When divers returned to Wakatobi Resort after two years of COVID-related closures, they were delighted to see that the corals and marine life were thriving. One of the first guests to arrive in May of this year was Wayne Osborn, who captured these images of colourful flasher wrasse on the popular dive sites Dunia Baru and Teluk Maya.
Search around the edges of a reef at Wakatobi and you might run across a harem of flasher wrasses. We say ‘harem' because the group will be made up of mature females and a single male patriarch. Throughout the day, these colourful little fish go calmly about the business of nibbling on small chunks of algae. To see why they are called ‘flashers', you'll want to come back just before sunset. That's when the male turns romantic.
Love on the reef at Wakatobi
To signal his amour attentions, he will flair his enlarged fins and transform his already bright colouration into electric-bright hues as he begins a courtship dance to catch the attention of a partner. Photographers who are fortunate enough to capture this display on film can add a prized image to their portfolio.
Wayne Osborn commented: “Our cameras were working overtime and the many varied reef subjects on the Wakatobi reefs did not disappoint. We were delighted to find flasher wrasse on two of our favourite sites, Dunia Baru and Teluk Maya.”
Photo credit: Wayne Osborn
