Spirit of Enderby

Spirirt of Enderby, AKA Professor Khromov, tied up at Princes Wharf, Auckland

Spirit of Enderby

Professor Khromov - business end

Spirit of Enderby

Professor Khromov
Vladivostok

Spirit of Enderby

The last boat I went to the Kermadecs on would comfortably fit on the rear deck

Spirit of Enderby

Spot the 5.8m McLay fizz boat, complete with trailer

Spirit of Enderby

Spirit of Enderby

Rear deck

Spirit of Enderby

The Big Man, James Marsden, sucking it in on the top deck

Spirit of Enderby

Big blue ocean, Kermadec bound

Spirit of Enderby

Cabin 420, Pete Steggle

L'Esperance Rock

Our first sight of land for a day and a half, approaching L'Esperance Rock from the south west

L'Esperance Rock

View from north east

Curtis & Cheeseman Islands

Approach to Curtis (R) and Cheesemann (L) Islands from the south west. Masked Booby flying overhead and Macauley Island just visible in the distance to the left of Curtis

Curtis Island

Curtis Island at sunset from the south west

Cheeseman Island

Cheeseman Island and rear deck at sunset

James & groupies

James, Pete and Lindon on the top deck at sunset, Curtis in background

Diaderma urchin

White-eyed Moray Eel

Siderea thyrsoidea

Snake Eel

Myricthys sp.

Snake Eel

Myricthys sp.

Galapagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis

Spotted Black Grouper

Epinephelus daemelii

Pencil Urchin

Nubibranch

Chelidonura hirundinina

These guys aren't nudibranchs but they are close relatives and are just as cute and brightly coloured

Grey Moray Eel

Gymnothorax nubilus

Galapagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis

Galapagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis

Lionfish

Pterois volitans

Spotted Black Grouper

Epinephelus daemelii

Spotted Black Grouper

Epinephelus daemelii

Hermit Crab

Crown-of-Thorns Starfish

Acanthaster planci

Moray Eel

The tickle

Roger G entices the grouper with rock tapping before seducing his prey with a chin tickle

The kiss

Roger puckers up for a closer encounter

Photographic notes: Above water photos taken with a Nikon D70 with 18-70mm zoom, 10.5mm fisheye or 80-200mm zoom Nikkor lens. Underwater photos taken with a Nikon D70 in Sealux CD 70 housing with 60mm micro Nikkor lens and Inon Z-220 strobe.