Hergen Spalink and Kerri Bingham: Schooling silversides
Each year around October large schools of bait fish or silversides begin to gather around the karst islands of Indonesia’s Raja Ampat region. Mobula rays (Mobula sp.) are a fairly common sight throughout the year but during this time they can come out in massive groups, with up to fifty or more individuals feeding together. When compared to baitfish shoal encounters in other parts of the world, these are unique in that they take place right over the reef as opposed to out in the blue. In the open ocean, the action can move amazingly large distances in a short time but because these are over the reef, the action is more intense and concentrated. In order to capture them, all that was required was patience and luck. Hergen and Kerri just tried to find a scenic foreground on the up-current side of the island and waited there as eventually the baitfish and the mobulas would make an appearance.
Hergen Spalink and Kerri Bingham are professional photographers who’ve been living and working in Indonesia for the last ten years.
Schools of fusiliers (Caesionidae sp.) and silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) segregate themselves as they pass over the reef top. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
A large flattened out shoal of silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) passes over the reef as they move from one side of the island to the other, parting for coral heads as clouds would part for mountain tops. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
A ball formation of silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) against a Raja Ampat sunset. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Mobula rays (Mobula sp.) send schooling silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) scattering as they pass through in formation. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Mobula rays (Mobula sp.) pass through the narrow channel at the Three Sisters dive site in southern Raja Ampat above a gorgonian sea fan (Alcyonacea). Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
A group of Mobulas (Mobula sp.) heads for the surface in a channel between two isalnds in southern Raja Ampat. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
A diver triggers a silverside (Atheriniformes sp.) wave over a gorgonian sea fan (Alcyonacea) with her torch. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) split to allow the photogrpaher to pass through. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Like clouds, the silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) group themselves into interesting and unique shapes, moving from one school to another. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Sun rays pass through a cylinder of silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) as the shoal moves around one of Misool's karst islands. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) get in on the action, shooting through the schools of silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) at high speeds. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Mobula rays (Mobula sp.) emerge from a shoal of silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) as they pass through the narrow channel of the Three Sisters dive site in southern Raja Ampat. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Mobulas (Mobula kuhlii) and silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) gather in large numbers every year in Raja Ampat with the schools becoming progressively smaller from week to week. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
A silverside (Atheriniformes sp.) school parts for a diver's bubbles on the slopes of a Misool reef. Raja Ampat, indonesia.
A shallow coral reef is innundated by moving shoals of silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) that are dense enough to often block out the sun. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
A group of longfin batfish (Platax teira) swim through a shoal of silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) at sunset. The various angles of the silversides to the light show off their often overlooked variety of colors. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
A barrel sponge (Xestospongia testudinaria) spawns beneath large schools of fusiliers (Caesionidae sp.) and silversides (Atheriniformes sp.). Raja Ampat, Indoensia.
The silversides (Atheriniformes sp.) add another level to this colorful Raja Ampat soft coral (Alcyonacea) reefscape. Raja Ampat, Indonesia.