72 Aquatics by Paragon Dive Group

One of the classic fish many divers remember from Caribbean dives is the Gray Angelfish 🐠🌴

They’re not the flashiest fish on the reef at first glance, but once you start noticing them, they seem to appear everywhere—slowly cruising around coral heads, sponge-covered wrecks, and reef walls. Adults often have a calm, almost curious behavior around divers, while juveniles are much darker with bright yellow stripes and tend to stay hidden near the reef.🤓

Gray Angelfish feed mostly on sponges, which is one reason they’re commonly seen around healthy Caribbean reefs. Sometimes during a dive, one will quietly follow divers from a distance as if observing the group.😎



📍Utila, Honduras
📸 Tobias Reitmayr

One of the most beautiful things to photograph underwater are sunrays cutting through the water.😲

But they usually don’t just “appear” by accident. The best conditions are often:
• early morning or late afternoon sunlight✅
• calm surface conditions✅
• clear water✅
• slightly looking upward toward the light✅
• and ideally something in the frame like divers, wrecks, reefs, or kelp to give the rays scale and depth✅

Interestingly, a little bit of particles in the water can actually help make the rays more visible. Too clear isn’t always best.🤓

Sometimes you descend and suddenly the entire ocean lights up for a few minutes. Those are the moments underwater photographers wait for.🥹





📸 Freediving Tobias Reitmayr

Dive trips are about much more than just the time underwater 🌎🤿

Some of the best memories happen during the surface intervals and after the dives are over. Exploring local markets, eating fresh seafood by the marina, watching sunsets over the Sea of Cortez, road trips through the desert, small fishing towns, mountain views, local culture, and long conversations with friends after a full day on the ocean—it all becomes part of the experience.🙂

That’s one reason dive travel feels different from regular vacations. You don’t just see a place underwater, you slowly experience the atmosphere, the people, the food, and the rhythm of life around the ocean.😎

What’s your favorite surface activity during dive trips? 👇




📸 Tobias Reitmayr

At first glance, the nudibranch Jorunna funebris almost looks unreal. With its white body covered in dark rings, it looks more like underwater artwork than a living animal. Unlike many tiny nudibranchs that are easy to miss, these can actually grow relatively large, making them one of those critters that instantly catches your eye on a reef in Southeast Asia.🤓

They move slowly and calmly across the reef, feeding mostly on sponges, completely unaffected by the rush of the underwater world around them.🧐

Maybe that’s why divers love nudibranchs so much. They force you to slow down, look closer, and appreciate the small details most people swim right past.🥹

What’s your favorite nudibranch species? 👇




📸 Tobias Reitmayr

Every dive group has its personalities… 😄

There’s the underwater photographer holding everyone up for “just one more picture.” The gear perfectionist checking every clip and strap three times. The marine life expert spotting tiny nudibranchs nobody else noticed. The diver who’s always first in the water, and the one somehow still putting fins on while everyone else is descending. There’s always somebody already talking about post dive food before the second dive even starts too. 😅

Different personalities, different diving styles—but somehow it all works together on a dive trip.😎

What types of divers have you encountered on dive boats over the years?👇

Our long weekend in San Carlos was amazing. Nudibranchs aplenty! A few we have not seen before and loads of our favorites.
💕
Also seahorse, octopus, sea lions, turtles, blennies, gobies, beautiful fish, and amazing boat full of people that had a great time.
🤗
Shout out to the 8 newly certified open water divers, 1 night and limited visibility and 1 navigation.
😅 Big weekend.
Can’t wait to do it again.
“Nudie Run 2026” in 2 weeks! I’m excited!
~ Sheree

The Culture of Weekend Mexico Dive Runs 🇲🇽

Arizona divers know the routine: loading the gear before sunrise, grabbing coffee on the drive south, crossing Nogales, and watching the desert slowly turn into ocean. Weekend dive runs to Mexico are more than just diving—they’re part road trip, part adventure, part tradition.🙂

One day it’s sea lions and clear blue water at San Pedro Island, the next it’s exploring the wrecks of the Artificial Reef System of Sonora (SAAS) and reefs around San Carlos. Between dives come tacos, seafood, marina sunsets, and conversations that somehow always circle back to diving. Long drives, salty gear, tired eyes—and somehow everyone is already talking about the next Mexico run before this one even ends.🥹

NUDIE RUN in a few weeks!
Only a few spots remaining.