Capturing the Moment

Hypselodoris bullockii laying eggs Nudibranch laying egg mass   I have seen nudibranchs in cold California kelp forest, on deep wall dives, in tide pools, and on rubble bottom tropical muck dives. Their vivid colors make them fit right into their surroundings in Indonesia, especially with all of the vibrantly colored soft corals, sponges, and hydroids covering the shallows. But in all of these different habitats certain behaviors remain the same. Egg cases will be attached to sturdy rocks or coral, mating will also be right side to right side, and nudibranchs will find poisonous stationary creatures like hydroids to feast upon and in turn use those toxins as part of their own defense. Nudibranch searching for food Nembrotha rutilans feeding Risbecia tryoni nudibranchs mating   We found so many nudibranchs during our week diving the Lembeh Strait that we were lucky enough to see and photograph most of the different behaviors these creatures display. The...

Anna's Chromodoris Chromodoris lochi    There are over 3000 species of nudibranchs throughout the world's oceans. For scuba divers and marine biologists, nudibranchs form the essence of the underwater treasure hunt. It can take a lot of patience and a trained eye but the reward is definitely worth it. These sea slugs can be tiny but with striking forms and every color imaginable. They are one of my favorite underwater photo subjects for this reason. Colorful Hypselodoris Creamy Chromodoris   We were looking for nudibranchs on every dive during our stay in Lembeh, Indonesia. The muck diving here provides many opportunities to cross paths with these colorful creatures. For the sheer number of nudibranch species that can be found here I consider Indonesia to be one of the best places in the world to find nudibranchs. Crested Nembrotha Gabriela's Tambja The beautiful colors and patterns on the body of a nudibranch are often accentuated by the frill...

 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 w...

Lionfish   What a wonderful world underwater can be. Making our way out to Sulawesi Island after 2 plane stops, driving another hour to the port village, and then a 10 minute boat ride to Lembeh Island makes me wonder in amazement at travelers that would come to these places 50 or 60 years ago. The world is truly at our fingertips now. I can only imagine what travelers in 50 or 60 years from now will think about us. Maybe they will be shocked that we would spend days traveling to these places when all they have to do is teleport. Pygmy Sea Horse Common Sea Horse   Sometimes the destination makes the journey worth it and many times the journey itself is worth it all on its own. Lembeh is a bit of both. The drive across Sulawesi is through little villages and past giant volcanoes covered in forest. Ribbon Eel Snake Eel But underwater is how Lembeh really shines. The variety of fish in these waters is mind blowing. You can see a lot of reef fish you might se...

Indonesia is a hot spot for biodiversity, especially underwater. Hundreds of nudibranchs, colorful sea slugs, can be found in the near shore waters here. And no place can boast quite the variety as Lembeh. In the Lembeh Strait nudibranchs are a common occurrence on almost every dive. However it took some time for me to realize that while I was seeing nudibranchs on every dive I was almost always seeing different species. For an underwater photographer these snails without shells are perfect models. Bright colors, beautiful patterns, frilly gills, and slow movements make nudibranch enthusiasts travel the world just to see them. Hopefully after taking a look at some of these nudibranchs you will see my inspiration to continue the search. Luckily I can continue the search back home in Hawaii and as long as you live near a coastline you can search as well. Nudibranchs are found in every ocean from cold to tropical waters.  

If you have heard about muck diving then at some point you have probably heard about the Lembeh Strait. Lembeh is a little island off the east coast of Northern Sulawesi in Indonesia. In between the two pieces of land is a fairly protected body of water that has become known as the best place in the world for muck diving. Nudibranchs, sea horses, octopus, cuttlefish, and of course frogfish are just some of the wild and crazy sea life you can see here. Hairy Frogfish Clown Frogfish I was not prepared for how many different kinds of frogfish I would see. These are just a few of the frogfish that I saw during my 10 dives here in Lembeh. Check out all the different colors, patterns, and sizes.