Butterfly Embrace

[Merry]

Here's something you don't see every day.

Just off Redondo Beach today, we enjoyed watching hundreds of sea butterflies drift past us. Most were poised motionlessly with mucous nets extended. In turbid visibility of anywhere up to 5 feet, Corolla spectabilis snared fist-sized wads of marine debris.

Photos from the day revealed that we were diving in a matrix of overlapping butterfly webs and the most impressive concentration of goop we've ever experienced. Most of the butterflies were enjoying the feast, but this pair had mating on their minds.














I'm guessing that this is the official mating embrace.

 

[TSandM]

My God, Merry -- it takes so much to get ONE good, focused picture of these translucent and constantly moving critters -- and you get a whole series, showing mating? My hat is off to you . . .

 

[Merry]

You're right, usually it's all one can do to get a shot of one before it takes off. These were large, passive animals in a dense aggregation. Either they felt safety in numbers or they were just too full to move!

 

[Oldbear]

Awesome pics...

 

[FrankPro1]

Beautiful series Merry!