One of biggest challenges when traveling as a diver (and underwater photographer), is how to safely get all your equipment from A to B. I’ve only recently returned from a dive trip and would like to share some of my tips – preparing and packing for your dive trip has never been easier!
“Angel’s Window” is one of my favorite dive sites in Lembeh. It’s located in the North of the Strait on the West side of Lembeh Island. The very popular site consists of two main pinnacles which come up almost all the way to the surface. In the deeper section of the site, the rocks form a huge cavern – hence the name “Angel’s Window”. Frogfish, Nudibranchs, Pygmy Seahorses, schooling fish life and beautiful soft corals are some of the highlights this site has to offer.
Frogfishes, mating Blue-Ringed Octopus, Ghost Pipefishes and some more highlights from our Blackwater Night Dive Week – August just had it all. Sometimes pictures say more than words: check out our August 2018 highlights video from diving in Lembeh!
One of the most entertaining creatures to watch when diving in Lembeh is the Coconut Octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus). This species of octopus, also called the Veined Octopus, is very active during the day. Protecting its body with shells or hiding in coconut halves (hence the name of the octopus), you can often watch them building or improving their home. Watch the video below and you will see what I mean!
When you first start diving, the most difficult but important thing is to maintain proper buoyancy. This is even more crucial when you dive with a (big) camera! Neither do you want to damage corals or any marine life, nor your expensive toys. Also, you want to save your wrist from heavy lifting underwater and dragging “dead weight” around which affects your air consumption. Luckily, float arms were invented to support you and your camera rig. In this blog, we want to give you a quick guide on which buoyancy arms to choose for your SLR or mirrorless setup.
Polly and Francis Lau are two of our many return guests here at NAD. The couple visits and dives with us and in Lembeh at least once a year, usually staying around 10 days. Polly and Francis love diving with dive guide Marnes because he is still able to find and show the couple new critters every time they visit – even after the 7th stay!
July surprised us with many different species of nudibranchs and sea slugs. We’ve also had some (little) sharks paying us a visit. A bunch of (Hairy) Frogfishes is still around. And on top of that: lots of Flamboyant Cuttlefish in different stages. We’ve spotted quite a few new Blackwater Night Dive subjects.
In general, the water temperature is back to 28 degrees. That without any rain and the visibility is almost at its best for Lembeh. So fantastic wide angle opportunities as well!
Lembeh is famous for some world class muck diving, also called the critter capital! I admit it, it’s not necessarily something you get into after your first open water dive. However, when it comes to easy diving conditions, Lembeh is a great place. And therefore, also perfectly suitable for diving with kids.
Certainly one of the weirdest critters and alien-looking creatures, is the Idiomysis or Opossum Shrimp. They only reach a few millimeters in length but yet I’m sure that every diver checking the sand or reef has seen them before. Idiomysis usually come in groups of 5 up to maybe 20 individuals and look a little like “flies” but underwater.
It’s quite common to see nudibranchs feeding on each other. As it turns out, sea slugs are their own worst enemy! This short video of a Gymnodoris swallowing a Ceratosoma nudibranch may change your perception of these colorful, “cute”, little creatures!