DUGONG

Liveaboard trip 20-29 Jun 2010

Bali - Komodo
INDONESIA

Mermaid I

Yep, folks, that’s correct - an extremely rare encounter with the endangered Dugong! We couldn’t believe our luck, when this two and a half meter mammal swam right up to us, took a good look, circled us once and then slowly disappeared. There had been (unconfirmed) rumours of Dugong sightings in Komodo, but to actually SEE one underwater, was something special!

Despite beeing mating season for the famous Komodo Dragons (when they tend to be too busy to waste time posing for the cameras), we found three of these impressive reptiles while trekking in the national park. As usual, they were lying flat on the ground to grab some heat after a quite chilli night. Not to be mistaken for beeing slow, mind you; they could easily outrun any human!

A good selecton of unusual critters, like Frogfish, Zebra Crabs, juvenile Baramundi Cods, Ladybugs (now THAT’s something you need a good magnifying glass to see, since they’re only a couple of millimeters long!), Coleman Shrimps and Nudibanchs awaited us in Horseshoe Bay, Rinca Island. And don’t forget the friendly Turtles, Mobula Rays, Brownbanded Bamboo Sharks and the (maybe not THAT friendly…?) infamous Bobbit Worm.

We have yet to see a trip without any Manta Rays, and this one was no exception – full-on in South Komodo, with around 20 rays lining up at the cleaning station. Awesome!

PJ Widestrand

Video-Pro
Mermaid I

Liveaboard diving Thailand, Myanmar, Bali - Komodo and the Andaman Islands.