Tulamben, Indonesia--Matahari Dive Resort Diving with Delon : 25 Jan - 8 Feb

No problems with flights.   Pena is my 'driver', but more importantly, my Friend.   He started transporting me, to and from the Bali airport in 2019.   He and his family have become great friends.    My flight arrived at 4:30p.  Note to self, not a good time to try to get out of Denpasar.   The traffic was horrific.   Usually a 3hr trip took us over 4 hours.    I was exhausted, but consider Pena, who had been on the road since 10:30am.   Always grateful for him.

I am staying at Matahari Tulamben Dive Resort, my 3rd year here.   It's probably the nicest place I've ever stayed, it has a pool.

You might have noticed some chipped tiles.  They just removed ALL of them ... what a mess.   New ones are here and being installed already.

There are lots of bonsai and plantings here, someone knows what they are doing.   In fact, I saw this plastic on some of the trees.   I asked,... they are grafting yellow, pink, and white Frangipani flowers on one tree.    Cool.

 

Tulamben had 2 weeks of torrential downpours the first part of January.    I saw a video of a 'river' running in the street in front of Matahari.    The rivers flooded, and ran right into the ocean, obliterating anything that was living there.    They had 8+ dive sites to choose from, and we are now reduced to 3 Muck Diving Sites.   So, ALL the divers are at these 3 dive sites.   I counted 40 divers yesterday.   It gets crowded down there sometimes!  

The Dive Guides here are really good.   My Guide is Delon, he was my guide last year, and he is amazing.   We are one on one, this means extra extra costs for me.   But, hey, I'm here to see things, and he finds such tiny things.  And helps me photograph them: showing me where the head is, so i'm not taking a photo of their bumm; and also helping to adjust my light.   There are LOTS of Nudi's here.   I mentioned that different places have different critters.   Tulamben is THE place for Nudis.

I was reading a magazine with photos from a professional/instructor photographer.   She had this remark about diving in Tulamben:  "As I slid backwards down a steep slope of black sand, trying desperately to hold my camera stead and focus on a tiny critter no larger than a grain of rice .... "    Even the pros find it difficult to photograph here.

So here is a little commentary and photos of Diving with Delon:   And here he is, not an ounce of fat on his body, and he is cold most of the time.

 

This is a Harlequin Shrimp.   I've showed other photos of these, but this is my best so far.   It's almost perfect... maybe it is perfect  :)

In contrast, this is a Skeleton Shrimp... very very tiny, and lives on some feathery stuff that moves around all the time.   It's really a horrible photo, but I wanted you to see the EGGS she is carrying, bottom left.   Her eye is in the upper right corner.

This is a tiny tiny little Nudi, but I don't know the name

The all white ones are difficult to photograph, this one is easier.

I remember this one being 'pink' ... but it turned up purple in the photo.   Must have something to do with the lightening.  Which would also make the ID difficult, if not erronous.  Another tiny beauty.  All the lacy white, are eggs.  And .... Delon told me that it was eating another Nudi's eggs.   I was horrified ! ...he said, that what it is known for around here..

This was taken just a few seconds later ...same Nudi.    I think they are both pretty !

 

This is a Hypselodoris that is LAYING eggs ... not eating them as the one above !

 

i like this one, it was big enough for me to see.   Another Hypselodoris.    There are many many Hypselodoris 'varieties', and have different names after the Hypselodoris... this is just one of them.   I won't be adding the rest of the name.

 

 

By most standards this was a large Nudi, maybe 3", a Red Bumpy Gymnodoris.    It was exciting enough by itself because it was a new Nudi for me ... and to see

 

But then Delon pointed to an Emperior Shrimp hanging on at the bottom.   And imagine how small the Shrimp is.  This is a story that I read just the day before I saw this.    The Emperior Shrimp finds a Nudi to hitch a ride on.    The Nudi can move much faster than a tiny Shrimp.   Then he hangs out at the bottom, and puts his claws in the sand, looking for something to eat.    Here is a video, also on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/uiR25EdEpow    I think this is so cool, nature, and how it finds a way.   Also on YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiR25EdEpow

This is a highly sought after Nudi, Stiliger 'sp' ... i guess that means it hasn't officially been named yet.    At less than 1/2" .... difficult to see.   Delon helped a lot on this one...   Look at his little eyes !   'They' say it's really great photo, if you can capture their eyes.

 

This is not that great of a photo, but check out the intricate design on the cerata

 

Another special siting .. this is a Spiny Tiger Shrimp.   Less than 1" ... so colorful

 

I don't know the name to this one but it is pretty

 

A little flat round one, very sparkly..... maybe a Carminodoris, it was rather large

 

Another white one ... with a name ... Okenia

 

 

This one is well over an inch.   They are pretty common, but also very pretty.    Glossodoris

 

 

Another very tiny Nudi, and NEW to me.   A lot of the Nudis I have seen before.  So it is really exciting to see one i've never seen before.   Also difficult, because I have no idea what i'm looking at/for.   This is a Oxynoe, and is very cute.   And I had a LOT of help from Delon on this one too

This is a video of it eating.  Unfortunately, I wasn't looking at his head.   But I think it's cute the way his 'tail' is holding on.    Or on YouTube:   https://youtube.com/shorts/Mz_Fb2Kr3QM?feature=share

 

 

I think this is a beautiful elegant Nudi.  Unidentia angelvaldesi  20 mm

I like this photo.... 2 Nudis !    I sigh when Delon shows 2 fingers, meaning 2 Nudis.    It's almost impossible to get both of them in focus.   Usually neither of them ends up in focus, because I lose MY focus.    But here they are ... WITH their eggs !    Trinchesia ... a lucky shot

 

I've been trying desperately to get a good photo of the Orangutan Crab.   This isn't it, but I'll keep trying.   You can see his white eyes ...

 

 

We can take a break from the tiny stuff.   Some photos of 'fish' ... Nemo of course.

 

And a Moorish Idol.   I'm better at fish names as a result of my years as a 'professional snorkeler'

 

We actually saw a turtle !!!!    A very very old, very very BIG turtle.   Happily munching away, Totally ignoring us.

 

This wasn't a photo of a fish, but an interesting piece of coral that I thought was pretty in muted colors.  However, I see there IS a little fish in there.

 

I am trying to take more videos, but it's not proving very effective.   But this one was easy.   So many little Damsel fishes, busy busy busy.    Better on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJyb-b2HZqE

OK, back to the Nudis.   This another very special Nudi, Eubranchus, not seen very often.  Very difficult to find and photograph. 

 

 

Very colorful Cadlinella, maybe ornatissima ?

 

And I love this little one that always reminds me of a bunny rabbit.  Goniobranchus preciosus is the name

 

One more, an Okenia maybe ?    Even the 'experts' don't agree on some of these  :(

After 6 dives with Delon, I had to give him up, because other customers had 'reserved' him.   So I started diving with Ketut, another very good Guide with eyes.

Stay tuned for my time with him.

dp