/ SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 / 75physical characteristics, such as size,
color, patterns and other qualities. Pile on
details about the animal’s preferred hab-
itat, including common environments
where they feed and hide from predators.
And top it all off by learning aspects of
the creature’s behavior, which can be one
of the most useful types of information—
and the most rewarding.
“Watching an animal’s behavior makes
a connection that is far more profound
than simply knowing a name,” DeLoach
says. “Connections make memories, and
the sea is fi lled with connections if you
will yourself to slow down and open your
mind to all the possibilities.”
LEARNHOW TO SEE
Simply cruising along the reef with your
head on a swivel isn’t good enough to fi nd
the really cool creatures. Because many
of the richest treasures might be hiding
in plain sight—but impossible to spot un-
less you know how to look.
“Perceiving random movement, such
as the fl ick of a fi n or antenna, is the most
successful way to break a creature’s
camoufl age code,” DeLoach says. “And
as any hunter can tell you, roving eyes
don’t tend to see movement well—diving
slow is the trick.”
Training your mind and body to slow
down can be a challenge, but with mind-
fulness and practice, your success rate
will increase slowly but surely. Some of
the most prolifi c critter fi nders will spend
an entire dive on a single coral head,
waiting patiently for an animal to come
into focus, or a behavior to happen.
“One of my many favorites, the hairy
octopus, is a thumb-size cephalopod
from the Pacifi c that, when settled on the
bottom, looks like a reddish-brown tuft
of string algae,” DeLoach says. “My Indo-
nesian dive guide caught sight of the last
bit of movement as the illusionist seem-
ingly disappeared on the side of an algae-
pocked rock, which brought to mind the
question of how many hairy octopuses
had I swam past during my decade-long
search before striking gold? The good
news: Once you fi nd an animal that relies
on camoufl age they seldom bolt, provid-
ing plenty of time to enjoy your success.”
And much like muscle memory, visual
identifi cation of camoufl aged creatures
can improve over time. According to De-
Loach, “Once you locate a cryptic ani-
mal, it will be easier to detect in the fu-
ture because of a phenomenon known as
a ‘search image,’ where key characteris-
tics are imprinted subconsciously from
previous encounters.”DEVELOP A DEEPER
APPRECIATION
By building a broad knowledge of mor-
phology, habitat and behavior, divers can
experience a profound change in aware-
ness and enjoyment. Just as our comfort
and confi dence in diving progresses with
experience, so does our appreciation of
the life around us as we grow our under-
standing of marine species.
“If you learn more about marine life, I
guarantee diving will never become pas-
sé,” DeLoach says. On any given dive in
the Caribbean, he says, you can encoun-
ter approximately 500 different fi sh, and
fi ve times that in the Indo-Pacifi c. “This
vast menagerie doesn’t even account for
the endless parade of invertebrates that
challenge our sense of reality.”
With this startling variety of biodiver-
sity awaiting us on nearly every site, div-
ers are privy to a lifetime of adventure
that we’re just beginning to appreciate.
“Count yourself lucky, because you live
among the fi rst generation of mankind
that, thanks to the advent of scuba, can
freely swim with the fi shes,” DeLoach
says. “When exploring underwater, we’re
all pioneers. Even after half a century
studying fi shes, the sea continues to give
up new wonders, one treasure at a time.”ERIC MICHAELis a former editor-
in-chief of both Scuba Diving and
Sport Diver magazines, a veteran
ScubaLab test-team diver, and the
author of Dive Hacks since 2015.The Hack: Surrender to Your Quarry
Often, the key to successfully locating a hard-to-fi nd species is the willingness to invest precious
time in the process. Because we’re always watching the clock, or keeping up with the group, bot-
tom time can often betray our quest. To fi nd the true masters of camoufl age, be prepared to spend
an entire dive on the hunt. DeLoach’s advice: “Slow down, dare to think small, and be willing to turn
your dive over to an animal or behavior that strikes your fancy.” The reward will be worth your time.