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So here is the index of dive sites
and days of those sites. Here is a map
of the dive sites throughout the Wakatobi Island area. Following that is a
gallery divided into sections of marine life, critters, and reef to make this
easier to view. Also here is a YouTube slideshow
here, and our review of
Wakatobi Resort here. |
| Wed, 9th |
Thu, 10th |
Fri, 11th |
Sat, 12th |
Sun, 13th |
Tanjung Patrick
Pockets
The Zoo |
Fan 38
West
Galaxy (Wow!)
Spiral Corner |
Malabea
Magnifica
Dunia Baru |
Blade
Batfish Wall
Dunia Baru (Night Dive) |
Conchita
Table Coral City
Teluk Waitii |
| Mon, 14th |
Tue, 15th |
Wed, 16th |
Thu, 17th |
|
Starship
Tuluk Maya
Kollo Soha |
Roma
Fan 38 East
Teluk Waitii (ND) |
Lorenzo's Delight
Turkey Beach
Corncucopia |
Table Coral City
The Zoo |
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Nudibranchs
Indonesia is the land of the nudibranchs and
Wakatobi does not disappoint...here are a few of the beautifully colored little
gems! |
CHROMODORIS MAGNIFA
There are so many nudibranchs that this is a sub-species as it does not
match exactly a named species. Who cares! It's beautiful.
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PHYLLIDIOPSIS SHIRINAE
Sort of dull looking after all the color, but they are sort of pink in
the ocean and very pretty!
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PHYLLIDIA OCELLATA FAMILY
Nudibranchs are still being categorized. Here is a variation.
|
CHROMODORIS ANNAE
A beautiful show of orange, white and black band on a turquoise body with
bright orange crown.
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PHYLLIDIA OCELLATA
Again another variation or may be immature stage of this family.
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PHYLLIDIA OCELLATA
This one has yellow instead of orange. |
CHROMODORIS COI
A great find early in our diving. These are the sorts of critters
that make us want more dives!
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PSEUDOCEROS BIFURCUS
Polyclad flatworm and a mighty colorful flatworm too.
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PLEUROBRANCHUS GRANDIS
This was a large sidegill slug about 6" to 8" long.
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CHROMODORIS WILLANI
Just the slightest variation and poof another species!
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT
We've been told that this is rare for Wakatobi so we're not sure of it's
identification - possibly of the Dendronotus family. |
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FUZZUS WUZZIS
OK it's really Jorunna funebris , but this name seems like it suits - about 3" long! |
PHYLLIDIIDAE VARIATION
These were the only ones we found.
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THURIDILLA UNDULA
About 1½" long.
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NEMBROTHA LINEOLATA
A very tiny fellow with a lot of feathery stuff on his back (to protect
his gills). |
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Cuttlefish
This is what Claire wanted to see more than
anything else. When we stumbled upon our first on on our second day of
diving, I was ecstatic! Even more so that I got to quietly spend time just
looking into his eye while he looked in ours. |
BROADFOOD CUTTELFISH
On the reef in about 8-10ft of water, here he was.
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HIDING IN THE REEF
Cuttlefishes main defense is camouflage.
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THIS IS HIS QUIET POSE
He was looking at us as much as we were of him. |
CLOSE-UP OF HIS ARMS?
Notice the suckers .
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CLOSE-UP OF EYE
You have to wonder what he's thinking - probably like Obi Wan: "You don't
see me, I haven't been here!"
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ANOTHER VIEWING
This one is angry - and all pokey and again camouflaged in the reef |
AN ELEPHANT?
This is another familiar pose of the cuttlefish - with the elephant like
arms.
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MASQUERADING
Trying to get lost in his surroundings.
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ABOUT TO CHANGE
As we were all gathered around this one, he was beginning to change
colors before our eyes. |
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Oddities
It's pretty amazing what's under the water - odd looking, odd acting, and
stuff that shouldn't logically be there! Maybe it's just that the Pacific
is so foreign, but these were some of our favorite oddities. |
LEAFY SCORPIONFISH
Fish cleaning a little too far.
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LIZARDFISH
Back to the spa.....
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CONVICT FISH
Life must be spa-licious in Little Cayman for the Groupers. |
THORNY OYSTER
Yikes - don't think I want to eat that!
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GIANT CLAM - SORTA
OK - it's not all that big, but this is a giant clam...just the littlest
variety of that species. |
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GIANT CLAM - BIGGER
Now this one is more like it, but still not the Jules Verne version.
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CROCODILE FISH...
Another Where's Waldo moment.
Here's
an easier view to see.
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RIBBON EEL SMILING
Ooooooo or yawning.
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RIBBON EEL SAYS HELLO
This guy was not shy and loved posing for his close-up.
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PULSATING XENIA
How amazing these little cups are moving in and out every second.
| |
REEF HERMIT CRABS
These hermit crabs don't inhabit shells instead they are in little holes
in the reef!
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CRINOID
This is from the starfish family and they wander through the water, then
cling onto a surface and feed from the passing water!
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General Stuff - Fish,
Reef, Critters and Seascapes
Indonesia is full of all sorts of amazing
critters, reef and fish |
HIDDEN
Click above for the original photo, &
here is the
enhanced version for older eyes. |
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CROWN OF THORNS
This can be very devastating on the reef. But the reef here is so
healthy and alive, doesn't seem to hurt it all that much. |
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ANEMONE FISH
Who says purple and green don't go together?...maybe I need to add pink
to that color combo! |
WAKATOBI RESIDENT
This little Pygmy seahorse was discovered here at Wakatobi, so of course
everyone wants to take its picture.
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PANULIRUS VERSICOLOR
Don't you just love these Latin names - I'm just glad to find them!
This is the juvenile version of this lobster! |
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BLUE DOT RAY
Actually these are quite small and zip around with amazing speed, even
amongst the divers. |
TRIGGER
Like a lot of fishes in Indonesia, they are beautifully colored.
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SPOT BANDED BUTTERFLY
It's hard to describe all the beautiful colors of fishes in this area of
diving, but pictures help.
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CLARK'S CLOWNFISH
In case you're dying of curiosity this is the orange version! |
BLACK SADDLED TOBY
Very small and sharp-nose puffer looking.
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MOORISH IDOL!
Moors must have the same star power their idols we do.
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LIONFISH
Here they are part of the environment. |
ANTHIAS
There are tons of pretty varieties of these anthias type fish.
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REGAL ANGELFISH
With this color promenade, I'd be regal too!
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SADDLED BUTTERFLYFISH
Having a little Picasso experience. |
MEYER'S BUTTERFLYFISH
More striking colors and in great number around this reef.
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REDFIN ANTHIAS
More beautifully colors!
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WAKATOBI HUMPHEAD BANNERFISH
These fish were plentiful, but fast on the reef, but one would venture out
for his close-up every once in a while. |
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Pairs
It's the only way to travel! |
FOX FACED RABBITFISH
A lot of these fish mate for life.
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MASKED RABBITFISH
They are commonly found out on the reef together!
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PINK ANEMONEFISH
Clownfisn and anemonefish are always clustered around anemones and
usually two or three varieties per anemone.. |
LONG NOSED BUTTERFLYFISH
These colorful fish are everywhere and as with most fish in Indonesia,
therefore easier to photograph - there are just so many of them!.
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VAGABOND BUTTERFLYFISH
Not sure where they come up with the common names, but didn't seem too
lost too me!
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MOORISH IDOLS
Nothing's more fun seeing one than seeing two. |
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Shrimps
Where would CWUAP be without our shrimps,
and Indonesia has shrimps galore that are just as delicate and exotic as
anywhere else. |
SPOTTED SHRIMP
An old favorite, but still illusive.
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BUBBLE CORAL SHRIMP
Tiny, tiny, tiny, but so delicate. If you look closely you can
actually see the outlines of their transparent body. |
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ANEMONE SHRIMP
Out here these things are small and transparent - but they are in the
anemone if you can find them. |
LOOKS WHO'S HIDING?
One of Walt's favorite finds - all the way out here in the Pacific!
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MANTIS SHRIMP
No this is not the monster from the deep lagoon - although it may look
like it. Of course it's more commonly known as Gonodactylus stomatopoda!!!?!!!
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LONG ARMED SHRIMP
OK - this is my name for this shrimp which is actually Periclimenes
tenuipes! |
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Tunicates and Sea Squirts
These became fascinating for us and we
couldn't take enough pictures of the many varieties of
tunicates and sea squirts. |
BLUE TUNICATES
Basic coral that sorts thru the water looking for nutrients. |
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BELLS ON A STEM
Although they are on a stem this system seems to work well to gather
nutrients.
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BRIGHT COLORED FAT ONE
But then if you're bright colored and big, there's always something yummy
passing by. |
LIKE MUTED BELLS
More delicate and tiny tunicates that seem to defy the strong current
that they live on.
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TWO DIFFERENT TYPES
In Indonesia the real estate is very limited, so a lot of sharing going
on.
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SEE-THRU
Here you can see the basic structure - in one hole and out the other! |
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Bali, Indonesia
Probably because it is so hard to get to,
the Balinese are so lovely to their guests. We stayed at the
Alum Kul Kul in Bali and I felt as
thought I was in the Year of
Living Dangerously, without the revolution part! |
ARRIVAL SCHEDULE
If your not blurry-eyed before you see this schedule you will be after -
where and when we are leaving.
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ORCHIDS EVERYWHERE
The Singapore Airport is the most fantastic anywhere and just for our
enjoyment - orchids everywhere.
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MASKS ALREADY?
What re these people going to do in a full-blown epidemic?! |
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SINGAPORE AIRLINES
Isn't she beautiful? And she's just one of a ton of them we saw.
Their uniforms are gorgeous and the service is spectacular! This is the
only way to cross the Pacific Ocean.
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TOO MUCH TIME ON PLANE
However there's just only so much a person can take, and finally one has
to resort to drastic measures!
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TMTOP, PART 2
Or you can simply count the little dashes on the flight screen in front
of you for 5 hours! |
ENTRANCE - ALUM KUL KUL
Isn't this beautiful!
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MEETING NEW FRIENDS
Dive trips are a great way to meet new friends.
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INDONESIAN FEEL
OK - I finally feel as though I'm in a foreign country! |
MANDALA-ISH
The don't arrange a cut flower arrangement in the front foyer...
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FLOWERS, PART 2
...instead they do this madala-ish type arrangement.
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FLOWERS FINISHED
Isn't this gorgeous! |
GOODBYE BALI
On our last leg of our trip!
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HELLO WAKATOBI
There it is - just like the pictures.
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WHERE EVERYTHING IS
And here is where everything is. |
WALT'S FAV AIRCRAFT!
Walt is so witty, isn't he!!!
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WAKATOBI TSA
They have one flight every 10 days - it's a hard job but somebody's gotta
do it!
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AT LAST!
Our home for the next 10 days! |
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Wakatobi Resort at Night
Probably because it is so |
THE JETTY AT NIGHT
The jetty was the bar at the end of the long warf looking out over the
reef wall.
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A LITTLE BOOKAH
Our new friend Steve looking quiet and peaceful.
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DIVE AREA VIEW 1
Entrance into dive shop |
DIVE AREA VIEW 2
Coming in from night dive
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DIVE AREA VIEW 3
whole dive area
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THE RESTAURANT
Very nice and very good food! |
JUST BEFORE DINNER
Not only lovely to look at but delicious to eat!
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DINNER FOR TWO
Very romantic!
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OUR TABLE
Discussing the day's dives. |
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