Diving in Indonesia offers a chance to witness some of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures and occasionally some of nature’s greatest spectacles.
While diving in Komodo National Parks we were lucky enough to encounter a mating pair of Broad-club Cuttlefish (Sepia Latimanus). Amid a cluster of corals, a large individual, over a foot long, hovered. Approaching slowly, we were delighted to see that the Cuttlefish seemed unbothered by our presence. After a few minutes observing this enormous otherworldly being, a second ocean-alien came into view. A smaller Cuttlefish swooped onto the scene, but this individual was intent on one thing, mating.
The two cuttlefish engaged in an entrancing dance, the smaller of the pair brandishing its arms and igniting a blaze of colour across its body, waves of black and white stripes rippled across its body while purple hues and blotches of blue flitted along its fins. This silent yet mesmerizing dialogue continued for some time, the pair dancing around atop the reef. It was a rare and captivating performance to witness, one that only a lucky few get to witness.
After some time, the pair settled down. Descending from the shallow reef they headed deeper down along the sloping corals; eventually settling on a Staghorn Coral. The pair circled the coral in unison as though inspecting it. Then, tentatively, one raised its tentacles and pushed them into the coral. There it delicately deposited its eggs within the protective branches of the Staghorn.
Giving them space we left, allowing them to finish their duties in peace. This encounter was a brief, magical moment, that highlighted the wonders of the marine world and the intricate life cycles that play out beneath the waves.
Aaron Sanders
Mermaid II Bali-Komodo-Maumere
September 14-21, 2024