21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Tête-à-tête, a tender moment

I was diving along on a black water dive,(night dive in the open ocean to capture creatures of the Vertical Migration) and what looks like two grains of rice snap together. I quickly curl down my 10x diopter so that I can try to figure out what I am looking at. It looked like two grains of rice holding each other. After some research, it turns out that these are a type of sea angel Pteropod called Hydromyles globulosa, and they were going through an entire mating ritual like you see some birds doing out in the jungles. But what got me, was at the end, with no eyes, no hands to speak of, they managed to hold each other with these little wings, and show a moment of passion. We know so little about the ocean and its creatures-their real lives. This was one of the most touching moments I've witnessed underwater.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Anilao, Philippines
Camera: NIKON D500
Copyright: © Suzan Meldonian