After diving in South Africa for some time it was nice to come back to Lembeh Strait. After weeks of chasing Sardines in rough (and cold) seas it is a treat to dive in warm, flat waters again. And you literally just lift your camera from one critter, swim some meters and settle down on the next photo subject. Yes, things are smaller in Lembeh Strait, but the things of your bucket list not only come more predictably, but also in numbers. This is why i like this place so much: Lots to see and easy to take pictures!
So far i had the chance to go out for three dives. I used these to test a new lens that i got: The Tokina 35mm Macro. This wider Macro lens gives you the opportunity to shoot bigger photo subjects like Frogfish, bigger Nudibranchs or Rhinopias. But at the same time it is a proper Macro lens that gives you 1:1 reproduction ratio just like a 60mm or a 100mm does.
With the goal to find these things i went out … and even without having been diving here since one month i managed to find all of those in just 3 dives.
The photos below show:
- A Yellow Paddleflap Rhinopias (a very lucky find indeed) which was about the size of a hand.
- A small Cuttlefish hiding within Squid Eggs (to prove that the lens can also perform as a normal Macro Lens).
- A Gymnodoris Nudibranch feeding on a Couple of mating Mexichromis Nudibranchs (in this photo you can only still see one of them)
- A yawning Giant Frogfish which had the size of a bigger Pineapple
Other things seen on these dives where 3 other Frogfishes, some Harlequin Shrimps, Hairy Shrimps, Green Shrimp, free swimming Ribbon Eel and lots of other cool stuff.
