Coral Reef Photos » Islands + Inland

French Prickle or Opuntia eliator, Caribbean Cactus Flowers

barry — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:52:14 +0000

Good morning friends, remember a few weeks ago Stijn and I went to Mount Christoffel for the whole day?? Well, this was one of the many surprises waiting for us at the top! This is called a French Prickle or Opuntia eliator and is one of the many different prickly pear species we have here in Curacao. Here on the island they call this Tuna, Shangran, Chou or Tuna di baka and in Dutch it’s just Tuna, I’m really not making this up! I have sent you other photos in the past of a different Prickly Pear flower called Opuntia wentiana, that one only has yellow flowers. The difference between the Prickly Pear and the French Pickle is easy to see. The segments on the French Pickle are much larger and have a darker color. This cactus may grow up to four meters tall and has brown spines, it’s most distinguishing characteristic. It is a diurnal bloomer with dark yellow to salmon colored flowers. The fruit is dark red and almost round. One does not get to see the flowers very often as our local large blue lizards and iguanas usually eat them the second they open. I have heard that many local restaurants still serve thin slices of this cactus in your water to give it a fresh taste but haven’t actually tried it myself.

Not much to report, it’s VERY windy lately, fun if your a sailor, not so fun if you a biker or trying to do shore dives!

Have a wonderful day all!! Thanks for all the support, Barry

Bromeliads, Tillandsias, Airplants, Air Plants, Curacao

barry — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:03:53 +0000

Good morning friends, I have a big beautiful Tillandsia Air-Plant for you all this morning which was just one of millions that we saw on our hike last Sunday at Mount Christoffel. A Tillandsia is a Bromeliad but not all Bromeliads are Tillandsias. Bromeliad is the Family name, Tillandsia is the genus. Airplants are the common name for Tillandsias (sometimes called “Air Plants”). Not all Bromeliads are Airplants. Airplants grow without soil while most types of Bromeliads do best in soil. Tillandsias grow naturally in South and Central America and southern parts of the United States. They are in the Bromeliad family, and are sometimes referred to as “air plants.” Hundreds of different varieties grow on trees, rocks, cliffs, and various types of cacti. Thin-leaf varieties grow in areas with more rain, and thick-leaf varieties in areas more subject to drought. No soil is needed to grow these unique plants. All water and nutrients are taken through the leaves. Their roots are used as wire-like anchors. Bromeliads or Tillandsias have a growth cycle starting with one plant growing to maturity and then blooming! One to two months after the bloom has finished, new plants form around the base of the “mother” plant. They will then eventually mature and complete their blooming cycle in one to several years, depending upon the variety and growing conditions.

I did three dives yesterday. The first was with two models shooting some photos for Scuba Diver Magazine again the other two were with Mark from the World famous “Dive Bus” and a friend of his up the coast. All this week we are involved in a project of moving corals from one place to another due to up-coming construction project and if they don’t get moved they won’t have a chance. So today starting at 11:00 we will again be doing 2-3 more dives and moving corals and taking them to their new homes a short ways down the reef.

So much to do, have a wonderful day, Barry

Passiflora foetida, Passion Flower, Purple Flowers

barry — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:07:41 +0000

Hi friends, here’s one of the prettiest flowers on the island called a Passion flower or Passiflora foetida. It is also known as Love-in-a-Mist, Foetid Passionflower, Running Pop, Scarletfruit Passionflower, Stinking Passionflower, Tagua Passionflower, Wild Passion Fruit and Wild Water Lemon. The name foetida (Latin for foetid) came about because the damaged leaves emit an unpleasant odor. This species is quite varied: the flowers can be white, pink, purple or blue and the fruits are orange and the size of a kumquat. The leaves are trilobed or pentalobed, hairy and sticky and the stems are very thin, also covered with sticky hair. These sticky hairs can catch insects which are digested by enzymes contained in the sticky liquid. It is not clear if the plant retrieves part of its diet from this, it is more likely that it is a protection against possible damage caused by these insects. Many Passiflora have very complex flowers, some are scented, some are used in commercial perfumes. In the early 1600′s Catholic priests in Peru saw a religious symbolism to this plant. The name “Passion Flower” is said to derive from the vines flower resembling the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head. Others say that the parts of the plant symbolize features of the Crucifixion, known as, “the Passion of Christ”. The ten sepals and petals are the ten apostles (minus Judas and Peter), the darker circle the crown of thorns, the five stamens the wounds, the three styles the nails, and the leaves the hands of the persecutors.

For those of you asking, the little mamma hummingbird is doing great and still sitting on her eggs, we just got home from watching her.

It was another busy day, I dove and Aimee worked with dolphins, yeah I know tough life!!

Dinner is calling, Barry

PS; I want to thank everyone again for you continued support and all the GREAT comments I receive each and every day! In fact I get so many comments (around 1500 a week) that it is no longer possible for me to answer them but know that I really do appreciate you taking the time to post a comment!! Cheers!!

Cotton Plant, Gossypium hirsutum, Cotton Flowers

barry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:28:14 +0000

Good morning friends, here’s another flower from the same cotton plant, Gossypium hirsutum that I sent you a few weeks ago, except this one is light yellow. These are growing wild and out of control behind the Curacao Sea Aquarium. Gossypium hirsutum is a soft, fluffy, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, that is a most widely used natural-fiber in clothing today. Through genetic assistance and breeding, today’s cottons have evolved from these “wild” sources and are more processing friendly. Currently, there are five prominent types of cotton being grown commercially around the world: Egyptian, Sea Island, American Pima, Asiatic and Upland. In addition to the textile industry, cotton is in fishnets, coffee filters, tents, gunpowder (see Nitrocellulose), cotton paper, and in bookbinding. The cottonseed which remains after the cotton is ginned is used to produce cottonseed oil, which, after refining, can be consumed by humans like any other vegetable oil. The cottonseed meal that is left generally is fed to ruminant livestock. Cottonseed hulls can be added to dairy cattle rations for roughage. The top leading producers of cotton are China, India, US, Pakistan and Egypt. The five leading exporters of cotton are (1) the United States, (2) India, (3) Uzbekistan, (4) Brazil, and (5) Australia. The cotton plant is grown from seed and usually bears fruit or bolls in about 100 days after planting. Around 45 days after, the cotton boll will begin to naturally split open along the bolls segments or carpels and dry out, exposing the underlying cotton segments called locks. An average boll will contain nearly 500,000 fibers of cotton and each plant may bear up to 100 bolls.

Since it rained almost all day yesterday I took the day off and completed a ton of little jobs that really had to get finished. I first photographed a new snail I found in the driveway and again in doing so got stung not once but twice in the arm by hornets that were nesting in nearby bush. My arm was super swollen all day yesterday and is still a bit puffy this morning. I then spent at least two hours trying to finish my new driftwood creation that will be a gift for a friends new house, boy is it heavy, I bet it weighs close to 200 pounds! At 6:00 I had a meeting at Carmabi, that’s our local “coral research”/ “coral protection” agency here in Curacao and they really do a pretty good job. I went there asking for help and advise in moving some corals that must be moved soon in front of a new development and they were very helpful.

That’s it for me today, not a whole lot going on, hope all is well out there! Be back soon, Barry

Coral Vines or Bride’s Tears, Antigonon leptopus

barry — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:49:59 +0000

Good morning from sickville AGAIN!! Now I am sick with another stupid cold and Aimee is still fighting hers. We currently have a record amount of people sick at work which means those who aren’t sick soon will be. I even ran into an old friend out walking his dogs and he was so sick with the flu he could hardly walk, I didn’t even shake his hand, I just yelled “Happy New Year” and ran past him at full speed!

Our island still looks like a Brazilian rainforest even though the rains have stopped considerably. Most of the island is currently covered in this carpet of pink flowers called Coral Vines or Bride’s Tears, Antigonon leptopus and it’s more or less killing everything underneath. In this photo there is supposed to be a big beautiful tree on the right but with all the rain this plant completely covered it! The Coral vine is very difficult to remove as it possesses small tubers which can grow quite deep into the ground. After the rains these tubers will rapidly sprout new vines and within a short time everything will again be covered by this plant! The leaves are oblong heart-shaped and make a knobby impression. The flowers hang down in large fiery rose-red branches. There also exists a variety with white flowers and to see a large area of this color variation is truly a sight to behold, it’s like a blanket of snow covering everything.

Hope all is well out there, miss you guys!! Barry

Gossypium hirsutum, Cotton Plant, Caribbean Flowers

barry — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:23:19 +0000

Good morning friends, here’s something cool, this the flower from a cotton plant,Gossypium hirsutum that I found growing behind the Curacao Sea Aquarium. Gossypium hirsutum is a soft, fluffy, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, that is a most widely used natural-fiber in clothing today. Through genetic assistance and breeding, today’s cottons have evolved from these “wild” sources and are more processing friendly. Currently, there are five prominent types of cotton being grown commercially around the world: Egyptian, Sea Island, American Pima, Asiatic and Upland. In addition to the textile industry, cotton is in fishnets, coffee filters, tents, gunpowder (see Nitrocellulose), cotton paper, and in bookbinding. The cottonseed which remains after the cotton is ginned is used to produce cottonseed oil, which, after refining, can be consumed by humans like any other vegetable oil. The cottonseed meal that is left generally is fed to ruminant livestock. Cottonseed hulls can be added to dairy cattle rations for roughage. The top leading producers of cotton are China, India, US, Pakistan and Egypt. The five leading exporters of cotton are (1) the United States, (2) India, (3) Uzbekistan, (4) Brazil, and (5) Australia. The cotton plant is grown from seed and usually bears fruit or bolls in about 100 days after planting. Around 45 days after, the cotton boll will begin to naturally split open along the bolls segments or carpels and dry out, exposing the underlying cotton segments called locks. An average boll will contain nearly 500,000 fibers of cotton and each plant may bear up to 100 bolls.

Not much going on at the moment things seem to be fairly quiet here. Stijn and I went for a fast ride last night but I ended up having some bike problems due to a new swing-arm I put on yesterday, will have to take it in to the shop today.

Aimee and I are taking the dogs to the North coast early this morning, I need to pick up some wood that I left there a few days ago. Have a great day,

Barry

Curacao Candle Cactus, Caribbean Vegitation

barry — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:25:02 +0000

Good morning from Curacao. Yesterday consisted of three and a half hours on the bike in the morning and a two hour walk with the dogs later in the afternoon, I call it exercise Sunday!! Honestly I was amazed at how quickly my Sunday vanished yesterday, I thought by leaving the house early and getting my ride in I would still have the whole day to play but not the case. I did manage to go grocery shopping and do a little beach combing and at 6:30 we went over to Stijns house for a BBQ but in general the day went fast! So did anyone out there do anything crazy exciting like sky diving or mountain climbing this weekend, maybe something we could share with everyone?

I found this really nice Candle Cactus along one of my trails at Saint Joris and thought it would make a nice photo. This species is often confused with the other tall cactus we have here called the “Datu”. This is called the “Kadushi”. It is easily recognizable because it starts with a single trunk and branches out only when it reaches a certain height. It can grow to a height of up to ten meters! The ribs are covered with areoles, each bearing eight to twenty spines. The arms of the cactus show segmentation. It blooms at night with greenish white to pink colored flowers. Research has proven that the main pollinators for this cactus are nectar feeding bats. The fruit is red to purple, round to oblong and without spines. They may be eaten and young branches are often peeled and used to cook into a soup called “kadushi.

Off to the sea, hope you all had a great weekend!! Barry

Link to Underwater Video Camera at Substation Curacao

barry — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:04:52 +0000

Good morning friends, I had a few readers report that they saw me and the sub online on the underwater camera in the past few days, I thought that was pretty fun. Today I will be out there again at around 11:15 feeding the fish and waiting for the sub so if your not too busy tune in and maybe you will see us passing by, here is the link one more time; http://www.seesubmarine.com/

Do any of you remember the beautiful but weird looking Bubble-Snail Jonny found months ago right under our sub platform?? Well yesterday I found another!! Here is the link to refresh your memory about the last one; http://www.coralreefphotos.com/caribbean-nudibranchflatworm-new-nudibranch/ As I was swimming in from shooting the sub I saw just a part of the shell sticking out from under the sand and knew instantly what it was. These are really one of the coolest creatures I have ever seen, any of you locals wanting to see it today come on over to the Substation and I will show you, I have him in a big underwater tub filled with sand at the moment where he instantly buried himself. I plan on doing some new photos with this one either today or tomorrow with Aimee’s help!

Inca is doing much, much better thanks to Tom and Aimee, they stopped by the house yesterday at around 1:00 and gave her the royal treatment. Many thanks to all of you who sent in your notes for Inca, that means a lot to us!!

Not much else for you all today, I have been in the water so much that I haven’t even had time to go biking this week. Coral spawning starts on the 15th and like I said before we will be out there late at night hoping to see something cool. Here is a little candle cactus sunset photo for you all today that was zapped with a bit of Photoshop. Have a wonderful day, I am running late, Barry

Royal Poinciana, Fabaceae, Delonix regia, Curacao Trees

barry — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:23:12 +0000

Howdy gang, here’s a new one for my flower lovers out there, this is called Royal Poinciana, or Delonix regia and it’s by far the most beautiful tree on the island! When we lived in Cancun, Mexico years ago the locals told us this tree was called “the flame of the forest” or “flame tree” and in Spanish it’s Arbol de Fuefo. This tree is constantly voted among the top five most beautiful flowering tree in the World, you really have to see it to believe it! When you see one of these from a distance it looks like the whole thing is on fire, hence the name, “flame tree”. The Royal Poinciana is native to Madagascar and related to the Tamarind and Mimosa trees. The astonishing reddish orange flowers bloom in dense clusters which create a solid picture of color and the older the tree the more intensely it will bloom.

I just got home from a fast ride thru the wilds of Curacao with my buddy Stiyn who just keeps getting faster and faster with every ride! All this rain has made the trails very difficult and dangerous to ride, the plants are growing so fast and there are loose rocks everywhere! Not much else to report, all is quiet, hope you all are doing well. Sorry so short, be back tomorrow, Barry

Candle Cactus, Fences Made from Cactus, Curacao Cactus

barry — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:31:30 +0000

Hello friends, I had a request for some Curacao vegetation and thought these tall cactus would work just fine this morning. We have two types of Candle Cactus here in Curacao, one is called Subpilocereus repandus and the other seen here is called Ritterocereus griseus. The easiest way to tell them apart is Subpilocereus repandus starts out growing with a single trunk and branches out only when it reaches a certain height where as Ritterocereus griseus starts ramifying right from the ground level up. This cactus is called the “Kadushi” here on the island and is well known for growing long branches which can stretch for meters and meters into the air! The ribs are covered with areoles, each of which carries seven to thirteen strong spines. The creamy white to pinkish flowers only open at night and is mainly being pollinated by bats. The dark red fruit is round and covered in spines and once these are removed the fruit is edible. It is one of the preferred dishes of the yellow and black trupials and beautiful mockingbirds which are very apt in removing the spines. These cactus are mostly used here on the islands for building live fences around one’s property. They cut them all the same length, stand them up very close to each other (with the cut-off area in the dirt) and soon new roots grow and “presto” you have a fence that no one will be able to hop over, it’s very effective.

I had a very busy day at work yesterday, I think I did four or more dives and was in the water most of the day. We had customers at 1:00 but the rest of the morning and day was dedicated to the Canadian film crew who leave early this morning. After the dives at around 5:30 I raced to get to a wedding I had to shoot and finally made it home by 7:30, that was one busy day!

I need to get moving, are you finding the June issue of Sport Diver?? It’s out, you better grab it while you can. More soon, Barry