Leaving the above water world and descending into the strange, beautiful and absolutely fascinating realm of a Caribbean tropical reef is one of life's greatest and most rewarding adventures.

- Isla Catalina, La Romana Province, Dominican Republic

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Early morning poolside, well before most of the guests emerge

- Bávaro Beach, Dominican Republic

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plma in heavy storm

The morning sun clears the Atlantic horizon - Bávaro Beach, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic

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Yes this is me, in a posed shot holding a short-spined sea urchin.

- Isla Catalina, La Romana Province, Dominican Republic

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A beautiful start to the day - Bávaro Beach, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic

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¡Buenos Días! Early morning at Paradisus Palma Real

- Bávaro Beach, Dominican Republic

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A dolphin in mid-flight. Three more are visible just beneath the surface, racing alongside and easily outrunning our boat.

- Curacao, Dutch Caribbean

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A vibrant coral reef approximately 1/3 mile from shore @ ~ 40 ft. (12 m) depth - Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

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The abundant and diverse marine life on a Caribbean coral reef

- Isla Catalina, La Romana Province, Dominican Republic

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Sunrise activity on the Yucatan coast - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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A vibrant reef scene approximately 1/3 mile from shore @ ~ 40 ft. (12 m) depth - Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

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Sunrise over the Caribbean on the Yucatan coast - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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The morning routine: wake up at 6 AM, go to the beach, take sunrise photos, return to room, go back to sleep ...ahh, life is good! - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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There are certain places and events that leave a powerful impression; this is one of them. - Sunrise over the Caribbean, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Creole Wrasse cruising along the edge of the wall, which is a nearly-vertical drop off on the edge of the reef. These fish commonly inhabit seaward reef slopes like this one, feeding on plankton between the reef and the deep blue beyond - Isla Catalina, La Romana Province, Dominican Republic

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The sound of Latin dance music while sipping fruity rum drinks... you get the picture.

- Bávaro Beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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Schools of fish, diverse sealife and epic beauty on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef - @ 50 ft., Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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A Spotted Moray Eel and other fish in a beautiful and diverse tropical reefscape. The Ocean Surgeonfish was following the eel around like they were good buddies - @40 ft., Curacao, Dutch Caribbean

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Una cerveza fría, por favor! - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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The beautiful, diverse coral reefscape @ 55 ft., 1/4 mile offshore from the tiny uninhabited island of Kline Curacao - Curacao, Dutch Caribbean

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A pair of tree climbing beach creatures - Bávaro Beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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Sponges, sea rods, sea fans, spiny black urchins, corals and other creatures make up the garden-like, underwater landscape found on the narrow, sandy flats between between the fingers of coral reef. Another world of vibrant marine life lives in practically every hidey hole and crevice as well as hidden beneath the sand - Isla Catalina, La Romana Province, Dominican Republic

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Nicely choreographed sunrise seagull alignment - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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A Sea Rod Gorgonian at 50 foot depth on Pirata Reef. Although it looks like a plant, this structure is actually a colony of tiny filter-feeding animals - Off the Bávaro Coast, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

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Colorful invertebrate marine life - Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Sunrise on Bávaro Beach - Punta Cana, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic

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A stunning sunrise over the caribbean sea made the 6 AM wake up well worthwhile - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Another glorious sunrise over the Caribbean - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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A waiter prepares for a private romantic dinner in the seaside gazebo while an outbound cruise ship passes by - Montego Bay, Saint James, Jamaica

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A pretty fishy place... - Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Time for a little change of scenery!

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Sunrise on the Yucatan coast - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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A mixed school of Porkfish and Bluestripped Grunt suspended in liquid space over a reef

- Mesoamerican Barrier Reef , Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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A school of fish turns away from the funny underwater man with the camera.

- Mesoamerican Barrier Reef , Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Abundant schools of fish with a show-stealing appearance by a beautiful French Angelfish - @ 50 ft., Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Creole Wrasse (Clepticus parrae) and other reef fish schooling on the sunken freighter @ 100 ft. - Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

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The gorgeous white sand beaches on the tiny uninhabited island of Kline Curacao (Little Curacao) are post card perfect. We did a 9-hour round trip catamaran excursion to this small, flat, desert island featuring an old crumbling lighthouse and a rusty remnant of a wrecked ship.

Kline Curacao is a popular day trip destination for sun bathers,

beach walkers, snorkelers and scuba divers. The boat ride outbound was just a wee bit rough however. I'm talking strong head winds, big-ass waves and heavy spray blasting you in the face. Our catamaran, Janalisa To, under turbo diesel power and operated by a seasoned crew, handled the trip out to the island with laughable ease. The passengers, not so much... About 30% experienced the joy of turning green, hanging over the rail and barfing their guts out into the rolling ocean while being drenched by continuous blasts of sea water. People pay real money for this. Thankfully, I was not one of the 30%.

Once on the island, everybody recovers, you're free to swim, dive, snorkel and whatever; lunch is cooked up and served, drinks are flowing freely and everyone has a good time. There were several sea turtles swimming around there too. Even better, the trip back to Curacao, under full sail with the wind to our backs, was awesome and a complete contrast to the ride out. It's a very worthy adventure, but remember your Dramamine.

- Curacao, Dutch Caribbean

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A few of the residents beneath a coral arch - Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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For some strange reason, Shannon kept swimming right in front of my camera whenever I was about to take a photo of the, uh, beautiful marine life... ;-)

- Mesoamerican Barrier Reef , Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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A Longspine Squirrelfish on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

- @ 50 ft., Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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My dive buddies exploring the reef - Off the Bávaro Coast, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

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A school of Grunts and Porkfish suspended over the reef at a depth of 60 feet (18.3 m). An older photo reworked with PSPX6

- Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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*** From the Pixel Vault - Archive Photo - February, 2010 ***

Wave action above causes the attached marine life below to rhythmically wave back and forth in the current. - Rondana Reef, Off the Bávaro Coast, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

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Tropical beach scenery - Bávaro Beach, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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Sunrise on the Mayan Riviera - Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Congratulations to Danielle for becoming a PADI certified open water diver! This was her first dive after passing the course.

- Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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Abundant and diverse marine life in the tropical Caribbean

- Isla Catalina, La Romana Province, Dominican Republic

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This year our volunteer project involved renovating and upgrading Las Tres Piezas Elementary School in a remote, rural and impoverished area of the Dominican Republic. The 1-room school was given an extensive makeover and now has new paint, a new volleyball / soccer field and related equipment, new picnic tables, secure fencing and a real bathroom with toilets, sinks and running water (the kids used to have a 1-hole outhouse and no water at all). Our group also donated a ton of school supplies.

All too frequently in tourist destinations, the only thing the local population ever gets to see are rich, fat Americans getting drunk and lounging on the beach in total luxury. I don't mind being part of that too, as it does help drive the country's economy, but I also feel strongly about giving back directly to those who are much less fortunate. Tourist dollars don't do much for places out in the boonies, far away from the fancy hotels and resorts. Working on projects like this makes you feel you're really doing some good for the world and makes one grateful for what we often take for granted in the US. The smiles on the kids faces and the immense gratitude from the locals says it all. - La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic

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