Wild Encounters: Hummingbirds of the sea
For this Wild Encounter, I have chosen one of my all-time favorite fish, the Mandarin fish. Their gorgeous iridescent array of colors and the way they hover in one spot using their ventral fins is reminiscent of a hummingbird. They have the face of a frog, and when the males erect their large dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins to impress the females or to scare away any potential rival, they indeed are a spectacular display of vivid beauty. Every day at sunset, they do their mating dance with one or more females. To watch that moment, when the male and female connect and do their swirling mating dance up into the water column to release their gametes, is simply magic. That is why this gorgeous Dragonet is one of my all-time favorite marine creatures.
Capture Info
Photo was taken on our 2015 Indonesia Expedition by Thomas Baechtold
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III / Lens: Canon 100mm f2.8 / ISO: 400 F-stop: f14 Speed: 1/160
This shot is particularly unique because I was able to capture the split-second moment where the pair release their gametes during their mating dance. It was only after when I looked at the image on my computer that I noticed that I had captured the special moment. It is challenging getting good shots of Mandarin fish, they are small, and they are active at dusk in low light conditions. To add to the challenge, they dart in and out of hard corals where they hide for protection, and the mating dance happens swiftly as they twirl upwards.
My advice for capturing a shot like this is to watch for where the action is starting to happen. Look for male rivals chasing or fighting each other, or a male persistently following a smaller female around. Try not to lose sight of him as he moves about the reef. They do tend to have a small workable zone where their harem of females resides. They will repeat coming together and lifting up into the water column roughly to the same height each time. Set up your camera and keep in mind your distance away from your subject as it moves up towards you for sharp focus and even exposure. I use a red night light attached to my camera to assist with tracking and focusing in low light. Avoid using bright LED lights for extended periods with any marine creature; this can cause disorientation, temporary blindness, and expose them to predation. We love the sea and all the creatures that reside within it, take photos responsibly.