Ranging from 1-5 cm in length, these small social groomers like to hang out in large groups (up to 100) under the coral reef ledges and overhangs of the Indo-Pacific.

Part of the decapod crustacean subphylum-- they are the Rhynchocinetes durbanensis, also known as the Hingebeak Durbanensis Shrimp.   

The derived family name of these shrimps (Rhynchocinetidae) means ‘movable beaks’--- indicating their beak like rostrum that can bend. This rostrum can also be used for attack or defense from predators if need be.

Although their diet mainly consists of small crustaceans, fine algae and carrion – the Hingebeak Durbanensis are specifically known for their diligent cleaning habits and symbiotic relationships with various fish.
  
The Hingebeaks (along with other types of shrimp) have antennae, which have sensors on them that allow the animals to “smell”, “taste” and feel where they touch. Typically, long antennae help the shrimps orientate themselves regarding immediate surroundings-- while shorter antennae help judge what is and is not prey.

There are some fish the Durbanensis do steer clear from-- such as lion fish, solefish, mantis shrimp, and scorpionfish (due to being the shrimps natural predators.) 

The Hingebeaks “job” in the ocean is to reside at natural 'cleaning stations', to help keep rid of dead skin and parasites off of their “friends” while gaining nutritional value from the parasites. There was a rumor that sometimes they even take on humans as their clients... So on the next dive, I decided to see for myself. 

After arriving at a dive site called Levi’s Ledge (with courtesy of Guinjata Bay Diving Centre) I was shown one of these 'cleaning stations' where the shrimps typically reside.

I completely emptied out all of the air in my BCD and laid on the ocean floor, right next to the overhang where the shrimps were. I noticed that the more movement I made, the more wary the shrimps were of my presence. I began to slow my breath much more than before (never holding my breath, of course - Scuba Diving 101) and lay as still as possible (given the surge and ocean currents).    

The first shrimp to climb on my hand had initially felt my fingers with her antennae for a few minutes to make sure I was a safe customer. Once one decided to climb on and begin cleaning my cuticles, the others slowly made their way on my hand as well. It was amazing to interact with these little ‘ocean maids’, and to feel their miniature claws, as they worked so hard at tearing away any dead skin.

With some patience, a few of us even dared to get our mouths “cleaned” as well.

The video below created by Martin Totland, shows a Yellow-mouth Moray Eel's relationship with these shrimps at the 2:30 mark and again with one of our groups members interaction at the 2:50 mark.

Male Hingebeaks have much larger claws than the females, and most of the shrimp which cleaned our hands were in fact female. I realized this only when I spotted one with claws larger than his eyes.

The Hingebeaks eyes are some of the coolest I have ever encountered. Their eyes are located on the tips of two stalks coming from the head, with pupils appearing as if they are made of geometric shapes.

Most prawns, as well as the Hingebeaks, have panoramic vision and compound eyes-- which are very good at detecting any movement. The term 'compound eye' means that the eye itself contains thousands of individual receptors and a single image is broken up into a combination of inputs. Each input is located on a convex surface and points in a slightly different direction. Compared to our eyes, a shrimp’s eye can detect fast movement and possesses a very large angle of view.

Hope you enjoyed this post on these teeny ocean maids! 
Now go do some diving.

***I do not claim to be an expert on these minute beings, and all information provided is derived from either personal experience, shared knowledge from others and/or web research.

References:

http://www.nausicaa.co.uk/durban-hinge-beak-shrimp.html

http://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/26334/26334-001.pdf

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+690&pcatid=690

http://therightblue.blogspot.com/2009/09/stalking-wily-night-critters-hinge-beak.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrimp

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/05/24/the-superior-eyes-of-shrimp/

There is something about the ocean that leaves us all in a continuous state of awe. The waves consistently gliding over themselves onto shore - as if the ocean itself were attempting to spread its inner beauty hiding just beneath the surf. We tend to take notice, soak in the experience and attempt to share at least a piece of it with others. 

Through Oceans Campus, and Fiona Ayerst's Underwater Photography Internship, operating at Guinjata Dive Centre, Mozambique, I became aware of that inner beauty the ocean held. Beneath the blue blanket that covers 71 percent of our earth, there are beings many of us didn’t even know existed. The coral reefs, like cities, thrive with various communities. As interns, we became aware of the diverse species working together in a network, with so many scenarios yet to play out and be captured on camera.

Mozambique was an escape to paradise, a great opportunity to develop camaraderie and make lasting friendships, a 2-month long learning experience, as well as a chance to boost my abilities as an artist all wrapped up in one.

1.) Scuba diving is a chance to explore a new world, and likewise a lifestyle that is easy to fall in love with. 
Scuba diving with wild animals in itself is an exhilarating encounter. Throw in an underwater camera and photographic experience… and presto-- you have before you an image you could only have dreamt to capture! By becoming more knowledgeable about scuba, you will be more relaxed in the water. Feeling more relaxed can lead to more dive time, in turn leading to further chances of obtaining that prize-winning shot. 

Take time to look at and study the reef models provided at the Dive Centre. This will allow you to become more familiar with where the animals you would most like to photograph reside. Becoming more comfortable with scuba diving is just as much a part of the underwater photography experience as the actual capturing of the photograph.

2.) Underwater Photography preparation is tedious—but worth it. 
From cleaning o-rings, checking the batteries in your strobes and camera, making sure that your memory card is loaded cleared for the next days’ use, to arranging the arms underwater for the perfect lighting. It is important to take time to carefully check and double-check EVERYTHING. The last thing you want is to be out in the water, ready to take that awesome shot, only to have your camera malfunction due to a simple mistake. Get to know your equipment and changing your settings. Spend time reading the manuals and practice using your camera on land. You don’t want to waste ANY time underwater figuring out what is what before the animal you dreamed of shooting swims away.

3.) Knowledge is power. 


Study your subjects, read about them and observe natural behavior. It is intriguing and fun to learn about not only the animals you are viewing, but their behavior as well.

Gaining knowledge about a particular animal’s behavior can greatly affect the resulting photo. An example would be when we learned about the natural “cleaning stations”, in which small shrimps and cleaner wrasse reside. These animals have a symbiotic relationship with much larger animals, and understanding this behavior led to more interesting photos.

4.) Adapt your “Renaissance Eyes”. 
This term is borrowed from Levi Fenton, an Instructor at the Dive Centre, who is a master at discovering the smallest of animals hidden from the passing eye. Essentially, it is like playing “Where Is Waldo?” except with nudibranches (tiny marine gastropod mollusks), porcelain crabs, seahorses and the like. Many animals use camouflage and hide themselves very well within the reef and beneath the sand, and I can guarantee, not all is what it seems!

5.) Stay calm, relax and let them come to you. 
Avoid the “predator approach”, which they will assume you are if you begin to chase any large or small animals you encounter. They can feel your excitement and swift movement, which can make them very wary and stay further away. Let their natural curiosity work for you and they may even be so intrigued as to come and circle you.

6.) Subjects on land are just as interesting. 
On land photography is great practice for the time spent in between lessons and diving. Remember - before obtaining photographs of local residents, it is important to ask the permission of those you encounter. You must keep cultural differences in mind, since in various cultures, some may believe that their soul can be taken when a photo is taken of them. Just be polite, ask, and if denied – find another interest!

7.) Get your creative juices flowing and visualize the dive beforehand. 
One of the most important lessons I learned was to visualize taking a photo before you even take the camera into the water. Talk to others about what you want your photos to look like, where you want the subject in the shot, and what kind of effect you’d like to achieve. As a studio artist, I began to paint the subjects I encountered. This made me become more aware of what position I should place myself in while taking the photograph, so as to not only obtain a great photo, but have my subject in a position that would be flattering to later paint. A friend of mine, and field-specialist, Shalini Tewari, recommended I begin putting the images next to each other, which led to a series called ‘Painted Images’.

8.) Work with nature and work with the currents. 
This is one of the most challenging things about underwater photography. When you begin to feel and take notice of which way the current is pulling you, you don’t exhaust yourself trying to constantly swim against them to get at your subject. Also, be cautious and aware of your surroundings – Steer clear of sea urchins and refrain from touching the reef or any animals.

9.) Keep an open mind. 
Enjoy the little things, don’t fret if the subject you wished to photograph is not available or in the area. Usually you will find something better and have that opportunity to take a shot you didn’t even expect.

Keep your eyes open and be willing to be flexible. It’s good to visualize and aim for a specific animal before diving, however, if it is too much of a struggle - you will be spending more time struggling and lose out on other great opportunities.

And last, but not least...

10.) Never pass up on fun and make photography part of it. 
Some of the best shots that were taken were during our “free time.”
The point of photography, on land and on water, is to not only capture amazing experiences - however, to simply enjoy them as well.

Sea Urchins (sometimes referred to as Sea Hedgehogs) are small, spiked and globelike animals which live on the ocean floor and are part of the Echinoderm phylum-- the same as Sea Stars, Sea Cucumbers, Crinoids and Brittle Stars. Throughout our groups diving experience in the Indian Ocean during Fiona Ayerst's Underwater Photography Internship in Mozambique, we noticed these little critters were everywhere-- and I mean EVERYWHERE.

The thing about these urchins is-- their spines are super sharp at the tip and thin enough to even pierce through a wetsuit... So as a diver, you most likely want to avoid them. However, sometimes close encounters with the spiked kind is inevitable and once you become impaled-- you can never pull out their skewers. 

Why? Because under any amount of outside pressure placed on them, the sea urchins spikes are so brittle that they immediately crush up and fall apart into itty bitty pieces after they have already wedged themselves into your skin. Some prime examples of urchin insertion displayed below.

And humans aren’t the only ones getting impaled either…

This fella actually swam right up to us while on a Manta dive with Guinjata Dive Centre. Both Meg and I were surprised at the turtles curiosity and didn't even notice the urchin spike until afterwards while editing.

You’re probably wondering by now, ‘How DOES one get these painful urchin spikes to vanish from ones body?’

Well, you simply beat them out. You do this by...

That’s right, folks, to eliminate these tiny impalements one must beat the minute purple spears within your flesh into a powder (using a kitchen utensil such as a spoon) which will eventually disintegrate into your bloodstream and vanish. All that will be left is the temporary bruising (and sometimes a little blood) from said beatings. 

However, as I recently discovered, another method would be to take a towel soaked with vinegar and place it on the wound after letting it soak in hot water as well, as described in the How To Treat A Urchin Sting wikiHow link here: http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Sea-Urchin-Sting

But that’s for sissies, and this is Africa.
…Also, none of us thought to research that method either.

And now you know!

Photo credit to: Meg Staudacher and Kendall Baker.
And thank you to all those 'urchined' for allowing me to document the outcome of their urchin encounters!

Today is the day I begin my blog. 
In this blog I will focus on my future, present and past experiences in traveling around the world with different cultures and with the artwork that I have/will come across in doing so.

Two things:
1) I will start each entry with an inspiring quote and a topic of discussion. 
2) A BIG thank you to Taylor for making me a part of her final project (the video up top)! You rock and I feel honored :]

Today's topic:  
I GRADUATED! Now what?

Well, I think a lot of us are in the same boat on this one. 
What we are taught that is supposed to happen: 
Step 1) Graduate
Step 2) Immediately start your career

What really happens:
Step 1) Graduate
Step 2) ...???

Now, I definitely went into a mini panic mode for about a week where all I asked myself is "How am I going to get money?", "Now what?", "What do I do?!", and "Where on earth can I find a job?!". I did continuous job searches and nothing came up that I was genuinely interested in. I contemplated just accepting anything that came my way whether it fit in with my degree or not.
Then I settled down, took a deeeeeep breath and decided to check my mail.
In doing so, I figured it might not hurt to browse through my junk mail (since sometimes important messages get caught in there)-- and what I found was a response to an application I submitted a month or so ago about a possible Internship in Africa. I completely forgot that I submitted an application to this program and even put the possibility aside since I was so focused on finding a career in town immediately. After some research about the internship, I realized it was something I actually really wanted to do, especially since it involves three of my passions - traveling abroad, the ocean/sea life and photography.

As some of you may already know, it's been another month later and I have been officially been accepted into the Underwater Photography Internship in Mozambique, Southern Africa.

The Universe works in mysterious ways. 
Had I started a career immediately after graduation-- I probably wouldn't of even looked into this internship. 
Moral of the story kids-- Go with the flow, don't panic and things happen for a reason!

My goal is to begin blogging everyday on my experiences in Africa, and on all of the people, sights and animals that I encounter while I am there.

Now, I don't know what will happen next after this internship or where my life will go from there-- but the most important thing I've realized is that I feel great about this opportunity. I'm going to be doing what I love to do and what's even better-- I'll be doing it underwater! Abroad in Africa! Encountering all kinds of fish and possibly even some sharks. Either way, I am grateful and looking forward to it with much enthusiasm :]

So, this has been just a brief (and early) intro of my up-coming journey to Africa (which will start at the beginning of July) as well as a reminder to us all to really go for what it is you want. 
Take chances, have faith and enjoy your journeys along the way :]

So hope you stay tuned and have a great day everyone!
(P.s. For some awesome summer reading check out The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff)

Hakuna Matata :]