The myriad of seapens, the field of anemones, the mesmerizing kelp in the wave and the unbelievable closeups of invertebrates including a variety of shrimps, crabs, and hermit crabs, truly make this Alaska dive video a sight to behold. The video highlights some staggering beauty of perhaps America’s least known reefs.
One of the main stars of the video are of course the always strange and peculiar nudibranch. We especially love the nudibranch appearing at 2:45 that seems to represent a Dendronephthya of some sorts with a tiny shrimp riding on its back. The classic awkward and weird looking grunt sculpins and the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) also make their appearance making it a truly rounded highlight of Alaskan marine life.
What stands out most about this Northern reef is the green water seen in many of the shots caused by nutrient blooms. The phytoplankton which causes the greenness, provides a food supply for the many seapens and other azoox animals in addition to zooplankton, which of course moves up the food chain.
Also surprising is the density of fish in some of the shots. All-in-all a spectacular video which is well worth watching. The video was taken by globaldivemedia.com. Several other Alaska dive videos can be found on their Vimeo page, along with tropical reef videos.
