of their hiding holes?

Surprisingly active shells.

Spot the tiny crab!

A close up of a pocket of water on a large rock near the shore.

 

Spot the fish!