Feather Star revisited

I originally wrote this blog post two years ago, but when I recently saw this awsome video of a feather star, I got excited and desided to re-post it, with some very minor changes.

Feather stars are stunningly pretty, and are definitely one of the most gorgeous species of starfish there are. I spotted a marvelously beautiful feather star, diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. I had never seen one before.

Feather stars (like all starfish) are beautifully symmetrical in shape-round- and can grow to about 30cm, or about one foot in diameter. A feather star looks pretty much like a round circle of feathers, with its many, many delicate, feathery arms that sprout out from the central disk in the middle, that is the creature's body. Underneath their body they have grasping legs, kind of like fingers that the feather star uses to attach itself on corals and rocks. These“fingers” are called cirri.



I spotted this beautiful feather star while diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand.

Diving the Way Captain Nemo Used to do It

 Diving is a great sport, no question about it. A way to exercise as well as relax. Sometimes though, the sport of it can get a bit too… sporty. Exhausting. Sometimes you might want the beauty and the relaxation of underwater without of the carrying of gear, getting the wet suit on and then off again, ear squeeze. All the hassle that comes with this great activity of diving that we all love so much. Without even getting your hair wet. Or maybe I’m just getting old.

On Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, it is possible. I’ve dived on the neighboring island of Tenerife a couple of times before (read all about it here  and here), so this time I went for something different underwater. Do read all the way to the end, I’m saving the best part for last. So read on!

Lanzarote is a volcanic island. The landscape is very barren.

Common Octopus

The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is -well- common, and widespread. It is not considered a threatened species. There are quite a lot of them, but most of the time they are difficult to spot because they prefer to hide and are able to camouflage themselves so very well. It is a very impressive sight when you do see them.

The common octopus is an impressive sight. This one was spotted near Aqaba, Jordan. In water only about two meters deep. In the Red Sea.

Feather Star

Feather stars are stunningly pretty, and are definitely one of the most gorgeous species of starfish there are. I spotted a marvelous feather star, diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand back in November.

Feather stars (like all starfish) are beautifully symmetrical in shape -round- and usually grow to about 30cm, or one foot in diameter. A feather star looks pretty much like a round circle of feathers, with its many delicate, feathery arms that sprout out from the central disk in the middle, that is the creature's body. Underneath their body they have some grasping legs, kind of like fingers that the feather star uses to attach itself on corals and rocks. These “fingers” are called called cirri.

I spotted this beautiful feather star while diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand.

Vertical Underwater Current

Sometimes unpredictable forces of nature can turn a pleasant day of diving with a friend into a scary, even dangerous experience. This blog post is an account of a dive that I did quite a few years ago, a dive that did not go as well as it should have.

It was a beautiful sunny day in early August, and my dive buddy and I were planning an easy dive from a rocky shore in Porkkala in Southern Finland, not too far from where I live. It is a popular dive spot because it is usually an easy site to dive and it is easily accessible.

Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus)

Here's a nice little fish I spotted while diving in the Similan Islands in Thailand some years back and managed to get a photo of . I encountered it near North Point, close to island number nine. Very dramatic scenery there, by the way, marvelous canyons and huge magnificent boulders of underwater rock!

The Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus)

Drift Diving - a Rollercoaster Ride Underwater

Speed. It has to be one of the most typical ways adrenaline junkies get their thrills, and really get their juices pumping. It could be motor racing on a track, flying a plane, or driving a speed boat, or it could be base jumping or hang gliding. What speed is not usually associated with, is scuba diving.

Scuba diving is a slow-paced, relaxing activity where you have plenty of time to take in the underwater scenery and enjoy the weightlessness of your body as you calmly glide along, mentally listening to whatever music it is that Buddha would listen to on his quieter moments. And that's good. That's how it's supposed to be. But theres' also another way to dive...

Leech (Hirudo medicinalis)

Last summer, on a family trip to the lakeside, I spotted a leech near the waterline where we were snorkeling. I was startled and disgusted. The last thing I'd want was a leech hanging on my skin, sucking blood. That was the end of

Angel shark (Squatina squatina)

Spotting a Mediterranean angel shark was, for me, a case of seeing something spectacular and not even realizing it. It was only later that I found out that the thing is actually quite rare, critically endangered in fact. And I thought it was just kind-of-a-shark! Well, the latin name of the species, squatina, does actually mean "a kind of shark", so I guess I was half right.

Diving in Alanya

Planning a family holiday to Alanya in Southern Turkey, I was not entirely sure I would get to dive at all on this trip. While being a popular tourist destination, Alanya is not exactly on the "top ten places to dive"-list. Anyway, that's where we had decided we were going, so I'd have to make the most of it. I'd dive there no matter what!

View from Cleopatra Beach. If you look closely, you can see a dive boat parked in front of Phosphorus Cave.

Panic underwater!

This post is a bit more personal, I'm writing about a panic situation that I myself experienced. As all divers propably know, panic underwater is one of the most dangerous problems a diver is likely to come across.

Diving in Tenerife 2012

I have to admit that the beauty of the underwater world around the island of Tenerife came as a bit of a surprise to me. The volcanic rock bottom of the Atlantic ocean around the island is in itself a sight worth seeing. There are some exellent dive sites just off the beaches of the popular Playa de las Americas, only a short boat-trip away. It is possible to see masses of different species of fish and other marine life, from octopusses and tortoises to dolphins and even whales.

My dive-trip to Aqaba, Jordan 2012

I visited Jordan with my family last November. What a beautiful country, what friendly people! Jordan was really worth the visit. Great diving too, warm clear waters and colourful reefs right at the northern end of the Red Sea.