(Two photos of flamboyant cuttlefish.) We came across a number of flamboyant cuttlefish in the Lembeh Strait. This is a very small beastie; the ones we saw were 2 to 4 inches long. It adopts bright, almost pulsating shades of red, purple, and pink with that distinctive yellow border when disturbed.
Mar 02, 2011 | Categories: thePhotoTourist, Underwater | Tags: bottom, critter, cuttlefish, diver, diving, flamboyant, flamboyant cuttlefish, Indonesia, Lembeh, Lembeh Strait, metasepia, Metasepia pfefferi, North Sulawesi, ocean, Pfeffer's flamboyant cuttlefish, photographer, sand, scuba, scuba diver, sea, Sulawesi, The Lembeh Resort, Underwater, underwater photographer | 1 Comment »
HDR image of a dive boat pulled up on the beach. A sign facing outward beneath the boat’s awning read “Diving is Fun with Siladen Resort and Spa.” In morning and evening the glossy paint on that boat picked up the sun and seemed almost to glow. The neat beach, colorful ocean, boats moored nearby, and the volcanic island Manado Tua in the background just made the scene more appealing.
Feb 27, 2011 | Categories: Land & Air, thePhotoTourist | Tags: beach, boat, Bunaken, Bunaken National Park, Bunaken Park, dive, dive boat, diving, diving is fun, evening, fun, Indonesia, island, Manado, Manado Tua, North Sulawesi, ocean, resort, sand, sea, sea grape, Siladen, Siladen Island, Siladen Resort, Siladen Resort and Spa, Sulawesi, sunset, tree, trees, view | 2 Comments »
(Mimic Octopus photos) During the week we were in Lembeh, I learned to spot the mimic octopus. What probably surprised me most about the mimic was its diminutive size; in life, this octopus is only about the size of an adult male’s hand — not at all the size that a Caribbean diver might assume from the photos we all have seen.
Feb 24, 2011 | Categories: thePhotoTourist, Underwater | Tags: bottom, diminutive, diver, diving, hand, Indonesia, Lembeh, Lembeh Strait, mimic, mimic octopus, North Sulawesi, octopus, sand, scuba, scuba diver, small, Sulawesi, u/w, Underwater | 1 Comment »
(Photos of Peacock Mantis Shrimp.) There are several types of mantis shrimp in the Lembeh Strait, and most are easy to see and not easily intimidated by divers. The so-called “peacock” or “harlequin” mantis shrimp is beautifully colored in brilliant blues, green, red, and orange.
Feb 15, 2011 | Categories: thePhotoTourist, Underwater | Tags: bottom, burrow, crustacean, dive, diving, eye, eye stalks, eyes, harlequin, harlequin mantis shrimp, Indonesia, Lembeh, Lembeh Strait, mantis, mantis shrimp, North Sulawesi, peacock, peacock mantis shrimp, sand, sandy bottom, scuba, shrimp, stomatopod, stomatopods, Sulawesi, u/w, Underwater | Leave A Comment »
(Two photos of common seahorses) Seahorses are pretty common in the Lembeh Strait. They are often seen just out on the sandy bottom, with nothing nearby to which they might plausibly attach.
Feb 10, 2011 | Categories: thePhotoTourist, Underwater | Tags: bottom, common seahorse, dive, diving, floor, Indonesia, Lembeh, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, ocean, sand, scuba, sea, sea floor, sea horse, seahorse, sponge, Sulawesi, tube sponge, u/w, Underwater | Leave A Comment »
