Capturing the Moment

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 mor...

       Nudibranchs  Sea slugs have always been one of my favorite creatures to search for underwater. They are colorful and slow moving which makes them a perfect subject for underwater photography. Indonesia is one of the best nudibranch hot spots. Our first dive at Tulumben was a muck dive during which we actively sought out nudis and other small and bizarre creatures. The next three dives on the wreck were not focused on small things but we still kept finding them.  I noticed one nudibranch that we have in Hawaii and one that we saw on the Great Barrier Reef, but so many were new and different. The amount of hydroids and soft coral that these nudibranchs feed on is plentiful here in the warm waters around Bali. I love diving on beautiful coral reefs but muck diving can be so exciting and surprising. Decorator Crab           Wild Crustaceans Hairy Squat Lobster (Look Hard) ...

View from the pool. Mt Agung in the background Liberty Dive Resort  After spending three and a half days surfing our hearts out on the southern peninsula of Bali we finally had a period of small swell. This gave us the opportunity to switch things up, go exploring, and see some more of Bali. We booked a night at the Liberty Dive Resort located only a couple hundred meters away from the famous U.S.T. Liberty ship wreck at Tulumben beach. We only had one night and the drive from Padang Padang took around 3 hours so we had to move fast. We ended up fitting in an afternoon muck dive and a night dive on the wreck our first day and then a sunrise dive on the wreck and a late morning dive on the wreck before zipping back to Padang to catch the next swell. So many colors Anticipation builds on our way to the wreck  The shipwreck has a very interesting history. I researched it in depth the first time I dove here and you can read that blog post here . The short story i...

 We had a couple of days where the swell dropped here in Bali so I took the chance to show the boys a different side of the island. The underwater side. Bali is blessed with both great waves and world class scuba diving. Coming off a wonderful scuba trip with Myles and Jack to the Barrier Reef in Australia, I thought they were ready to see the wild colors and creatures of Indonesia.   We headed up to the town of Tulumben on the northeast corner of Bali. It was about a three hour drive. We had just enough time for four dives before heading back south to catch the next swell. I will post a more in depth look into the dives but here is a teaser picture to get you excited. Needless to say we had an amazing time!