"Island Paradise" Cayman Islands this image was produced in

this image was produced in 2011 with a grant from the National Science Foundation and support from the American Museum of Natural History in New York

hundreds of closeup photos were combined to replicate the brilliant colors of the reef

The fins of the juveniles are far more graceful than those of the adults

total approx 32" W X 20" H

Dray van Beeck pursued underwater photography as a hobby

"Island Paradise" Cayman Islands this image was produced inThis photo required a lot of work. I stood on the roof of a liveaboard dive boat in the blistering heat while we circled Grace Island in Papua New Guinea. Coral heads on the bottom of the clear sea added dimension to the photo, as I intentionally kept the island in the background to give the impression that this paradise is the "forbidded fruit". Michael ONeill is a freelance photographer and writer specializing in travel and natural history subjects,