Diving Koh Tao with Orbicular Batfish

Batfish of Batman

Hi everybody and welcome back once again to my underwater photography blog at Sairee Cottage Diving Koh Tao. This week’s chosen photograph is of the schooling batfish at the secret pinnacle of South West Pinnacle dive site. They have been schooling in large numbers around there. They can also be observed at Sail Rock, which we now visit twice a week on our day trip to Sail Rock on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There must have been about 40 batfish, with a mix of mostly tall fin batfish but also with some larger orbicular batfish (read more) swimming on the outskirts of the school. The mid sized tall fin batfish were by far the most fun to shoot. They had a very inquisitive nature with about 10 of the group following me the whole time I was near their school. With every flick of my fins they would swim right up to them and swim in a very playful way. I have only once before seen a singular batfish swim in such a playful silly way and never this many at once. The other 30 or so in the school carried on as they always do not seeming bothered at all by me swimming around them. When I’m lucky enough to see one of these rare moments of strange but friendly animal behaviour I’m always so happy to have my camera with me, otherwise no one would believe me. I have been searching online for any reasons why they may have been acting this way but not having much luck finding any answers. If any of you have seen this behaviour or even know why they would act in this way, please share your experience below!

I love observing the behaviour of marine life!

Spread the love

Leave a Reply