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Robert Rommel Gallery of Nature

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Robert Rommel Gallery of Nature

Fine Art Gallery

05/13/2026

Where am I?

Does the photo give it away? Well maybe the first one is hard for most people, but the second one should give it away.

I'm in my first day of three months here so hopefully there will be lots of exciting photos to share in the future. I still have months of catch up to do first, so be patient!

05/04/2026

Color Calls

I am a sucker for color, so when I saw how the brilliant blues of the water contrasted with the yellows of the gorgonians and this Slender Filefish, I was immediately drawn to the scene. I tried to give you the feel for how this fish camouflages itself within the gorgonian but at the same time make it easy for you to recognize it in the image. In nature, it is very easy to not even notice these beautiful fish. At about 2 inches long, that's as big as this species gets. Another beautiful fish from the reefs of Curacao!

04/29/2026

PERSISTENCE: And yes, I'm still alive!

Sorry for not getting a chance to post in a while - I've been busy photographing which is the best kind of busy!

This series is of one of my favorite species that I would see on most dives in Bonaire and Curacao, the Spotted Drum (Equetus punctatus). This elegant creature is just a baby and two inches of non stop swimming and wriggling. But fortunately the little one seemed to like me. Even if it wouldn't stay still it remained near me for as long as I wanted letting me try a variety of artistic interpretations on a dive in Curaçao!

The Evolution of the Shot:

The Foundation (Image 1): Capturing the sweeping, impossible arc of that dorsal fin against the deep dark of the water.

The Connection (Image 2): A head-on encounter that captures the graphic symmetry of its markings.

Artistic Play (Image 3): By creatively overexposing the scene—blasting my flashes off the white sand background—I stripped away the environment to leave only the graphic, ink-like silhouette of the fish.

It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best way to see a subject is to change the light entirely.

A huge thanks to Barbara Blom, who accompanied me on this dive and shared in the discovery.

Which aesthetic speaks to you more: the deep, moody contrast of the first image, or the high-key, minimalist art of the third?

03/10/2026

🧽 Sponges — the oldest animals on Earth

The oldest animals on Earth aren’t whales or sharks—they’re sponges.

The sponge in your kitchen sink is named after a real animal. In the past, natural sponges were actually the skeletons of these sea creatures collected from the ocean.

This one is a Stovepipe Sponge from the waters of Curaçao. Each of these giant tubes is at least as big as I am. While some sources say they grow up to 5 feet, I saw many in the 8–10 foot range while diving in Bonaire and Curaçao.

Sponges are animals—not plants—and once they settle on a reef, they stay there for life. And what a life it is: many grow slowly for hundreds of years, and some glass sponges in Antarctica are estimated to be over 10,000 years old, making sponges the oldest animals on the planet.

While diving, I sometimes noticed broken pieces of these sponges lying nearby—likely from accidental kicks by divers. In more untouched sites like this one, I never saw that. One careless kick can destroy hundreds of years of growth, and reefs take a very long time to recover.

Sponges may look simple, but they are incredible and often beautifully unique creatures of the ocean.

Thanks to David Livingston for joining me on this dive and helping me explore some of Curaçao’s hidden underwater gems.

03/05/2026

A New Friend

I found many new friends on the island of Cuaracao and a few in the water too!

There were two turtles in particular that I swam with for many hours almost every day. This Green Turtle was BIG, bigger than every other Green Turtle in the area (and there were many). She also was super gentle and relaxed and never got annoyed by either me or the other turtles who constantly pestered her. She also always had two remoras swimming around with her (they don't hurt her). She was a joy to swim with and I'm sure I'll share a lot of photos of her as she was a total charmer!

03/03/2026

World Wildlife Day 🐾🌍

Today was going to be a day off from social media. But I just found out that today is World Wildlife Day and had to post to celebrate our planet's incredible residents.

This is a wild Gray Wolf from Yellowstone National Park, photographed just a couple of weeks ago. Honestly, I went to Yellowstone thinking my chances of seeing (let alone photographing) a wolf were basically zero — they’re elusive, cunning, and masters of disappearing into the landscape.

But after a month of early mornings, long days, and a whole lot of patience, Yellowstone surprised me in the best possible way.

Moments like this feel even more precious when you remember how quickly wildlife is disappearing worldwide. There are 75% fewer animals on this planet now than when I was born. So today, take a second to appreciate this unforgettable animal — and let’s hope that by the time the next World Wildlife Day rolls around, our planet is wilder, not quieter. 💚

03/02/2026

Queen Parrotfish

This beautiful fish is a Queen Parrotfish, not as common as some of the other colorful parrotfish on the Caribbean reefs but not rare either. This gorgeous individual is a male. At least it is a male now. It used to be a female. All Queen Parrotfish start out as females. If they live long enough and conditions are good, they can become males. But all of them are essential for keeping the reef healthy by eating the algae that would suffocate the coral. For the last crazy fact, this individual parrotfish makes about 2000 pounds of sand each year! Once again, lots of thanks to Barbara Blom who accompanied me patiently on this dive in Curacao!

02/27/2026

It's Friday and Time to Relax

Nothing to me says relaxing like swaying with the current like some Whip Coral! As a kid, whip coral was the one coral what would wash up after every storm on the beaches in South Carolina. It's a beautiful coral and like all corals is actually a colony of tiny sessile animals. They can be a wide range of colors. I photographed this pinkish coral on a morning dive in Curaçao. I loved the light streaming down in this dive location - definitely hope I get the chance to return soon. Many thanks to Barbara Blom who put up with me being the slowest diver on the planet for so many dives around Curaçao. Barbara is a fantastic photographer and diver and her photographs are the basis for some of Curaçao's currency!

02/26/2026

Can you believe this is a Shrimp?🦐

This is a Spotted Cleaner Shrimp—a surprisingly common little superstar in the Caribbean. They tuck themselves into anemones for protection, and when a fish swims by… it’s spa day. ✨🐟 They go straight to work as tiny underwater “cleaners,” picking off parasites and keeping reef life healthy.

Even though they’re common, getting a great photo of one is another story: they never seem to face the camera, the anemones are always swaying back and forth, and you have to get so close (without disturbing anything)

This one stopped me in my tracks with its color—usually they’re more blue and white, but this shrimp had extra orange that really popped. I was lucky enough to capture this shot on my first dive in Curaçao… after MANY blurry, awkward attempts on dives in both Bonaire and Curaçao.

If you love ocean life, reef moments, and underwater photography, follow along for more dives and close-ups like this! 💙

02/23/2026

Peacock Under the Sea

Meet the Peacock Flounder—nature’s ultimate master of disguise. Usually, these guys are gone before I even get my settings right. They can change color in seconds to vanish into the sand or rock, and they aren't exactly known for sticking around for a photoshoot.

But this one was different. After a slow-motion approach that felt like it lasted for hours, I managed to get my lens almost touching its scales! I’ve never seen those "peacock" patterns so clearly. 🦚

What’s the coolest camouflage you’ve ever spotted in the wild?

Address

14 Church Street. , Suite 100
Bluffton, SC
29910

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+18439497999

Website

http://www.robertrommel.com/

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