DIVE. EXPLORE. RELAX.

Sunrise in the North Papua islands

This is a 360º aerial drone view of the good ship Jelajahi Laut at anchor on the morning of day three.

Mikumba Diving really came through for us as we escaped to a whole new world and experienced the best of Indonesia underwater as we traveled on board the Boat Jelajahi Laut. After only two days we all were amazed at the service and quality of the crew. The diving conditions regarding the visibility could have been better but that is out of anyone's control.

On the count of three it is over the side and into the deep for at least three dives per day!

Here are some additional photography highlights from our diving adventures during the week:

Pygmy Seahorse

Some of the smallest creatures in this aquatic world have amazing camouflage abilities. Hidden in this coral structure called Muricella, our dive guide pointed out a solitary Pygmy Seahorse. This is a Bargibant’s pygmy (Hippocampus bargibanti). This species only lives in and around Muricella gorgonian fans. The seahorse is are covered in tiny bumps that mimic the gorgonian’s polyps, which is actually how they were accidentally discovered by researcher Georges Bargibant around 1970.

One of the many challenges of underwater photography is positioning yourself at the proper distance to focus and light the subject with a correct exposure while holding still in the current or surge to capture your subject.

Using my Olympus TG4 camera's microscope mode and Sea & Sea electronic underwater strobe system, I captured this image.

I found this in my researching Wikipedia, "One of the most incredible things about pygmy seahorses is their mating and parenting behavior. Firstly, they are thought to be monogamous, and it is actually the males that carry the eggs which are transferred from the female during mating. The eggs are fertilized in a pouch on the underside of his belly that can carry around 10-20 eggs at a time. The gestation period is about 2 weeks, after which the minute babies hatch out of his pouch. There aren’t many super dads like this in nature!"

Pygmy seahorses thrive in Raja Ampat thanks to the plentiful food and pristine habitats. It takes sharp eyes and determination to see them but it’s incredible when you do!

Finding Nemo

The Clownfish was made known to many by the popular animated movie with the same name. These brightly colored Anemonefish are just one of a number of species we observed diving in Raja Ampat.

Nemo didn't like me hanging around to close to his home. The darting around movement in and out of the Anemone makes getting a good image of the fish a challenge.

Again from Wikipedia: "Anemonefish and sea anemones have a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship, each providing many benefits to the other. The individual species are generally highly host specific. The sea anemone protects the anemonefish from predators, as well as providing food through the scraps left from the anemone's meals and occasional dead anemone tentacles, and functions as a safe nest site. In return, the anemonefish defends the anemone from its predators and parasites. The anemone also picks up nutrients from the anemonefish's excrement. The nitrogen excreted from anemonefish increases the number of algae incorporated into the tissue of their hosts, which aids the anemone in tissue growth and regeneration The activity of the anemonefish results in greater water circulation around the sea anemone and it has been suggested that their bright coloring might lure small fish to the anemone, which then catches them. Studies on anemonefish have found that they alter the flow of water around sea anemone tentacles by certain behaviors and movements such as "wedging" and "switching". Aeration of the host anemone tentacles allows for benefits to the metabolism of both partners, mainly by increasing anemone body size and both anemonefish and anemone respiration."

The Wobbegong

Wobbegongs are bottom-dwelling sharks, spending much of their time resting on the sea floor. Most species have a maximum length of about 4 feet, but two of the largest, the Spotted Wobbegong (Orectolobus Maculatus) and Banded Wobbegong (Orectolobus Halei), can reach about 9 feet in length.

The word Wobbegong is believed to come from an Australian Aboriginal language, meaning "shaggy beard", referring to the growths around the mouth of the shark of the western Pacific.

Do you see me???

From Wikipedia, "Wobbegongs are well camouflaged with a symmetrical pattern of bold markings which resembles a carpet. Because of this striking pattern, wobbegongs and their close relatives are often referred to as carpet sharks. The camouflage is improved by the presence of small weed-like whisker lobes surrounding the wobbegong's jaw, which help to camouflage it and act as sensory barbs. Wobbegongs make use of their camouflage to hide among rocks and catch smaller fish which swim too close, typical of ambush predators. Wobbegongs also have a powerful jaw with needle-like teeth that assist in catching reef fish and other sharks for food."

Wobbegongs are generally not considered dangerous to humans, but have attacked swimmers, snorkelers, and scuba divers who inadvertently come close to them.

We respectfully kept our distance during diving encounters.

In the eight days and seven nights we were on board we had a wonderful time doing what we all love to do under the sea. By the end of our trip, some in our group including Karen, visited and dove 23 different dive sites, took a hike to a picturesque island top for scenic views, floated down a spring-fed blue river and took an easy hike to a beautiful waterfall and lagoon.

I completed all but one night dive, a total of 22 dives on this trip,and skipped the hikes but instead flew my DJI Mini 2 drone to capture some aerial views of where we visited.

A close up view of a non-native species in Indonesian waters; this image of the white-whiskered Johnigong was captured during our diving excursions!