New Caledonia

Red Reefs

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At the southern end of Grande Terre, is Prony Bay, a large sheltered bay at the convergence of the open ocean and two larger streams that drain the surrounding mountains and hillsides.  The terrain here is unusual: dark red earth …

The Man-Eaters

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South Pacific legends describe giant clams as man-eaters.  The largest of all molluscs, giant clams, were once thought to be voracious predators that wait patiently on the seafloor to trap an unsuspecting swimmer.  It’s no wonder  with a life span …

Natures Cement – A Tale of Two Dives

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With wind and swell building from the south and east, we identified two relatively sheltered sites north of Ile des Pins for the morning surveys. Ominous rain clouds were building in the sky to the east, but we were glad …

Isle of Pines

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As we arrived into Ill des Pins (Isle of Pines) on the first day of the mission, one type of vegetation struck me. Pine forests tower above the landscape, and stretch right down to the shore! Though we came to …

Sea Snakes Galore!

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Yesterday, while exploring a nearby island, Dive Safety Officer, Nick Cautin, spotted 15 sea snakes on the beach!  We seem to be seeing them everywhere – on land, SCUBA diving, and even on the aft deck of the M/Y Golden …

Shivering for Science

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Cold Water Diving Shortly after sunrise the main dive boat, Calcutta, set out from Golden Shadow to survey a gently sloping spur and groove reef system on the south eastern side of Ill des Pins. The dive team and crew …

Unraveling Algal Biodiversity

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A key aspect of the work being done during the GRE involves the characterization of the diversity (number of different species) of different organisms – fish, corals, other invertebrates and algae. While species inventories for algae have been completed here, …

Trick or Treat?

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Several hours after dark on Halloween, a large school of bait fish attracted to the lights given off by the Golden Shadow, congregated near the aft deck to feed on plankton.  This fish behavior (and the lights) also attracted other …

New Caledonia Album

Beautiful ocean images and underwater photography from our New Caledonia Album in the Pacific Ocean taken during the Global Reef Expedition.