Reef Menace

Pterois, more commonly known as lionfish, is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is considered an invasive species anywhere in the Atlantic and can be found all around the Caribbean and along the Gulf and east coast of the US. The Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) is marked by alternating white and reddish stripes, can grow to almost 20 inches and lives an average of 10 years. Like its relatives in the Scorpaenidae (scorpion fish) family, it has long, venomous spines. It lacks any local predators which has led to problems within the ecological balance around coral reef communities where the lionfish makes its home. It is a voracious eater and it reproduces frequently. All of this combines to a significant threat to our reef fish community and many conservation organizations promote the hunting of this predator. As it turns out, lionfish are quite delicious when properly prepared. To find out more (science, harvest, cleaning, recipes) read my blog 'Reef Menace'. Open Edition Print

Rooster

This was a lucky shot at Bo's Fishwagon Restaurant in Key West. We were there to grab some beer and I saw this rooster stroll in. He looked very colorful against the gray background and I got a few shots off before he scampered out again. If you have been to Key West you couldn't help but notice that the local fowl population is omnipresent on its streets and neighborhoods. Early settlers had to be self sufficient living on an island accessible only by boat. So they brought chicken and other lifestock to keep them fed. Later, Cuban immigrants brought other species for cockfighting purposes. These wily critters were quite adept at escaping and started mingling with the local more docile population creating a unique breed of street chicken. While delightfully photogenic at first, many visitors get tired of being woken any time of the night by overactive roosters. Counting around 2000 chickens that have made themselves comfortable on an 8 sq. mile island, the imported critters are fast loosing their charm. The city is divided on the issue and has put policies in place to decimate the population through organized catch and relocate programs. These have met with limited success and the winner is clear - the Key West Gypsy Chicken has proved its resilience and stands undefeated. Open Edition Print

Blue on Blue

The perfect day on the water in the Florida Keys. I came to shoot the lighthouses but came across this sandbank about three miles offshore Islamorada. The light was perfect, not a cloud in the sky and clear, clear water. Open Edition Print

Heminway Cat

One of my favorite places to visit in Key West is the Hemingway House on Whitehead Street. I always buy the tour because the guides are so knowledgeable and the stories a little different every time. This was the first and only time I ever saw one of the cats actually drinking from the ... well, the urinal. Legend has it, that Ernest was quite upset when his favorite watering hole, Sloppy Joe's, closed its doors. Determined to retain a keepsake he salvaged the urinal which his then wife, possibly in a fit of spite, integrated into the landscaping. Open Edition Print

Alligator Reef Light

This was a great day to be on the water. I had been out here a few times but it was usually too choppy to get a good image. On this day the sea was calm, the light was right and it was a day with little boat traffic. Perfect. Alligator Reef was named after the USS Alligator, an 86 ft wooden-hulled schooner that the US Navy had dispatched in 1820 to intervene in the slave trade and fight piracy from west Africa to the Caribbean. The ship's eventful history was cut short on the evening of November 19, 1821 when it ran aground on Matacumbee Reef. 12 canons and other useful cargo were salvaged and the remaining hull set on fire to prevent her from falling into the hands of pirates. On occasions, such as after storms, pieces of hull timber can still be seen in shallow areas near shore. Open Edition Pring

Crystal Queen

Eleuthera, the freedom island, is blessed with more beautiful beaches than anyone can explore in one visit Open Edition Print

Away

The Florida Keys have some phenomenal reefs, especially off of Key Largo around Pennekamp State Park. This loggerhead sea turtle swam right by me as I was looking at some octocoral. Open Edition Print