We asked our contributors to share their favorite underwater images with gem tones of ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue, amethyst purple, amber topaz or sparkly diamond, and they came back with a brilliant selection of macro and wide-angle shots featuring a diverse range of marine species and underwater scenes.
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Here, X-Ray Mag contributors share their chosen images from the tropical waters of Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Yap, the Philippines, Indonesia, Saba and St. Kitts to the subtropical and temperate waters of the US East Coast, British Columbia, Canada and South Africa.
(To see all the images in the article, please scroll down to the end and download the PDF.)
The Color of Gems
Text and photos by Anita George-Ares, PhD
Fish do not have the sparkling transparency of gems, yet their bold colors rival those of gems. The banded shrimp goby in Photo 1 has a topaz-colored body with fins marked with iridescent emerald and sapphire hues. The partner shrimp is muted by comparison, but it has ruby-colored antennae. The orange bands on the shrimp’s carapace and claws are the color of citrine.
I found the hawk anthias in Photo 2 (previous page) swimming upside down under a ledge. Hawk anthias typically orientate themselves upside down under ledges. I rotated the image during post-processing to better highlight the bejeweled appearance of the anthias. The yellow scales are the color of topaz embedded in a citrine-colored body. Some of the fins have amethyst-colored borders.
The Cenderawasih damsel has a sprinkling of amethyst markings on its face (Photo 3). The fins and posterior body are a bright yellow topaz color. The eye and the bright blue borders on the fins are the color of sapphire.
It is best to rely on a local dive guide to find the tiny, well-camouflaged pygmy seahorse. In Photo 4, the tubercles on the seahorse’s body are the color of pink sapphire. The soft coral polyps are the color of rubies. Visit: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100016947967639
Ruby Red Gems
Text and photos by John A. Ares
Ruby red is one of the standout colors on tropical reefs when using supplemental light. The red crab in Photo 1 stuck out like a flaming creature. The contrasting yellow eyes complement the red.
The candy crab in Photo 2 is notoriously difficult to photograph. Being hard to find and then very active makes them a challenge. The ruby red eyes help to delineate the face.
The red squirrelfish in Photo 3 were remarkable in how they held the school together. The lineup was nearly perfect. This photograph was taken on a shipwreck, and I surprised the school as I slowly descended toward them.
Red is not the most common color for nudibranchs. Photo 4 from the Philippines shows a robust individual with a white foot that contrasts with the red pattern on the body. Visit: JohnAres.com
True Gems
Text and photos by Sheryl Checkman
There are rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds and gold to be found under the sea. However, these jewels are not part of Blackbeard’s pirate booty but the colors that exist naturally as part of the reef or in the coloring of its inhabitants.
At Silver Reef (an aptly titled dive site for this theme) in Dumaguete, Philippines, I encountered an onyx black frogfish resting amidst a couple of ruby red and emerald green crinoids (Photo 1).
The ruby red sea urchin in Photo 2, which I saw at Punta in Dumaguete, glowed from within, displaying both amber gold tones and sapphire blue dots on its shell as my strobe highlighted it.
In Photo 3, the peacock mantis shrimp resting on the sand at Masaplod Norte, with its turquoise body, sapphire and ruby tail markings and amethyst eyes, is like an elaborate piece of jewelry set with many beautiful stones.
Finally, at Mandarin Slope in Alor, Indonesia, I saw a beautiful mandarinfish sporting a coat of many colors, including amber, sapphire, turquoise and carnelian hues—a true gem of the sea (Photo 4). These treasures are every bit as valuable (if not more so) than any found in Blackbeard’s treasure chest. Visit: Instagram.com/SherylCheckman
Gems of the Sea
Text and photos by Larry Cohen
Many small marine animals resemble gems in both color and shape. Photographing tiny nudibranchs and snails is like photographing jewelry since you must emphasize their color and highlight the details. The warm waters of Papua New Guinea are one of the best locations to photograph these sea gems. One example is the bubble snail, which has a fragile external shell that nudibranchs lack. The shell does not cover their entire body. However, their colors make them stand out on the sea floor.
Another stunning gem is the nudibranch Goniobranchus kuniei. Observing this sea slug as it moved slowly around the reef was captivating. They use millions of tiny hairs on the bottom of a fleshy foot to propel themselves forward. The nudibranch Chromodoris annae is another jewel of the sea, and its colors warn off potential predators.
Nudibranchs can also be found in cold water. The opalescent nudibranch was photographed in British Columbia, Canada. These nudibranchs feed on hydroids, and the hydroid’s stinging cells pass through the nudibranchs’ digestive tracts, eventually ending up in their cerata (venomous appendages). When threatened, they can point their cerata at an attacker and eject venom as a defense mechanism. Visit: liquidimagesuw.com
Treasure Trove
Text and photos by Lureen Ferretti
Beneath the waves, a treasure trove of marine life dazzles like a jeweler’s showcase. Many creatures remind me of gemstones. Imagine the surprise of encountering an anthias fish with vibrant hues that rival the finest amethyst. Photographing such a beauty, merely three inches in length, requires patience and precision.
Decades of diving may suggest a familiarity with the ocean’s wonders. Yet, finding a bearded goby glinting like a yellow topaz amidst the coral reminds us that the sea is good at hiding treasures. The pursuit of photographing these elusive little fish is akin to a dance—a delicate balance of finding, focusing and illuminating without casting a shadow upon them.
As a lover of sapphires, diamonds and reef sharks, diving in Yap is a dream come true, offering a bounty of photographic opportunities when the ocean is flat and the sun is unobstructed by clouds.
Of all the gems of the sea, it is the blue-ringed octopus, with its striking amber and sapphire tones, that commands attention. Despite its docile demeanor, it harbors a hidden peril. To photograph this creature is to understand its realm and witness its rare emergence, all while maintaining a respectful and safe distance. Visit: instagram.com/lureenferrettiphotography
Jewels Beneath the Waves: The Vibrant Macro Life of Gordon’s Bay
Text and photos by Kate Jonker
A world of colourful macro critters brings unbelievable vibrancy to the kelp forests and reefs of Gordon’s Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. Their hues, like those of precious and semi-precious stones, create a striking contrast to the surrounding greens and blues of the marine life—and the ocean, depending on her mood.
Bright orange sea fans and vivid pink noble coral catch the eye, adding splashes of colour to the underwater landscape, while the sapphire-blue spots on a bluespotted klipfish gleam like tiny treasures. The ruby-red speckled klipfish and the amber-gold super klipfish each bring their own brilliance to the kelp forests they call home.
These small but striking, jewel-like creatures remind us of the extraordinary richness and beauty hidden beneath the waves, turning even a simple dive into a glimpse of the ocean’s glittering treasures. Visit: katejonker.com
Underwater Gems
Text and photos by Brandi Mueller
I find almost everything underwater to be a gem. No matter what I see, everything underwater is precious and unique. Looking through images with gemstones in mind, one photo that stuck out was the tiny male paper nautilus, or argonaut, in Photo 1, bright white like a diamond, riding aboard a jellyfish on a blackwater night dive in Anilao, Philippines. In Puerto Galera, Philippines, sparkly purple dots around the eyes of a fire dartfish in Photo 2 struck me as glimmering amethyst jewels painted on like makeup. In Dumaguete, Philippines, the blue dots on the sea slug in Photo 3 shimmer like sapphires, and the blue-ringed octopus in Photo 4, while not showing its sapphire rings, glows like amber topaz. Visit: brandiunderwater.com
Sapphires of the Sea
Text and photos by Gary Rose, MD
One of the most wonderful aspects of diving is witnessing the ever-changing natural cornucopia of color of the reefs and offshore underwater world. As a certified gemologist, I often associate this marvelous underwater panoply of color with the exquisite gemstones I have seen and held during my travels to distant and exotic lands.
I captured the incandescent sapphire blue of the natural pigmentation surrounding the eye of the queen angelfish (in Photo 1) during one of my first ventures into macro photography. I almost forgot to depress the shutter of my camera as my memories carried me away to distant marketplaces surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
Every time I see a West Indian sea star lying on the stark white sand of the Caribbean sea floor, I marvel at the richness of the Pukhraj orange sapphire pigmentation (Photo 2). The hue of this most rare and coveted of sapphires is perfectly exhibited by these abundant and beautiful stars. Observe, wonder, appreciate, but do not touch.
Most people think of sharks as menacing gray creatures endlessly gliding through the sea. After many decades of diving with sharks, I have come to appreciate their fascinating behavior and variations in color. With the use of strobe lighting to enhance my underwater photography, I was startled when I discovered the distinctive and striking ocular beauty of each shark species. My indisputable favorite is the glowing golden cabochon sapphire (rounded and polished, not faceted) eye of the sandbar shark (Photos 3a-b). The light of my strobes caught the image at just the right angle.
One of the basic rules of underwater photography, of all photography, is to define a subject. Rules can be broken when there is a good reason. From time to time, when I review my photos, I discover that I have two subjects (Photo 4). My original intent was to capture this vivacious hawksbill sea turtle. However, the spectacular “red sapphire” (also known as corundum) displayed by this barrel sponge captivated me—two distinct subjects.
One of our strongest visual stimulants is color. The undersea world is constantly displaying her infinite palette of color. From the richest and deepest hues to the most subtle of tints, the aquatic world is a photographer’s dream. Visit: garyrosephotos.com
Ruby Red and Amber Topaz
Text and photos by Olga Torrey
Gemstones are adored by many for their beauty and exquisiteness, including rubies and topaz. Ruby represents vitality and sensuality. Topaz is associated with affection, healing and soothing. Topaz has a wide range of brilliant colors, but “imperial topaz,” with its golden yellow to reddish-orange hue, is the most desirable. Imperial topaz was named in honor of the Russian czars of the 17th century.
While diving off Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, I saw an array of nudibranchs, crabs, sea anemones, fish and other marine life sporting various gem tones, such as ruby red and amber topaz. Some pigments that produce a red coloration, such as carotenoids, are not produced by the animal but are obtained from its food.
The fish-eating anemone (Urticina piscivora) has a bright red column and a ruby hue. Its tentacles are strong enough to catch shrimp and small fish. When prey comes into contact with its tentacles, the anemone uses its tentacles to direct the prey into its mouth. The size of the sea anemones depends on whether food is plentiful or scarce.
The maroon hermit crab, with its red-orange body on the brown kelp, may feel safe because of its camouflage. Kelp absorbs light energy during photosynthesis and gives the brown algae its olive green to dark brown color, which helps the crab blend in for self-protection. All hermit crabs carry a shell to protect their fragile bodies. The crab selects a new shell by inspecting the size of its interior and its weight. If the new shell is a good alternative, the crab will crawl out of its old shell and slip into the new one.
The opalescent nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis) is the most colorful nudibranch, with imperial topaz tones, including bright orange areas, with brownish-yellow, white and gold tips. This sea slug is aggressive and cannibalistic, eating individuals of its own species.
While diving in Papua New Guinea, I admired the beauty of magnificent sea anemones. Heteractis magnifica is the second largest species of anemone. It is known for its striking bright white, green, blue, orange or red color and impressive size of up to 3ft (~91cm) in diameter. Its diet consists of amphipods, isopods, mussels, plankton, sea urchins, shrimp and small fish. Visit: fitimage.nyc
Sources: brilliantearth.com, wikipedia.org, withclarity.com
