Different species of Nudibranchs seemed to have replaced the abundance of cephalopods we’ve had during the previous month. Frogfishes, which are always a great subject to film and photograph, are still around – various species, colours and sizes. Following our 2018 highlights video, have a look what December had in stock for us!
Another fantastic year of diving in the Lembeh Strait comes to an end. A big shout out to all of the staff at NAD and of course all our guests which made 2018 another great year to remember. Most memorable moments for me were when we saw Whaleshark, Rhinopias, Melibe Colemani, Blue-Ringed Octopus, hatching Flamboyant Cuttlefish and Blue-Ringed Octopus Eggs as well as many new critters during Blackwater Night Dives. Bring on 2019 for some more amazing encounters with the critters and creatures of Lembeh!
It’s the season for Ornate Ghost Pipefishes here in Lembeh! This exotic looking fish hovers head down and can usually be found in pairs or smaller groups. Most of the time Ornate Ghost Pipefishes live right next to crinoids, feather stars or soft corals. Colors can vary from black, red, yellow to white.
November is the best month to see one of the rarest critters of the Lembeh Strait, the Hairy Octopus. In general, we’ve spotted so many cephalopods (Coconut, Algae, Longarm, Blue-Ringed, Mimic Octopus, Mototi and Wonderpus) like in no other month.
Around 60 minutes boat ride away from NAD, East Lembeh offers a completely different scenery to what most divers are used to in the Lembeh Strait. Beautiful coral reefs and walls with sea fans as well as white sand can be found here.
The NAD house reef is the perfect place if you would like to do an additional dive in the afternoon and be independent from the boat schedule. We’ve spotted Lembeh Sea Dragons, Psychedelic Batwing Slugs and Sargassum Frogfish on the house reef. However, right now we have some great wide-angle opportunities as well.
A lot of people struggle with which lens to bring on their diving trip to Lembeh. The Strait has it all: little shrimps and nudibranchs, medium sized frogfish and octopuses, perfect wide angle scenes like reef tops and every now and again even big fish passing! This article gives you a few suggestions and recommendations on the best lens if you’re shooting a Panasonic/ Olympus Micro Four Third camera.
Our high season is in full swing: the amount of critters and creatures we’ve encountered last month is just incredible! The extremely cryptic and rare Melibe Colemani being a highlight, accompanied by the male Paper Nautilus during Blackwater Night Dive. Check out our highlights video from October 2018!
The Wonderpus or Wunderpus photogenicus is one of the most photographed subjects in Lembeh. That is of course, if you can find it! Being a crepuscular hunter (active during twilight), the Wonderpus typically hides in a hole in the sand during day-time. Also, the Wonderpus is often confused with a similarly looking cephalopod, the Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus). We will look into both species and point out some differences, which will help you distinguish between the two!
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!