Welcome to the Sea

now THIS is an orca, pictured here in the act of headbutt-murdering a common dolphin right into fucking oblivion. (common dolphins are about the same size as the pacific whitesided dolphin, for scale.)

that’s right, orcas max out at an astonishing 25 feet long, or well over 7 meters. that’s almost a quarter as long as that blue whale, and is just generally way too fucking big to deal with today when you remember that we’re talking about an apex predator the size of a minibus. they’re simply too big to be mistaken for anything else in the ocean!

NEW SEAHORSE SPECIES DISCOVERED IN SOUTH AFRICA! And is tiny!

This diminutive seahorse new species, who reach nearly 2 cm, it is confirmed to be the first record of a true pygmy seahorse from Africa, and the first known from the Indian Ocean. Named Sodwana Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus nalu), it was found triving in the reefs of Sodwana Bay.

-Sodwana Bay, where Sodwana Pygmy Seahorse it was discovered, in red

Seven new species of pygmy seahorses have been officially described and named within the first two decades of the 21st century, and this eighth species extends the range of pygmy seahorses by more than 8000 km, suggesting that more species may be waiting to be discovered. 

Scientifically named as Hippocampus nalu, it refers to Savannah Nalu Olivier a local diver who discovered this new species in Sodwana bay, also, she brought this tiny fish to researchers who described officially this species. In the South African languages, Xhosa and Zulu, nalu refers to the expression ‘here it is’ and therefore. researches extend its meaning in this case to the simple fact that H. nalu was there all along until its discovery. Additionally, nalu is also the Hawaiian word that refers to the waves or surf of the moana (ocean). A powerful name for a tiny fish.

Photo: Sodwana Pygmy Seahorse in situ, juvenile (10 mm ), Sodwana Bay, South Africa at 14 m depth (photograph Richard Smith / oceanrealmimages.com).

Reference (Open access): Short et al., 2020. Hippocampus nalu, A New Species of Pygmy Seahorse from South Africa, and the First Record of A Pygmy Seahorse from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei, Syngnathidae). ZooKeys.

And a video! 

I’d really love to do some goldfish art commissions in this style!

The price for one goldfish would be:

 Digital Lineart + Flat Colour - $15,          + $10 for additional goldfish

 Traditional Ink line art + Flat Colour on A4 art paper - $40 (with delivery of the original),           + $25 for another goldfish (on same sheet)

Traditional Ink + Marker full colour on A4 art paper - $70 (with delivery of the original),          + $45 for another goldfish (on same sheet)

This particular piece is 2 goldfish on A4 paper, ink + marker, worth $115. 

I can also do any number of goldfish, each on an A4 sheet of paper, for +$55 each. So if you want 3 full colour fish, that would be $70 + $55 + $55 = $180 for three different pieces of art, each one A4 in size.

+4-10$ delivery depending on where you live

I also do pet portraits in the same style for the same prices!

I’m making a massive goldfish sticker sheet - these are #1 and #2

Cliffs of Moher

A pod of dolphins swim through bioluminescent dinoflagellates