Dauin, Philippines - 4Feb-14Feb

Dauin is just south of Dumaguete, the big city on Negros Oriental.   It is just an easy 1hr Ferry ride from Siquijor.   

Aivy Maes, another second home for me.   I came here the first time in 2019, and this is where I became addicted to 'Muck Diving'.    From the very first dive, I screamed out of the water, 'YES, that was so cool' and I was hooked.   I have returned here every year since (except Covid, and happy to be welcomed by familiar faces that make me feel at home.  If I couldn't dive, I would be happy staying here.   It is very quiet and comfortable.  'My' bungalo does not have Air Conditioning, nor my own BathRoom.    Two of the things that never used to bother me, but now, are a necessity when booking.  However, I still LOVE this place.  The fan in my room works, and the Bathroom/Shower is big and clean.  It is a small place, so I've never had to wait in line.    Compare my room here,...enough room for a bed,  with my room in Siquijor, (last post).  I always put up my mosquito net here, there are mosquitos here at dusk, and I don't want them sleeping with me.   A HUGE difference, huh?

 

But I am right on the beach ... that counts for a lot !   My Bungalo is the one with the orange hammock.  The beach is out front.

 

 

 

First, I had to get something to eat, and I knew exactly where and what.    The Dive Cafe has been my regular place since I started.   I saw on FaceBook that they had moved and changed their name to D-Dive Restobar.   I was happy to see that they didn't move too far, thankfully!   My favorite item on their menu is the Spaghetti Bolognese.    So here I am.  This photo was posted on their web page on FaceBook !  I walked in, and they recognized me... amazing!   OMG, such a wonderful sauce, and so unexpected in the Philippines, (or anywhere I've traveled), ...made from scratch, there was even a Bay Leaf in it.

 

Also, good news, the Dive Light that Kevin ordered for me and had shipped here, had arrived!   Again, I charged it, .... held my breath, and ... it works !    It will be fun trying to figure out how to use it. 

I had been messaging Mark, my Dive Guide and Eyes from last year when I was at Siquijor.  He is now 'Free-lancing' in Dauin, and I wanted to dive with him again.  He has amazing eyes, like Rocky, and I knew that.  Unfortunately, a lot of other people now know that too, and he is in high demand.  Several months ago, he tried to get me on his schedule.   But, me, not wanting to plan, made no commitment.    But he made contact with them the day I arrived asking if he could Guide me.   They agreed!    So I messaged him and asked to set up a schedule.  HA, he is booked into JUNE !   No time for me, only the day I arrived.  WTF ?   A couple hours later he arrived, with his little son, and sister.  We had a nice visit, and he said he could do Night Dives with me any night while I'm here.   

 

 

I like Night Dives, they are exciting and you see things you won't see during the day.   But .... I don't like the fact that at 5pm, when I'm thinking about dinner and bed, I have to get dressed and get in the water.  After the dive, getting out, clothes and equipment rinsed, showered...and now it's 8pm.   But I really don't want to dive with anyone else, so, we planned a Night Dive the next evening.  He knows where the critters live, and sees the smallest things, like Rocky.   I really don't know how they do it, it is a talent that very few others have.   

I know I've shown a photo of Nemo and their eggs, and we saw another one on this dive.   

I took a photo of the eggs again.   Compared to the first photo, these eggs must have been laid recently.  There are no eyes showing. 

 

 

Not a Nudi, but a little 'pea' of a baby fish, so cute !

 

 

Mark points to this... so very tiny, and, it's dark.    I didn't know what it was, another new one for me.  It is a Doto, and I've seen a Dotos before, but this one was very different.   I'll know next time, it's a Doto sp6, which means 'they' haven't decided on an exact identification and name.

 

 

I've shown lots of photos of those tiny FrogFish that mostly are so cute.   This is a Giant FrogFish, and I can't say they are cute.   This 'guy' was as big as a soccor/foot ball, and didn't move a muscle.   It just sits there, and when an unsuspecting meal comes along, it gets sucked into his very wide open mouth.   He was sitting pretty much right out in the open, beside 'stuff'.

 

 

These Spiny Tiger Shrimp are about 1/2" and difficult to see when they are traveling along the sandy bottom.

Easier if you can catch them moving across a black background at night.

 

 

I've shown you many photos of a Hairy Shrimp, this one needs to shave her legs !

 

 

Mark shines his light on this.   I'm thinking it's that purple-ish thing....

No he wants me to see that little tiny thing on the top of that blade of grass !    Turns out is is something like this.  According to the book, this is another Stilger sp 

 

 

I think this is a Pipe Horse, cousin to a Sea Horse ...  

 

 

I met MaryAnn on Roatan, Honduras around 2015.  We met again for a week of diving in Costa Rica in 2023.   We realized we were both going to be in Dauin at the same time.  We got to catch up one very rainy afternoon and evening, before she started her LiveAboard Cruise.   So wonderful meeting up with friends and keeping in touch.

 

 

I've shown you many different kinds of shrimp, Hairy, Spiny Tiger, Cryptic Sponge, etc.   This is just a Shrimp, I think, the kind we like to eat.

 

 

I never really got a good photo of this Crab, don't even know it's name.   But it was tiny and constantly moving, ....and I was concentrating on the painting by Edvard Munch, The Scream.....

which is actually the 'butt' end of the crab.  His eyes are white and at the top of this photo.   Can you blame me?

 

 

 Then there was this ...

 

 

And I think this is Squat Lobster 

Ok, so, not everything I see is pretty or cute.     Some are just creepy. 

This is a White Eye Eel, rather common.   But I saw it myself, and positioned my light myself and took this photo.  

 

 

I did get to do a Day Dive with Mark, b/c he had a cancellation.   And it was a good one!  Ok, so now back to the pretty, and cool Nudis.    I've shown you several different colors and shapes of Shaun the Sheep.    I've just recently been aware of the Banana Nudi.    

Just as tiny as the other ones.  This one was living on the same quarter-size shape leaf... but it was yellow rather than green.  Love this one too !

 

Another new and exciting Octopus for me .... exciting after I knew what it was.   It is a Mototi (Mo TOE Tee) Octopus.   I didn't know what I was looking at, it was hiding into a rock crevice, where they normally hide.   I took the photos and then saw one tentacle come out, OH, it's an Octopus!    I learned later that this is the 'one-ring' octopus (actually it has one on each side).   You can see the blue ring in the middle of the photo.   It is about the size of the Blue Ring Octopus (4"), and is also poisonous.  It also is very rare to see one.    Mark is amazing to see these things !

 

 

The Elysia is one of my favorite Sea Slugs.  I desperately want to get a photo of one that I am proud of.  Not there yet, but I'll keep trying.    It's not that small, 1/2", but....

 

 

Next up on the Day Dive is the Marionia.   It looks like a soft coral.   They are large enough to easily see, ...once Mark showed me.  We were in the current, and it was swaying.

 

 

We did several more night dives.   One especially exciting, and we saw lots of Nudi's seeming to want to mate.   This one is proof.  They line up head to tail and their sex organs come from the middle of their bodies.  You can see the connection here.   Nembrotha linolata is their name.

 

On the weekends a man walks the beach with a cooler and wonderful ice cream.  I hear his little bells and I grab my 30 pesos (.50) and go running.   Mango is my always my choice, with pieces of fresh mango inside.

 

 

I saw the Peach-color Cryptic Sponge Shrimp on Siquijor ... this one was white... on white sponge coral of course.

 

 

 

And a BobTail Squid, that was a bit more cooperative than the last one.   Maybe because it was night.

 

 

Love was in the air for 2 Nembrothas

 

 

 'Let's give them something to talk about' .... said 2 Hypselodoris tryoni 

 

'My place or Yours' ....Dark Margin Glossodoris

 

 

This is a Girdled Glossodoris ... big and fat, beautiful colors, and easy to see.

  

A Candy Crab, a 'Pretty in Pink' crab

This one was very tiny ...  it was on the move ....   I'm going with Phyllodesmium ???

 

 

My last dive with Mark at Aivy Maes, Dauin, was a Night Dive with friends.  Right away in the water Mark spotted a CuttleFish.   I wasn't ready, and I don't know why it shows up Blue??   I like it.  It was a more neutral color.   Lights and angles can make a difference.

 

 

Actually I didn't feel like I was ready the entire dive.   This is a Coconut Octopus, not very large.  And he was not coming out of his coconut shell, that's why it's called a Coconut Octopus.

 

And I really wasn't ready for the next one.  Mark showed me a small orangey fish-like critter that was swimming around, actually 2 of them.   I didn't know what they were.  Probably about 2-3" long, with lots of frilly appendages.   I am now told it was an Ambon ScorpionFish.   I saw one once here in Dauin, but I have never seen one so small, nor one swimming like a fish.   Lots of sand in the water and poor photos, but you might get the idea.  I don't knowingly post photos that I, personally, did not take.  Mark occasionally used my camera, ...and he may have taken this photo..... 

 

Next I saw this pretty red Sea Star

 

Many of our friends were in the distance, with their lights pointed.   Usually that means something special, so we headed that way.  I've always seen Flamboyant CuttleFish while in Dauin, but I had not seen any this year.  Solved that problem.    These are so special, their colors radiate across their bodies in a fluid movement, it's mesmerizing.  They walk on 2 front paddle-like feet.

This one had a lot of yellow and bright pink.  You could watch them forever,... or until you ran out of air :)

 

  

Check out this short video on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/dWu-n-dLb1E 

 

 

The last thing we saw in the shallows before exiting was a Bobbit Worm (remember Lorena Bobbitt ?  Yes, it was named after that 1993 news story.)  This is one scary worm.  It buries itself in the sand, with only it's head showing.   It has sensors, and when an unsuspecting prey sets them off, it projects itself out of the water and grabs it with it's jaws.  This is a photo of it, but I didn't get too close.

If you are interested, check out the video on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV2pu2jTyp4

 

 

That's a gruesome way to end a Blog ... so I'll just say, hang on, like this Candy Crab, until my next Blog.  I'll be fly to Manila, and take a bus to Anilao Scuba Dive Center.  For more Muck Diving and finding some new critters.

 

dp
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siquijor Island, 27 Jan - 3 Feb

I made a reservation (on line) for the first ferry to Siquijor.   It's a short 1.40hr ride.

Ocean Jet is very efficient, even get an assigned seat, and usually leaves on time.  When I arrived in Siquijor Port, there were many tricycle drivers asking for my business.  Most of the tricycles are rusted, and patched together, and are usually slow.   I got the same price quote from all of them.   Then I noticed this 'Cadillac' of a tricycle.   I picked him.   New and shiny, check out the interior.   I was riding with Class!

   

I took the 7:30a ferry so I knew my room would not be ready, so I sat by the pool on the sea.

My room is very 'roomy'.   I stayed here, but only for 3 nights last year, so I knew what to expect, and booked a week.

 

I walked to the Bahura Dive Shop and re-introduced myself, and got set up with Rocky for my Guide and Eyes.  I had GREAT recommendations about him and I was excited.  He did NOT disappoint !

 

He was very helpful before even getting IN the water!    Carrying my heavy tank and gear into the water, and helping me get it on, waiting while I adjusted my mask, put on my fins, then handing me my camera before we descended.    I am very slow at this, so it takes patience!    The first 2 days we did Boat Dives, which I am not fond of, because I am so slow and fear holding everyone else up.   I had lots of help on the boat from other Dive Masters and Dive Master Trainees.  On the boat, they even put my fins on for me.  Everyone is so helpful.    The rest of the dives, we just walked into the water, just the 2 of us, much more relaxing for me.    It is difficult walking into the water because there are rocks everywhere, and it's difficult to see where they are, and where to put one foot, before releasing the other foot.   Go Slowly and hold on to an arm, like an 'old' person.   I seem to be 'playing the old card' more often this year.   

We saw so much.   I guess I lose a bit of reality from one year to the next, but they all seem so TINY, so challenging.   Using my make-shift glasses helped, but they definitely are not strong enough !    

I've never seen this one before, but what great colors, green and blue-purple.  It is an Oxynoe Green Viridis Nudi.  It was about 1" long so I could actually see it.

 

This Trinchesia was very tiny

Another one, with eggs.  And no that is not a smile, but Oral Tentacles which are used to feel it's way and test possible food sources.

This is Shaun the Sheep Nudi, (Costasiella) in vibrant colors.

This is another Shaun the Sheep, but different.   Which one do you like best ?

Or, maybe you prefer this one ...  which really looks more like Shaun the Sheep than the other two.

 Honestly, I'd never heard/seen Shaun the Sheep until I started this 'Muck Diving'

 

  

A cute little FrogFish, I need to find out what those white 'tear drops' are.  I see them on a lot of FrogFish.  

 

Equipment Problems:

I don't think I mentioned in the last Blog, that the Dive Light that I ordered to be delivered to Kevin's did arrive before I left.   I unpacked, read the directions, charged the battery ... and NOTHING !    It was defective!    I am having a hard time with my Dive Light Karma.    Kevin returned it, and ordered another one to be shipped to Dauin, where I will be after here.    So I knew when I arrived at Siquijor, that I was going to have to rent/borrow a Dive Light.    Ironically, last year when I was here, I also had to borrow a light, since the new one, they sent me to replace the first one that died, ... had died while I was in Indonesia after just 2 weeks.    I felt like such an unprepared idiot.. with incredible BAD LUCK !  So they fixed me up with a light.   Things were looking up.

After the first day, and on the second dive, there was a 'bit' of water in my camera housing, which is supposed to keep the water out.   Even a small amount of water will fog up the lens and make focusing almost impossible.    At that point, the dive is basically over.   It happened the last day on Camiguin.   But I was prepared and had an extra O Ring, ...put it on and thought that would solve the problem.  Obviously not!     I had the owner, Russ and several other people look at it, check it, and said it shouldn't leak.   But it did !   They think one/some of the O Rings around the buttons must be failing and need replacing.  Probably not a big deal, but not something that I was going to be able to 'fix' while here.   This is NOT good, no camera housing, no photos.    Rachel, owner, offered to let me use her housing so I could take photos.   But that did not solve the problem of having no camera for the next 2+ months!   I thought about buying another one on line, and hoping it would be delivered to my next destination...big risk.    So, I offered to buy them a new housing, which would arrive at the Dive Shop, and I would trade them for their used one.   They agreed....good deal for them, but fair, and I was happy.    The day before I left I talked to one of the Dive Masters, Rog, and she said she was going to Cebu (big city) to buy a housing.   What?  She hadn't said anything to anyone and wasn't aware of my problem.    I asked her if she would buy one for me, and then deliver it to my next destination.   In the meantime I would use Rachel's and then swap back when mine came in.   Rog was buying it directly so she said she would carry it, no delivery to rely on.  GREAT !   So I continued to use Rachel's housing while I was there, and also while I'm in Dauin... to get photos.    That worked great.   I was happy as could be with the situation.    Although with all the problems i've been having, my 'track record' was not promising.   Fingers crossed my luck has changed. Enough of my drama.

On to my critter finding on my Blog....

This is an unusual LionFish called Blue-Fin, Black-Foot, Parapterois heterura.  I've never seen one before.   It reminded me of a Flying Gurnard that Kathy D and I saw on Grand Cayman.  We thought it was a LionFish.... turns out, we weren't that far off !   This one was about 5" long and I found it myself  :)

 

 

An Orangutan Crab, for obvious reasons.  Looks like he's in a bowl of spaghetti.   There is no Coral called Spaghetti Coral, but I think there should be.

 

Rocky pointed to a white long stem broccoli-looking coral.    It took me a long while before I could see he was pointing at a tiny tiny 'spot'.    The 'stem' is smaller than my little finger.    Try as I might, I could not get a close up photo.   I asked him if he could find me a bigger one sometime.  haha

 

Ask and thou shalt receive.  He found me one on a Night Dive.  It was still very tiny, but it was large enough for me to see it, so I could focus.    It is a Tritonia

 

 

This is a Bubble Coral Anemone Shrimp.  Rather common, but very tiny.

 

 

I saw a Cryptic Sponge Shrimp last year, but I could hardly tell what it was, since it looked just like the Sponge Coral it lived on.  Do you see it ? 

 

When I saw this photo on my computer, I was so surprised to see that it has eyes, and legs with little green slippers.   Duh, of course it has eyes and legs !!!!!!   I just never could see them before.

And, we saw another one, a side view, with even more detail of the legs. 

 

A Brown FrogFish

 

And a grumpy mean-looking Black FrogFish 

 

 

This Phyllodesium biareu has a lot of arms ... reminds me of Methuselah ...   Large enough for me to see.

 

This was a very tiny white thing ... and rather rare around here.     It is a Stilger sp5, the sp means they haven't identified it properly yet, so no name.

 

In this photo, I think it looks like a Hummingbird,....kind of ...

 

This is a Psychodelic BatWing Nudi.  Love that name.  I saw one before years ago, but didn't get a good photo.   So at least I knew what I was looking at this time, but could not get a good photo.  Again, I asked Rocky if he could find me another one, and a few days later, he came through for me again.   I'm not always happy with my photos, but I think I nailed it this time   :)

 

This is a rather common one, a Goniobranchus coi, ?    Great colors 

 

 

I've never seen this one before either, very striking.  Lots of first for me here.  A Dark-Dots Eubranchus.... notice the circular mass of eggs in the bottom left corner.

 

We saw quite a lot of Hairy Shrimp, which are nothing but a yellow furry fuzz ball, all so very tiny.   Some with eggs

 

Some without ... this is the first time I've seen their little legs ... of course they have legs!    The orange ones are easier to see.

 

Usually you only see one eye ...but obviously they have two ...

 

 

This next one is a Melibe.   They are also very tiny, moving, and transparent, so really difficult to get a photo.   Rocky was so patient with me on this one.   We saw several of them through the week and each time he wanted me to continue.   I easily took over 100 photos.    This Nudi has a 'net' that it throws out in front, and drags it slowly back of the sand, collecting his food, which it then eats.   You can see the 'net' in this one, left side.

 

I did take a video, and you get a better idea of what is going on.

 

Rocky pointed to this, about 1" ... it was big enough for me to see what it was, and he saw what I was doing.

 

No, he pointed to a tiny brown thing off to the side, which turned out to be a Pygmy Squid, very tiny.

 

 A close up

 

We went a short distance and he wanted to show me another one.   I couldn't see it at the time, but I see it in the photo.   The tiny Pygmy Squid just caught a Shrimp!  He was so excited.   You can see the Shrimp's head is down and the tail coming out the top of it's mouth !

 

Munch munch ... gulp !      Nature is so beautiful... well not for the Shrimp today  

 

This is a juvenile CuttleFish,  about the size the first knuckle of your thumb

 

This is a Nemo carrying for the eggs.    The male is responsible for guarding and providing oxygen, by agitating the water with his fins.

 

This close-up of the egg mass shows lots of eyes, and some baby Nemos almost completely formed.    I've never seen the eggs this far along before. 

 

You usually see a Blue Ring Octopus on a night dive.   But there it was during the day.    They are highly venomous, carrying tetrodotoxin—1,000 times stronger than cyanide—capable of causing paralysis or death within minutes.    About 3".    We are careful not to piss it off ! 

 

 

We did a Night Dive and saw 2 WonderPus Octopus, a large and then smaller one.   They are a bit larger than the Blue Ring, with longer and 'fuller' arm, but they are not toxic

 

I actually spotted this Golden Mantis Shrimp.  It is mostly in the ground, that is it's head and those brown oblong spheres are it's eyes 

 

Another Nudi you usually only see at night, and I just love them.   A Donald Duck Nudi, Google says 2".   Can you see the resemblance... kind of like a duck bill.  Love the vibrant colors !

Then there was his little brother .... way smaller, and lighter in color...

 

This is another one that is usually only seen at night, but it was out during the day .... a BobTail Squid.  They are about the size of your fingernail, and flying FAST !    As soon as they land, they immediately dig themself into the sand, butt first, with only their eyes showing... for awhile, then they're gone!    Happy to get even this photo.

 

This is the weirdest Nudi.   I don't know why it is all scrunched up like that.   They are very pretty, and one of my favorites, an Elysia pusilla.   It is hard to tell what is what.   You can see the eyes, and the white fuzz rhinopores, below the eyes.

 

 

This is a Gymnodoris, maybe citrina?    I like the 'smile' and frilly 'petti coat', with the yellow highlights.

 

 

This is the first 'red/orange' PipeFish I've ever seen.   

 

Much nicer than the beige, cream colored ones, like this.

 

 

I had a bit of drama, on what turned out to be my last day.   I don't usually dive the day I leave b/c too rushed and packing wet clothes.  So I did 2 dives in the 'morning', on Tues, which gets me back around 2pm.  I was in the shower, and I heard someone open my door, and say, 'you leaving today mam'.    I said, no, i am leaving tomorrow.    He repeated and so did I.    I asked if he would give me a minute to get out of the shower.   We 'discussed', but it was clear I was not spending another night there.   The next guest was waiting (probably by the pool), it was after 2pm check in time ... and WAY past my 11am check out time, and they needed to clean my room.    I did find her and explained and apologized, I didn't want her to 'dis' Lazi Beach.  Obviously a miscommunication, but I was leaving.    Everything is everywhere in that big room, and I just tossed stuff into my bags, wet clothes and all, ...and got out of their way.    They are really nice people and felt bad, so they booked me a room at Siquijor Summit, and also provided free transport there.   I had not paid my bill there, nor at the Dive Shop, nor said bye to anyone.    I was frazzled!     Finally got everyone paid, and tips given, and left about 5pm.   Siquijor Summit is in the Jungle!  Interesting place, predominately catering to large groups, receptions.   Certainly not a place I could stay.     The owner Joyce Summit took me to the Ferry the next morning and we had a very nice conversation.   She is from the Philippines, but lived in the USA, and owns several businesses there.   So she is back and forth.   Very nice interesting woman.

That sums up my amazing underwater adventure with Bahura Dive Shop on the Island of Siquijor, and staying at Lazi Beach Club.

Taking Ocean Jet Ferry to Dauin, and another one of my 'second homes', Aivy Maes.  Follow me there !