Feeding Frenzy

This morning the waters of Tomini Bay were calm. At certain dive sites, however, the currents were churning. The usually predictable Traffic Jam dive site had down currents, then an up current, then another down current followed by a westbound current that soon reversed to the east. This meant that the fish were in a feeding frenzy as plankton rushed by. I was surprised to see a trio of goatfish gulping in mid water. A lionfish with fins unfurled cruised the myriad of anthias waiting to inhale one or two. I watched a Yellow-spot slingjaw wrasse (as yet an undescribed Epibulus specie) unlock its jaw and sling it forward to swallow some unsuspecting critter. Then from deep water lumbering against the down current to climb the coral rich slope came a pair of female Humpback unicornfish (Naso brachycentron) swishing their tail filaments. This fish is considered uncommon to rare.