A FANTASTIC WONDERPUS!

Liveaboard trip 3 – 12/9/09

Bali - Komodo Safari
INDONESIA

Mermaid I

We were extremely lucky on this trip, seeing loads of rarely encountered critters. The highlight was a dive at Sumbawa Island, where we found the unbelievably rare (and shy!) Wonderpus. Actually, we saw TWO of them, both out of their dens, moving about over the sand.

At the same divesite, there was another rare cephalopod – the White V Octopus, recognized by a v-shaped marking at the back of its head. Running low on bottom-time, we decided to make another dive there, and the parade continued, with yet another Wonderpus, lots of Ghost Pipefish, a Pygmy Pipehorse, Cowfish, Velvetfish, Bent Stick Pipefish, Flying Gurnards and Thorny Seahorses. Memory cards full, and batteries empty, we eventually had to leave this fantastic place.

In Horseshoe Bay, we saw the three Rhinopias again, and, of course, all the other animals we normally see here: Pygmy Seahorses, Nudibranchs, Zebra Crabs, Coleman Shrimps and huge Frogfish. We also found an unusual suspect – a rare Blue-ringed Octopus!

Nightdives were really good, too; Stargazers, Torpedo Rays, Brown-banded Bamboo Sharks, more Frogfish and the elusive, and scary-looking, Bobbit Worm.

The trip wasn’t all about the small critters though; we had Manta Rays on three occassions, and great shark action in North Komodo, with packs of Grey Reefs and Whitetips hunting in the current.

PJ Widestrand

Tourleader and Video-Pro
Mermaid I

Liveaboard trips to Thailand, Burma, Bali - Komodo and Andaman Islands.