There is a lot of very colorful soft coral in the South Pacific, but as soon as you shut off artificial light sources, the bright colors fade away to a dull brown. At night, polyps extend to filter little critters drifting by in the current.

Soft coral (it looks purple without artificial light), at Grouper Gap

Pulsing Xenia

Crab, in soft coral, at Fanfare (night)

Beautiful soft coral, Yongala Wreck

Norm, Yongala Wreck

Dense marine life at Yongala Wreck

Dense marine life at Yongala Wreck

Closeup of soft coral, Wheeler Reef

[next - fishscapes]