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his surveys to determine the areas
where protection matters most.
Divers have made his surveys
easier, Allen said, especially
at sites that have been heavily
visited since he originally
surveyed them. A perfect example
is his recent dive at Cape Kri in
Raja Ampat. Almost a decade
ago, well before it became one of
Raja Ampat’s most popular sites,
Allen counted 327 fish species
on Kri. When he returned few
months ago, the change amazed
him. “It was incredible how in
just 10 years the fish had become
accustomed to divers. I didn’t
have to look for fish, they found
me, and the survey was the
highest species count I’ve ever
tallied on one dive — 374 distinct
species in a 90-minute dive.”
What’s the most unusual fish
he’s ever found? “That would have
to be a brackish-water relative of
the silverside, which I found in
the marine lakes near Sangalakki,
a small island off Indonesian
Borneo,” Allen said. “The male
has a penis coiled on the side of
its head.” And the female? The
ultimate fish geek says he doesn’t
know, but he sure would like to
see the photos if anyone ever
catches them in the act.
— Maurine Shimlock
www.alertdiver.com
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P HO T O S T H I S P A G E : BUR T J ON E S / MA UR I N E S H I ML OC K