You will be treated to some great colour changes and be sure to see some entertaining reactions from the other reef residents that come in contact with the octopus. If you ever do see an octopus in the open just radiating colours, be sure to scan the area for a second octopus. The males pulsate different colours prior to mating. The ensuing ritual is indescribable and must be seen to be believed Other individual creatures are well worth stopping for but it is the interactions of the reef inhabitants that provide so many unusual moments. Foremost of these and one that is featured in many an underwater nature film is cleaning behaviour.
Cleaners routinely remove external parasites from reef residents.
Once my wife and I witnessed gigantic 1,000 pound manta rays coming to the top of an undersea pinnacle to be cleaned by specialized angelfish. Cleaners tend to be fishes and shrimp with special adaptations, such as long white antenna, to advertise their presence and they usually stay in one small area. By remaining a reasonable distance away, fishwatchers can see a parade of fish waiting to be serviced. Many Caribbean cleaners are tiny, so look carefully and always from a distance. Some juveniles look like miniature adults and a few are exact replicas with different colours.