A few months ago, scuba diving content creator Jorinde Maré set out on a mission: to find one of the ocean’s most elusive and strangely beautiful creatures. She had heard from her friend and fellow diver Jolanda that a striated frogfish had been spotted in the shallow waters off Bonaire, a Caribbean island known for its rich marine biodiversity.
Striated frogfish, a type of anglerfish, are named for their signature black streaks and extraordinary camouflage abilities. These fish can change colors to match their surroundings and use a worm-like appendage above their mouths to lure prey. Despite being relatively common across the world’s oceans, they are extremely rare in Bonaire—in fact, neither Maré nor anyone she spoke with in the local dive community had ever encountered one there.
“I spoke about this with many people on the island and in the dive industry, and for all of them, it is surprising,” Maré told The Dodo.
A Search That Took Days
Intrigued by the news, Maré decided she had to see the rare fish for herself. With Jolanda’s directions in mind, she set off on her first dive. After searching carefully, she came up empty-handed.
“After our dive, we were obviously disappointed,” Maré recalled. “But we did not want to give up.”
Her second attempt also yielded no frogfish, and she began to worry she might never catch a glimpse of the mysterious animal.
A Rare and Thrilling Encounter
On her third dive, luck was finally on her side. Just 10 feet beneath the surface, Maré spotted a striated frogfish blending perfectly with a patch of sand. Its disguise was so convincing it looked more like seaweed than a fish.
“[T]his species looks just like a piece of seaweed on the sandy floor,” Maré wrote on TikTok, where she shared her discovery.
As if one sighting weren’t enough, Maré and her dive buddy swam a little farther and were stunned to find two more frogfish huddled together.
“We were absolutely thrilled,” Maré said. “It was quite the sight to see.”
Why Are Frogfish Appearing in Bonaire?
Marine researchers still don’t know why frogfish—normally absent from this region—are appearing in Bonaire’s shallow waters. It could be a rare anomaly or a sign that the species is expanding its habitat.
For Maré, the experience was nothing short of magical. Spotting three frogfish in one dive was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter she’ll never forget.
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