Lionfish - Guadeloupe

I photographed this beautiful Lionfish (Pterois volitans) while snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea just north of Deshaies, Guadeloupe. While it is an incredibly interesting fish, it is also an invasive species in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea where it is wreaking havoc on the native fish populations. The Lionfish is native to the southern Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is also venomous, and will sting you if threatened. The sting is extremely painful and may cause headaches, paralysis, sweating and respiratory distress. It is not considered deadly to humans but just the same, I backed off when it proved interested in me. The thought of a venomous fish swimming inches beneath me as the ocean current pushed and shoved me just feet from the rocky island edge made me a little more than nervous. May 2014. 

Olympus TG-2 iHS