Capturing the Moment

 Diving from dawn to dusk, trading underwater stories from around the world, some of the best muck diving in the world, capped off with sunsets behind a huge volcano...this is how Heidi and I spent our week on Lembeh Island. This was our second time staying at NAD Lembeh Dive Resort. The guides here are pretty incredible at what they do. They are not dive masters, they are not there to check your air, or count off your safety stop, they are there to find critters.   The black sand and rubble fields in the Lembeh Strait contain some of wildest marine creatures. If you are an avid scuba diver and things like wonderpus, hairy frogfish, and flamboyant cuttlefish are on your life list of creatures to see then head to the Lembeh Strait. Relatively mild currents, the abundance of spectacular wildlife, and the characteristic black sand of this area make the Lembeh Strait a favorite destination for underwater photographers. Heidi and I did 40 dives between the two of us over our week at Le

Can you see the pipefish?   As you have seen from the last posts, there is amazing biodiversity in Indonesia's waters. A lot of these unusual animals are very small so it takes a trained eye to find them. This post focuses on some of the more bizarre and colorful fish that are found in Indonesia, specifically ones that I came into contact with while diving off Tulamben with Phoebe, Erica, and Heidi. These fish came in all sizes from a blade-of-grass sized pipefish to an eighty pound bumphead parrotfish. Robust Ghost Pipefish But what connects all of the fish pictured here is the fact that they are either beautifully colored, or have extraordinary body shapes which fit them into the bizarre and wondrous category by yours truly. Bumphead parrotfish among the wreckage of the US Liberty Pics for Sale   Anemone fish like those pictured to the left always make for some of my favorite photographic subjects. Not only are they beautifully colored but their anemone

Tiny free swimming bobtail squid   While searching for nudibranchs in the waters off Tulamben, we found a lot of other wondrous creatures to keep the camera firing. Our local dive guide Tisnu spotted a tiny swimming speck which turned out to be a baby bobtail squid. I fought for a few minutes trying to focus on and snap a picture. I will say it was a hundred times easier when the squid landed on a nearby hydroid. Pipefish Camouflage Crabs blended in with their surroundings and shrimp found interesting homes on the underside of sea stars and on a single piece of wire coral. While most of these methods of camouflage are for defense, the giant mantis shrimp needs no such thing. Sea Star Shrimp   The giant mantis shrimp looks like a medium size lobster when totally out of its hole. But usually prey won't get that chance to see that. This giant shrimp sits deep within its burrow, with only its two complex eyes poking up, stalking the possible prey nearby. Giant

Mexichromis multituberculata Hypselodoris emma   Exploring the black sandy slopes around Tulamben, Bali will reveal a world of wild and colorful creatures, but the treasure for us nudibranch enthusiast are some of the richest grounds for sea slug species anywhere in the world. These pictures represent only a sampling of the nudibranchs we saw over our 8 dives in Tulamben. Glossodoris cincta Cuthona sp.1  These beautiful sea slugs ranged in size from a foot long spanish dancer to a microscopic  nudibranch that I didn't even know it was a nudibranch until I blew up the picture afterwards. Red Line Flabellina   The wild patterns and colors can blow your mind if you haven't been exposed to nudibranchs before. Many can be found on brightly colored sponges, soft coral, or hydroids. While the shipwreck is the main draw for scuba divers here in Tulamben it is animals like nudibranchs that will keep divers entertained for weeks and coming back for more. I know I

Bumphead Parrotfish Sunrise at Tulamben Beach There is no time to sleep-in here in Tulamben. Doing a late night dive searching for nocturnal creatures isn't an excuse to miss the very special dive that happens at 5:30am every morning. Sometime late at night, a resident school of bumphead parrotfish make their way back to the wreck of the U.S. Liberty to sleep into the morning. Different fish have different sleeping or resting methods. Bumphead parrotfish rest by floating motionless just off the sandy bottom with all of their buddies. Unlike small fish who have to hide at night so they aren't eaten, the bumphead parrotfish's massive size is defense enough. Floating together in a large group can make them look even more intimidating. Part of the school   If you are one of the first groups of the day in the water here at Tulumben, you have a good chance of hanging out with these big fish. Their clown like grins and beautiful blue green colors make them a favori