Great Mola Mola season in Bali 2011

We've had a brilliant Mola Mola season in Bali this year. Last year we had very few sightings, especially in Crystal Bay, with Mimpang being a better dive spot to see the Mola.

This year we have spotted Mola on every dive, either at Crystal Bay, Mimpang, and even on the drift dives in Nusa Penida (Ped, SD etc).

The dive guests have certainly had the best time; Bali is the place many divers come to see the great fish and with the water temperatures being so cold this year, we haven't disappointed.

So, looking forward to next year to see if we can beat this year on the sheer number of Mola in the water.

Happy, safe diving

Nemo!

One of the most recognised and loved fish in the Bali oceans is the Anenomefish, also called the Clownfish, or as it is mostly referred to, "Nemo".



There are 28 recognised species of clownfish, and come in red, orange, yellow or black colours, many show white bars or patches.

The clownfish feeds on small invertebrates which otherwise potentially could harm the sea anemone that is their home, and the fecal matter from the clownfish provides nutrients to the sea anemone. Clownfish are omnivorous, they eat live food such as algae, plankton, mollusks, and crustacea.

Clownfish and sea anemones have a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship; each providing a number of things to benefit the other. The sea anemone protects the clownfish from predators, as well as providing food through the scraps left from the anemone's meals. In return, the clownfish defends the anemone from its predators, and cleans it from parasites.The anemone also potentially picks up nutrients from the Clownfish's excrement, and functions as a safe nest site.It has been theorized that the clownfish use their bright colouring to lure small fish to the anemone,and that the activity of the clownfish results in greater water circulation around the sea anemone.

In a group of clownfish, there is a strict dominance hierarchy. The largest and most aggressive female is found at the top. Only two clownfish, a male and a female, in a group reproduce through external fertilisation. Clownfish are sequential hermaphrodites, meaning that they develop into males first, and when they mature, they become females. If the female clownfish is removed from the group, such as by death, one of the largest and most dominant males will become a female. The remaining males will move up a rank in the hierarchy.

Clownfish lay eggs on any flat surface close to their host anemones. In the wild, clownfish spawn around the time of the full moon. Depending on the species, clownfish can lay hundreds or thousands of eggs. The male parent guards the eggs until they hatch about 6 to 10 days later, typically 2 hours after dusk.

Clownfish and certain damselfish are the only species of fishes that can avoid the potent poison of a sea anemone. There are several theories about how they can survive the sea anemone poison:

• The mucus coating of the fish may be based on sugars rather than proteins. This would mean that anemones fail to recognize the fish as a potential food source and do not fire their nematocysts, or sting organelles.
• The coevolution of certain species of clownfish with specific anemone host species and may have acquired an immunity to the nematocysts and toxins of their host anemone.

They are most commonly remembered for the 2003 animated film 'Finding Nemo', there were two clownfishes who both played a very prominent role in the film. The film told the story of a young clownfish called Nemo, who goes missing and his father Marlin, also a clownfish, goes on an adventure to get him back.

All divers love Nemo!

Tanjung Jepun and the submarine

There's a dive spot not far from the resort where you can find a small shipwreck, an artificial reef, load of reef fish, and ....................a 56 foot submarine!

Not many divers have had an underwater encounter with this species which is not fearful of divers and will come real close to inspect you. It is not a timid beast but will actively buzz around you while you try to dive.

If you look closely you will see that it has many, many eyes and many, many heads (look into the window-like protuberances and you will see Malaysian-looking faces staring back at you!)

We think it is looking for a mate, as it is showing all the signs of a loved-lorn creature, pale white in colour and making strange whirring noises as it searches fruitlessly for something to love.

so, if you happen to dive in Tanjung Jepun and have found the giant frogfish, remember to listen out for the sad wailing that has driven men mad with desire!

Amazing cuttlefish

10 amazing facts about cuttlefish, regular sited creatures for Bali divers:

1, The amazing cuttlefish belongs to the class "cephalopoda", the same family which octopus and squid belong to. With 3 hearts and green blood (Their blood is green because it uses the protein hemocyanin which has copper in it rather than hemoglobin) and the ability to change colour in a flash. They have three separate hearts, one for each gill and and one for the rest of the body. One reason is that their blood flows more rapidly as hemocyanin contains much less oxygen than hemoglobin. These amazing animals (cephalopods) are so unique and beautiful. Even submarines have made use of their buoyancy methods and they have physical characteristics that no other animal has, yet most of us only know them by the piece of cuttle-bone in a bird cage.

2, it is also considered to have the highest intelligence of any invertebrate, as well as the ability to see backwards, use jet propulsion and keep buoyancy in the same way that submarines do. Oh, it shoots jets of ink as well!

3, Cuttlefish bone is filled with gas! Cuttle-bone (the things you see in bird cages) has small chambers and like a submarine, filling or releasing the gas in them controls the cuttlefish's buoyancy.

4, The flesh of the Flamboyant Cuttlefish is poisonous. This is the only species of cuttlefish known to have any poisons and it carries a unique toxin in its muscles. This species is also short and stubby, unlike the long graceful bodies of most others.

5, The cuttlefish eye is shaped like a W. The unique shape of the pupils plays a part in the most highly developed eyes of any animal. They allow the cuttlefish to perceive light polarization and completely reshape their eyes to focus. They also really do have the proverbial eyes in the back of the head, with a second spot on the fovea which allows them to see backwards.

6, cuttlefish change color using a series of special skin cells, chromatophores, iridophores and leucophores, which reflect light in all sorts of colors.

7, Cuttle fish can make themselves completely invisible. Not only do they reflect colors, they are able to merge almost completely with the seafloor.

8, Cuttlefish shoot jets of ink. Cuttlefish ink was the original sepia which was once used by artists - nowadays replaced mostly with synthetic sepia. The ink is used as a defense to confuse predators and allow the cuttlefish time to escape.

9, Cuttlefish don't have a tail. They have a fin all the way around their body instead of tail fins, like squid, and they use this fin to control movement.

10, Cuttlefish have jet propulsion. Cuttlefish can escape from enemies by using rocket propulsion. Water is squeezed down their body (mantle) into a special tubular muscle (siphon) that controls the direction as they are propelled backwards for a short distance.

Mola Mola encounter!

Yesterday the conditions at Crystal Bay were just perfect, not too many boats, slight swell, and cold water
(24 degrees C).

We arrived at 9.50am and, after kitting up, dropped straight into the chilly water. We had already been alerted by another dive guide that Mola were here today, and knowing whereabout's he had told us to look was a great head's up'.

Dropping down and along the wall, passing over a sea snake with it's head in a hole, we approached the cleaning station.

Lo and behold, there was a small Mola Mola, hanging at approx 27 metres, being rigorously cleaned by the banner fish.

He hung around only long enough for a couple of quick photos, before he swam off at great speed into the blue.

Lovely day, Mola hunting accomplished and a great first encounter for Dan and Jenny who watched from above!

Diving with Frogfish

Open any coffee table book of underwater photography and you are almost certain to see a few pages dedicated to the majestic frogfish. One of the critter kings, frog fish are often photographed for a number of reasons - their various contrasting colours, textures and camouflages, their incredible hunting tactics and of course their down-turned mouths and muppet-like faces. Of course, the fact that they remain absolutely motionless for 90% of the time also helps the happy-snappers.

Few creatures are more fun to spot underwater, usually perched in a squat position in or on a sponge whose texture and colour is identically matched by this stealthy angler; 2 diamond-studded eyes keeping watch for the next victim of its lethal, split-second gulp.

There are any number of reasons why frogfish, in all their shapes and sizes, fascinate and entertain human visitors to their watery domain ...

Frog-fish Fact Sheet

Family name: Antennariidae
Order name: Lophiiformes
Common name: Frogfish or Anglerfish
Scientific name: Antennariidae
Distinguishing Features

Frogfish, so named due to their squat resemblance to the common amphibians, range in size from around 5cm to the giant frogfish's colossal 40cm. They also resemble frogs in that their fins are more like legs, which they use to walk slowly over the sea bed and atop sponges and corals to lie in wait for their prey.

Colour is often not much help in identifying different frogfish since some have many different colours to allow them to camouflage themselves within their environment. Depending on the species, this colour change might take seconds or weeks. Some frog fish's skin is also adorned by bumps, flaps, hairs and tassles which further allow for mimicking the nearby seabed, corals, sponges or weeds. This also explains how divers can often cruise straight past, oblivious to their presence.

There are not many other fish that you might mistake for a frogfish but it can be exceptionally difficult to distinguish between the sexes or species. Short of getting out your scalpel, there is no way to tell male from female. Since colouration is a useless method of identification for all but the most rare species, you should be looking out for species-specific features such as what form the lure takes (mimicking perhaps a worm or fish), the number of eye spots and the number of spines.

Feeding habits

It is the feeding approach of anglerfish that makes it such interesting creatures. Perfectly camouflaged, it lies in wait for its prey. The lure may be used to attract prey in a variety of different ways, depending on the species. They also employ a chemical attractant so sometimes they just lie in wait for some unfortunate to venture too close. When the prey is within grasp the blitzkrieg attack takes place. The frogfish expands its oral cavity engulfing the prey with a reflex that instantly sucks it in by creating suction pressure inside the mouth. Taking no more than around 6/1,000 of a second, it is the fastest 'gape and suck' of any fish. Frogfish have also been seen stalking their prey by sneaking towards their target along the sea bed.

They eat mostly small fish but also shrimps and crabs, with their prey sometimes being up to twice their own body size. Being toothless the frogfish swallows its prey whole, allowing digestive juices to do the rest. The prey can often be seen twitching and writhing against the walls of the its stomach in the throes of death.
Reproduction

Not a great deal is known about the reproduction of frogfish and in the wild it is a very rare sight to witness. During the process the female will fill up with so many eggs (up to 180,000) that her body becomes enormously distended and buoyant. The male will nudge the female's abdomen as they make their way to the surface where spawning takes place.

Some species jealously guard their eggs, while for others parental duties end with mating; the thousands of eggs being released as a drifting egg raft. After up to 2 months the eggs hatch into juvenile frogfish, which are smaller versions of adults but some show special defensive colours.

Life cycle

There is very little empirical data about the life cycle of a frogfish. Most of the available data on marine animals comes from fisheries - not a place where many frogfish are to be found. It is difficult to imagine that they live beyond a few years. Certainly their life span in captivity is only a matter of a few years. In the wild, with the uncertainties of food sources and parasites, it is unlikely to be much longer.

Predation

Frogfish do not have any lightning responses other than for feeding because they have very little to fear in the way of predation. What eats frog fish? Other frogfish. The gulper may become the gulped. However considering that they are designed more to catch fish swimming in the water column, this is a rather rare phenomenon. Moray eels have also been witnessed eating frogfish, but again, this is an uncommon sight.

It is possible that other opportunistic predators would devour frogfish, particularly when they are still young. Indeed in some cultures, man would happily lift some floating sargassum and take the sheltering frogfish home to be eaten.

More often than not, however, the anglerfish are the hunter, not the hunted.

Distribution

Frogfish are found throughout tropical and subtropical waters. Most species live in relatively shallow waters although some species are deep dwelling. Recreational divers in Asia are most likely to spot certain species including giant, clown and painted frogfish.

Ecological Considerations

Estimates of numbers of frog fish are difficult to obtain but they are not believed to have suffered a significant drop in numbers in recent times. Aside from the obvious habitat destruction there seems to be little danger posed by man. Perhaps the greatest of the frogfish's human irritants is the constant flashing of photographic strobes, such is the love underwater cameramen have for these fascinating fish.

Dive Sites

There are many great destinations for diving in the presence of these fascinating creatures. Frogfish are common in Blue Lagoon and particularly Tanjung Jepun where we currently have 4 resident froggies!

Tulamben

Today we're off to Tulamben for 2x dives.

The history of this site is quite interesting;

The U.S.A.T. LIBERTY, a 120 metre long shipwreck, is the remains of a US World War II freighter, torpedoed on January 11, 1942 at 4:15 a.m. by a Japanese submarine, while crossing the Lombok Strait carrying material (rubber and railway parts) from Australia to the Philippines. Two US destroyers hitched up to the ship and tried to tow it to the port of Singaraja. The damage was immense, she was taking too much water and her crew ran the vessel up onto the beach of Tulamben 70km away from the nearest safe harbor.
For 21 years she stayed there, the people of Tulamben secured all items of any value, even parts of the deck. In 1963 the Liberty was pushed to her present location by the fatal eruption of the volcano Gunung Agung. During this process the hull broke into two pieces. Now she is laying only 30 metres from the Tulamben beach on a sandy slope 90° on her side, parallel to the shore. The deck side faces the ocean.
The Liberty ship wreck is the most visited diving site of Bali at a perfect depth for scuba diving ranging from 2.5 metres down to 29 metres. There are a couple of impressive swim throughs, but one must be cautious because the structure of the wreck is unstable, every year parts collapse. An amazing growth of encrusting animals cover the wreck, marine biologists estimate that about 400 different species of reef fish live on the Liberty. It is not usual for this site to be visited by big pelagic species. It also has its own resident Barracuda, we call him Brian!