420 Dive Log Australasia OCTOBER 2026

Well camouflaged Angler fish from Bot any Bay is a sponge mimic

Whales, Manta Rays and sharks MegaFauna identification uses photography to identify individuals of large Fauna such as Whales and Manta Rays. Many animals have unique spot or colour patterns that enable positive identification of individuals. On a recent trip to Komodo, we recorded positive sightings on more than one hundred Manta Rays in a single day between sixteen divers carrying out three dives.This definitive and established fact was based entirely on photographic evidence. Taking scientific photographic recordings of

Batfish in formation

marine ecosystems is a scientific skill and a valuable tool for study in the wild. Grey Nurse migrations are partly confirmed by spot pattern recognition of individuals. I still clearly recall a Southern Right whale I swam with in 1988. It had nine distinct callosities in a curved line on the side of its jaw extending in a three metre curve. Underwater photography is a huge part of the driving force behind this new Golden age of Marine Biology.

This aggregation of male Grey Nurse sharks at North Solitary Island occurs in June. Males have the enlarged claspers which double in size in preparation for mating.

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Dive Log Australasia #420 October ’26

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