Christmas Island
Christmas Island has the best rainforest left in the Indian Ocean and beautiful reefs. These pictures can be displayed as a slideshow (Flash required).
IMG_4538

Boobies and Tropicbirds can be seen circling the cliffs as the plane lands.

IMG_4575

The reefs, even in the main harbor, are gorgeous.

IMG_4555 copy

A thriving giant clam.

IMG_4691

The beautiful Powderblue Surgeonfish Acanthurus leucostemon lives in the Indian Ocean and seas of Indonesia.

IMG_4571

A Longnose Butterflyfish Forcipiger flavissimus searching the reef for food.

IMG_4645

A large Titan Triggerfish Balistoides viridescens patrolled the reef.

IMG_4606

Spotfin Lionfish Pterois antennata were common in the shallows.

IMG_4715 copy

A Common or Indian P. antennata or P. muricata.

IMG_4650 copy

A nudibranch.

IMG_4683 copy

A Halfspotted Hawkfish Paracirrhites hemistictus.

IMG_4624

Snorkeling for noddies!

P4170138

A founding Abbott's Booby Papasula abbotti.

P4200187

Local forest.

P4170045

All three frigatebird species were visible around the island.

P4170082

A small puddle attracted frigatebirds, stilts, and a vagrant coot.

P4170053

A frigatebird in flight.

P4160006

A mature Coconut Crab.

P4190162

The crab's have beautifully colored carpaces.

P4180153

Coconut Crabs are pretty enormous.

P4190164

A forest crab, probably one of the blue nippers.

P4200001

Christmas Island has over twenty native land crabs, including millions of the famous red crabs.

P4170018

Crabs continuously mulch leaf litter in the forest and along the sandy foreshore.

P4200177

A green grasshopper.

P4200178

A golden colored grasshopper.