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Kuda Miaru Thila
I love the Kuda Miaru Thila dive site - it's not particularly pretty, but there is masses to see, and often something nice to surprise you. All the photos on this page were taken there on one day this trip.
A White-tip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) snoozes at Kuda Miaru Thila.
A Spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) in a cloud of Red-toothed triggerfish (Odonus niger) at Kuda Miaru Thila.
The destructive Crown-of-Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), which has poisonous spines, and destroys coral.
Emperor of some sort - possibly Blackspot Emperor (Lethrinus harak), keeping an eye on a dozing White-tip reef shark.
Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus) lurks in a hole.
Blue-faced Angelfish (Pomacanthus xanthometopon).
Batfish or Pinnate Spadefish (Platax pinnatus).
Whitemargin unicornfish (Naso annulatus).
A not-very-good-at-camouflaging-itself Tassled Scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis oxycephala).
Much better - a well-camouflaged Scorpionfish a few metres away.
Yellow-spot Emperor or Gold-striped bream (Gnathodentex aureolineatus).
A Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) peers out of its protective Bulb-tentacle anemone (Entacmea quadricolor)...
...while a Maldives Anemonefish (Amphiprion nigripes) a few metres away shelters in its favoured Magnificent anemone (Heteractis magnifica). The anemone next door is shut up to reveal its blue underwear.
A gaudy female Indian Ocean steephead parrotfish (Chlorurus strongylocephalus).
Possibly a Scythe triggerfish (Sufflamen bursa) feeding on something on the sea floor.
These 10cm-long Jewel damsels (Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus) can be quite aggressive - I've been head-butted by one defending its patch before now.
I think this spider shell is a Truncate spider shell (Lambis truncata truncata).
These incredibly ugly Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) are really difficult to photograph, as they always seem to be hiding away, deep under big coral heads, like this one on the reeftop, and are ludicrously well-camouflaged. Dive leader Nik found it and shone his torch on it for me. You can see its upturned mouth at the right-hand end, and its pink-blotched body. They are billed as "the world's most venomous fish".
