Ambon, Indonesia - Night Dives

Most underwater 'Muck Divers' LOVE night dives.    I've never been a fan.  I've done a few, but honestly, I was uncomfortable, even with a flashlight.   It seems like I was never where I should be.   So I resisted, when each day after my 2 dives, they asked, 'Night Dive tonight?'

With only 2 days left, I decided to 'suck it up' and rely on The Dude to get me through it.   What a night.   It was spectacular !       I was just fascinated!    I did a second one the last night I was there, it was so fun.

Here are some photos

My Guide, Dude, showed me this .... big blob ... about the size of a football ... ugly.    I just looked at it for quite awhile, then looked at him, like 'what am I looking at?'  ...when it finally started moving .... slowly, very slowly.    I found out later, it is a Sea Hare.   I love Sea Hares, they are usually way smaller, colorful and WAY cuter.

 

This is called a Donald Duck Shrimp.   I've seen them before, but they were always swimming around.  This time I got a photo.    Can you see how it kind of has a duck bill ...

 

These 2 aren't so cute either.   I've never seen 2 of them together like this

Nemo sleeps tucked away in their anemone home in the night time.   They are safe in there because the Anemone has a venemous sting

 

And, because there are a lot of predators out in the dark, like this Eel.    I watched him for quite awhile, and he never moved !

We saw another FrogFish .... kinda grumpy as usual

Now that i'm looking at these photos, there is quite a bit of 'ugly' out here at night, like this guy

But not all.   We saw these 2 Spanish Dancers, and they are very special !   They are a Nudi, but a very large one.   They can grow to 16", this one was about 8".    Yes, I didn't have any trouble seeing them, but I'm sure I would have missed them if it weren't for the Dude !  Aren't they beautiful

These Spanish Dancers 'dance'.   Several years ago I was able to make a video of it.   You can see it on YouTube, from my trip 7 years ago.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBADZ3hF2CU

 

We saw another Nudi that I haven't seen in awhile... maybe Ceratosoma ?

 

 

There were 2 HUGE highlights from the dives.   On the first dive we saw this BobTail Squid.  They are only seen at night, and are awesome.   Here are a couple of photos.  So Cool !

The next night we saw another one and Terry helped to show just HOW small they are !   That is his finger!

A couple more pretty colorful Nudi's ... I like color 

 

We saw many BroadClub CuttleFish on almost all the dives

And on the second night dive we saw the other highlight, the famous Flamboyant CuttleFish.  Their maximum size is 3", and this one was about that.  They can walk on 'feet' and then propel themselves in the air and 'fly'.

 

I love how he looked right at me at the end.

 

We also saw this Juvenile BatFish.   For protection, it swims, like a FlatWorm, which are poisonous.    Night videos at a distance pick up on all the 'stuff' floating around in the water  :(

Here is a crab playing 'Nixon' ... or maybe he is conducting an orchestra

I found so many crabs, doing their night thing ... they just cracked me up !

This one is really interesting, watch it eat 'something' ....  funny !

This one is very busy, doing something ...

This one has matching 'hats' on it's back, and looks like it has Chicken Legs as it runs away !!!!!!!

Look what this one is carrying around with him .. a very very tall 'hat'  ....  why?

 

This one has done too many drugs

 

What a collection of 'stuff'  ...  is there such thing as a 'hoarder' crab ?

OK, enough of those crazy crabs.

This was quite large, pretty color, and just rambling along, slow wins the race

 

I forgot, or I'm in denial.   This was from our first Day Dive... it is a Pygmy SeaHorse ... so so very very tiny.    I tried and Dude tried to help me ,... but this is the best we could do.    You don't find them very often, so I am sad that I missed my chance.

 

I did 2 dives per day, for 6 days, plus 2 night dives.   I usually do 2 dives a day, for a day or so, then take a day off.   But not here.   I think it had a lot to do with the people:  the staff, and other divers.   It's more like a party, even though we're not really together underwater.   I did meet Carlos from Spain.  And a couple from New York City.   Unfortunately, I never think to take photos.   In talking with them, we realized that we all know some of the same people/divers, that I have made 'friends' with on other dives, on other islands, in other countries.   And, we tend to go to the same Dive Shops, because they specialize in Muck Diving, and are the 'best'.   Playing 'do you know?' is kind of fun. 

So, back at the airport for my trip to Bali at 8:30am.     It goes like this.    Leave from Ambon, layover in Juanda/Surabaya, and finally to Bali at 4:30pm

Next is more diving in Bali, specifically Tulamben, at Matahari Tulamben Dive Resort.

Ambon, Indonesia 17-25 Jan 2025

After the long journey, I had an almost 'good nights sleep' .... due to the blaring 5am prayers.   I arrived at the Laha Divepackers Dive Shop to friendly faces.   I LOVE that this Dive Shop doesn't start their first dive until 8:30am  !!!!    Soon I was back in my happy place, underwater.    The first couple of dives everyone kind of stayed together.   After a couple dives, one of our guides, called 'The Dude' started being 'my' solo Dive Guide.    We were always together the rest of the week.   He was great,  always taking good care of me, as he scoured the ocean floor.   And me, waiting for him to show me something.   At times I feel quite useless, because I see almost nothing and have to depend on someone.   But that's what I pay him for.   And, I think they LOVE diving and looking and finding, and helping me get good photos.   That reflects back on them in a positive way, with recommendations.   Which is how I ended up here.

Dude spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to get a photo of this little white fish, as it dashed in and out of sight.   I couldn't get a 'body' shot, but I really like this even better.   It's kind of 'artsy'

 

This is not a Nudi, but everyone was excited to see it.    It is a Yellow and Black Striped Tiger Cowry.  A Cowry is a marine mollusk ... a 'shell' to most of us.

This is another Cowry, and I like the composition of this one too... lots of color !

So many photos to share.   And, this year I have decided to do more video.   I think it shows more about the critters than just a photo.   But videos are difficult, so they are certainly not worthy of National Geographic.  :)   This one was fun.   And I have a story,..... I have no idea if it is true or not.  But it's my story and I'm stickin with it.

This is a JawFish, about 4" long ... so I can actually SEE them.  And you usually see them in a hole with just their head sticking out... watching you.

 
The male actually carries the eggs in his mouth!!   I have had photos previous years.   The eggs need to be oxygenated.   So every 10min, he spits them out 3 times, and then back in his mouth in a fraction of a second.

So, obviously the Male needs a Female.   This is where my 'story' comes in.    I believe this little Male JawFish was making a home and trying to impress the Female JawFish, so he could mate with her.   i saw her about 3 feet away, looking out of her hole, watching him.   Check him out:  spitting out sand, and even rocks to make a nice home.   Here is my video.  You can also view it on YouTube, which is better:   https://youtu.be/zrygYtPLIOM

When I take photos I am concentrating on what I think I see ... and obviously nothing else.   I need to consider the entire picture.    There are TWO Colemani Shrimp in this photo.   The big one and a smaller one at the bottom.   I only know this because they pointed it out to me at the Dive Shop.   They live on a Fire Urchin, that has lots of colorful spines you might be able to see in the background.     They are pretty well camouflaged.

 

 

I know you all know who this is... Nemo hiding in his coral home.

Why did I make this extra stop this year, Ambon is a new island for me.    Several dive friends have posted photos on FaceBook of a Rhinopias.     Ambon is famous for Rhinopias, which are technically a ScorpionFish (not so nice name).   But with good reason, they have venemous spines.   They prefer to lay on the bottom, and sometimes move.   This is a Rhinopias eschmeyeri.    AWESOME to see 

and even more fun to watch.   Better viewing on YouTube:   https://youtu.be/c4DyM-n9YnQ

 

We also saw this one:  

Better viewing on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zFAXLYwq2uc 

After this dive, I came out of the water and said: 'I can go home now, this is what I came for'.    Very exciting for me.

They have some unusual Crabs... this is the Boxer Crab, which i call the Pom Pom Crab, since I was a Cheerleader in High School.   It actually has anemones attached to it's 'hands'.    So cute !

 And a video ... that is a bit shaky

 

This is a Candy Crab.    It is less than 1/2" ... and blends in very well with the Soft Coral where it lives.   They come in many colors:

 

Different waters/areas have different critters.   Ambon isn't really a Nudibranch aka Nudi area.   But they are known for the Rhinopias and FrogFish.    We saw many many FrogFish.   Most between 4-6"... also easy to see ... once you see them.   My guide kept pointing to this orange rock... it took me awhile before i saw the FrogFish next to it !

A better view of why this FrogFish is called a HAIRY Frogfish.    Look at that 'beard' !

We saw many Black FrogFish, and they are very difficult to photograph.   I think this video gives a better idea.  Notice the 'white' patch on his back.   That is his 'fishing lure'.    He actually whips it out in front of his mouth and wiggles it around, trying to attract prey.   He then opens a very wide mouth and sucks it in.   I saw it on one of the dives, unfortunately, my camera wasn't working at that time.

Here is another FrogFish, and you can see his 'lure' ... to his left ... already fishing

We had a great dive and ended up underneath a large boat/barge that had been there for a very long time.   It had tons of life attached to the under side of it.   I could have spent the entire dive under there.    This is one of 4 more FrogFish that the Dude found.   I have never seen one this color before ... extremely subtle and smaller than the others.

We also saw these Leaf Fish, named because the way they sway in the current, they look like a leaf.

 

I took several photos of some of the non-critters that I saw.   I don't usually see very 'pretty' corals underwater where we dive, but these were really unique

and pretty

and I called this the Broccoli Dive Site

 

 

 

A type of Decorator Crab is the Orangutan Crab.   It is less than 1", and it has long orange hair just like the Orangutan you know.   I will post more photos of crazy Decorator Crabs in the next post.

 

We did see several Nudi's.   This one is a Red Line Jorunna and has a nose that reminds me of a Puppy Dog.

Maybe he was looking for a mate.... this is what their eggs look like ... Beautiful !

Dude found some impossibly tiny Nudis also.    I love the softness of this photo

another couple beauties

 

This is a Bornelia Nudi, almost an inch long .... Dude was excited to show me this one, very fancy

Speaking of very very tiny ... this is a baby Puffer Fish.  

Shrimp also can be very tiny.  And, they are extremely varied in shape.

Mushroom Coral Shrimp aka PopCorn Shrimp.    Extremely tiny, and it lives in a coral with lots of long tentacles that are flowing and obscuring the shrimp.   Happy to get this photo.

A cute little Striped Bumble Bee Shrimp about 1/2"  ... you can see how it gets it's name.

 

Harlequin Shrimp are most sought after shrimp with photographgers, with their beautiful blue coloring.   These 2 were very busy preparing for their dinner..... they exclusively eat SeaStars ... I know  :(      Within a couple minutes while I watched, they dragged this big SeaStar from where it was, to where they wanted it to be... maybe the dining room :)    It started up against this rock....

...and they moved it down here...   That's a pretty big SeaStar .... Teamwork at it's finest

And Whip Coral Shrimp that live on a small rope-like piece of coral that is very long and sways with the current.   About 1/2" long and hidden

 

And to confuse me .... this is a Wire Coral Xeno CRAB .... shrimp/crab ... I get confused.  This one has himself all decorated.

 

And then there is the Hairy Squat Lobster ... which looks nothing like any Lobster I've ever seen...but it IS hairy.

 

I love the Thecacera, they are so cute, like little bunny rabbits.   This is a Painted Thecacera

The Yellow Black Tipped one is lovingly called a Pikachu, after Pokeman, (which had to be explained to me).

And last, but not least ... a Pregnant SeaHorse.   Most of you know by now, that it is the Male SeaHorse that carries the eggs until they hatch   :)

This is a very long post.   And, I'm not done yet.   The next blog will cover my 2 night dives.

Stay tuned