Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Photography in The Keys: A Week in Review

   It's somewhat bittersweet being back in jersey. It's nice to sleep in your own bed and enjoy the cool air, but I'll certainly miss the amazing wildlife I saw all over the Florida Keys. Each day I snapped dozens of pictures so I could always look back at the moments I had, and the lovely creatures I got to meet. While I couldn't get great photos everyday, I still got quite the haul!

Day one: Lubbers

   After a visit to the everglades, nobody could forget these guys! It's not known why these guys come in so many color variations, but some scientists speculate that changes in age or size may cause them to turn different colors. They're a type of large grasshopper that's pretty hard to miss, and (luckily) they are happy to pose for a picture. Surprisingly they don't jump much for a grasshopper, either.


Day two: French grunts

   On our trip to the lovely EcoDiscovery museum in Key West, we saw they had a pretty cool aquarium exhibit showing off some common coral reef critters! While the queen angelfish was too jumpy for pictures, these two grunts just happened to have a heated argument while I had out my camera! While many grunts are often schooling fish, these two didn't seem to like each other too much.


Day four: Blue Jays

   If you ever get to visit the Florida Keys, I'd say you should visit the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. It's a haven for injured or orphaned birds, and in particular they have a peculiar little Blue Jay named Flop. He's happy to follow you around the edge of his enclosure, making adorable "mew" noises as he goes. Jays are capable of mimicking other bird calls, human voices, or in his case, the sound of his past owner's cat. 


Day six: Rainbow Parrotfish


   After a day of bad weather and my failed attempts to kayak anywhere, I decided to snorkel in a small inlet with a couple mangroves. I saw a small handful of tiny fish swimming around, so I decided to investigate the murky waters a bit more. To my surprise, there was good 8 or so rainbow parrotfish lying just beneath the mangrove roots! Adult versions of these guys are usually found on reefs, chomping down on coral for food. But instead I found them next to a mangrove encrusted boat dock. I felt so lucky to be mere feet away from these colorful guys, even if the picture quality isn't the best.


Want an idea of what other creatures are hiding around Florida? Visit http://www.wildflorida.com/florida_wildlife.php for info!

Want to donate to the bird sanctuary? Or even just look at the cute birds they're currently fostering? look here! http://www.keepthemflying.org/mission/

So, what are the coolest creatures you've taken pictures of? I'd love to know!

1 comment:

  1. I personally love photography, so this post is really interesting. What camera did you use to take these photos? I especially liked how you gave a description of the setting of each photo.

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