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A characterful fish! Mosshead warbonnets are a less common sight in Puget Sound than the larger decorated warbonnets and even harder to photograph. They tend to move about quite a bit and are significantly smaller. This one was photographed at the Sunrise Park dive site, where they are regularly spotted (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 60mm macro, Kraken +6 diopter, single Sea&Sea YS-D2J with Retra LSD snoot)
 

When most people think of world-class critter or muck diving destinations, usually places like Lembeh Strait in Indonesia, Anilao and Dumaguete in the Philippines, or Papua New Guinea come to mind. If the Puget Sound makes that list, usually it is for larger subjects like giant Pacific octopus or wolf eels. No doubt those are magnificent animals, well worth visiting the cold, rich Pacific Northwest waters, but there is so much more to be seen by narrowing your focus and poking through old bottles, around seagrass beds, or pier pilings. The emerald waters of the Pacific Northwest host a huge abundance and diversity of macro life beneath the surface. The nutrient dense environments provide sustenance for countless invertebrates and amazing fish life.

Low visibility and cold temperatures tend to make photography a bit more challenging than in tropical destinations—where you have full feeling over your digits! A good drysuit with warm undergarments is a must since critter hunters here tend to not be moving much. Backscatter is an issue as well. Adding a snoot to your rig will really allow for minimal backscatter and excellent subject isolation in these often unattractive muck-like environs.
 

Very rarely does our waste or trash go to waste in the ocean. A glass bottle is a perfect home for this pair of gunnels. There are numerous “bottle fields” at dive sites around Puget Sound, like this one at Alki Junkyard, and they are a fantastic place to critter hunt. Warbonnets, octopus, gunnels, and grunt sculpins are all sought after macro subjects that will make their homes in bottles (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 60mm macro, single Sea&Sea YS-D2J with Retra LSD snoot)
 

More often than not, skeleton shrimp are thought of as a tropical animal. However, Puget Sound’s cold, green waters host an abundance of these odd critters. More than half a dozen species call Puget Sound home and they can be seen on almost every dive. This one was encountered at Alki Pipeline (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 105mm macro, single Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobe with Retra LSD snoot)
 

Most likely a Pleustes panoplus amphipod: There are countless amphipod species but this one is quite striking. While amphipods are generally prevalent in Puget Sound, this species is not common and it was a pleasure to stumble across it (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 60mm macro, Kraken Sports +6 diopter, Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobe with Retra LSD snoot)
 

Puget Sound is loaded with all types of jellyfish and jellyfish-like animals. This is a red eyed medusa, a favorite amongst photographers, not only for its cool appearance with its red “eyes,” but also because they are often accompanied by hitchhikers. This one is taking a little isopod for a ride at the Redondo Beach dive site (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 60mm macro, dual Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobes)
 

Like the gunnels above, this little Pacific red octopus has made its home in a discarded glass bottle at Redondo Beach. While the giant Pacific octopus gets all the attention and fame, the humble red octopus is far more common and can be found on just about any dive site in Puget Sound if you look close enough (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 60mm macro, single Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobe)
 

Decorated warbonnets are a favorite amongst divers in the Pacific Northwest. For good reason, just look at that face! A keen eye can locate them on many dives around The Sound. This particular individual spent months living in a submerged log at the Alki 2 dive site
 

A gunnel with a bow in its hair (it’s a tube worm)! Gunnels are among the most common of the sought after macro subjects in Puget Sound and there are numerous species. Crescent and saddleback are the two most frequently seen species. This is likely the latter, but it is hard to tell without seeing their whole body. This handsome fella was living in an old boat trailer at Redondo Beach. Nothing goes to waste in the underwater realm in the Pacific Northwest! (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 60mm macro, Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobe with Retra LSD snoot)
 

Puget Sound is home to a huge variety of nudibranchs of every shape, color, and size. Perhaps the strangest of them all is the lion’s mane or hooded nudibranch. Often they are just referred to by their genus name, Melibe. They are very seasonal and tend to be seen in large numbers in winter months in shallow seagrass beds, where they sometimes appear by the thousands, seemingly overnight. This one was photographed in just a few feet of water at Redondo (Nikon Z6II, Marelux housing, Nikon Z 105mm macro, Backscatter Mini Flash 2, Backscatter Optical Snoot)
 

Mysid shrimp are one of the most common critters in the sea but they are incredibly small and incredibly difficult to photograph. The small size, constant movement, and often transparent exoskeleton combine to make them a real photographic nightmare! Double helpings of patience and a little bit of luck come into play when shooting these guys (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 105mm macro, Nauticam SMC-1, dual Sea&Sea YS-DSJ strobes)
 

Another denizen of the bottle yards! This grunt sculpin was actually photographed in an old barnacle shell. It is thought that these fish mimic barnacles to avoid predation. While far from a guarantee on a trip to the Puget Sound, there are many dive sites where they can be found with a bit of patience and luck. This one was photographed at Redondo (Nikon D7100, Sea&Sea housing, Nikon 105mm macro, Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobe with Retra LSD snoot)
 

Puget Sound’s most iconic fish, the charismatic and adorable Pacific spiny lumpsucker! Winter is lumpy time in The Sound. The colder waters bring them up into the shallows to breed. While small individuals and juveniles can be found year round, the adults are much more photogenic and are only usually seen between November and March. Day or night, these fantastic little fish can be found perched on rocks or kelp in the seagrass beds (Nikon Z6II, Marelux housing, Nikon Z 105mm macro, Kraken +6 diopter, Backscatter Mini Flash 2, Backscatter Optical Snoot)
 

To see more of Billy’s work, to get instruction from Billy, or to go on a trip with him, please follow him on Instagram and check out his website, www.deepstopphoto.com.