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Macro Heaven
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Ambon, Indonesia
Ambon possesses some of the World's greatest muck diving. Here the muck diving produces surges of adrenaline in even the most seasoned diver. The diving here is concentrated around the Laha region of Ambon and at the epicentre of this region is the new Maluku Divers Resort. Divers who visit the expanse of the muck sites in the Laha region, have long been astonished by the sheer number of species muck diving in Ambon can produce. Critters both rare and unique choose to make a home in the rubble and muck on the slopes of Ambon's expansive bay.
On our recent trip to Ambon we saw new creatures on every dive, including countless Ornate, Robust and Velvet Ghost pipefish, Bumble Bee shrimps, Leaf Scorpionfish, an array of Crabs and Shrimps (including Zebra crabs, Emperor shrimps, Coleman shrimps, Boxer shrimps, Hinge-back shrimps, Anemone shrimps and Cleaner shrimps), Paddle-flap and Lacy Rhinopias, Giant free-swimming frogfish, juvenile Clown frogfish, Ambon Scorpionfish, Mimic octopus, Ribbon eels, Mandarin fish, Banded pipefish (everywhere), at least 6 types of Moray eel, Snake eels, Coral Cat sharks, Thorny seahorse, Pygmy seahorse, baby cuttlefish, a giant Mantis shrimp that looked like it could have taken my hand off...and many more. The critter sites of Ambon can be accessed directly from the shore from Maluku Divers Resort, or by a short boat ride.
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Histiophryne Psychedelica Frogfish in Ambon (Rod Klein) |
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In 2008 a new species of Frogfish was discovered by Maluku Divers whilst muck diving in Laha, once discovered, scientists that were informed about the fish named the new species Histiophryne Psychedelica. In addition to new species, a new site was recently discovered, named ‘Rhinocity’, where a number of individual Rhinopias make their home. Maluku Divers pioneer new sites on a regular basis and their knowledgeable dive guides are experts at finding the resident critters.
More details on visiting Ambon and Maluku Divers Resort >>>
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Lacy Rhinopias Scorpionfish in Ambon (Rod Klein) |
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Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
For macro photography it is hard to compete with Lembeh in North-East Sulawesi. Open up any coffee table book featuring macro critters and you can be sure Lembeh's name will appear again and again. The list of critters that can be encountered at Lembeh is endless and includes hairy frogfish, blue-ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorse, rhinopias scorpionfish, harlequin shrimp, gurnards, ornate ghost pipefish, coleman shrimp, boxer crab, mimic octopus, leaf scorpionfish, robust ghost pipefish, sea moths and stargazer. You can also find the magnificent Wunderpus which was first discovered at Lembeh. Lembeh Resort, Kungkungan Bay Resort, Eco Divers Resort Lembeh and NAD Resort all have amazing guides who can help you find and photograph Lembeh's amazing critters. Indonesian Resorts >>>
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Pair of Harlequin shrimps (Peter Lange - Courtesy of Lembeh Resort) |
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Anilao, Philippines
Anilao is undoubtedly the premier critter destination in the Philippines, yet it is the least visited by the international dive market. Traditionally a secret spot for underwater photographers, the news is now starting to get out and the resorts are responding accordingly. Whilst the standard of resorts in Anilao has previously been in question, there are now resorts who have stepped up to the mark and Anilao may indeed become less of a hideaway in the next few years. Visit now and you can have the critters to yourself!
We visited Anilao in February 2012 and after our first two dives it was apparent this was a truly unique and surprisingly modest dive location. Our divemaster had asked what we would like to see – this we had be asked in other critter destinations, but in Anilao our DM seemed confident he could show us everything on our list...before the day was out! He did not disappoint - dive 1 – lacy rhinopias and blue-ring octopus – tick, dive two - hairy frogfish and flamboyant cuttlefish (feeding) – tick, dive 3 - wunderpus and mimic octopus – tick...and that was just day 1! On day two we were promised a big school of trevally, so we put on our fisheye lenses and were treated to the biggest school of trevally I have ever seen in SE Asia – and Anilao is supposed to be all about critters! On one of our surface intervals we were also treated to an acrobatic display by a pod of Dolphins!
As the week continued we found ourselves studying books to think of new critters for the DM, and when our imagination failed us we would revisit our favourite sites to get even better images of our old friends! Anilao has been dubbed the ‘nudibranch capital of the world’ and whilst there is a bewildering array of nudis here, including beautiful Dragon nudis, Flabellina nudis, Janolus nudis and Phyllodesmium nudis, Anilao should really be dubbed the ‘critter capital of the world’! Contact us for a full list of what we saw – it’s a long list!
So which were our favourite sites? Mainit Muck (Secret Bay) is probably the most famous site in Anilao and it doesn’t disappoint – we dived it 3 times and saw different critters on each dive. Twin Rocks, Kirby’s Rock, and Aphols were all amazing dives, and for a night dive we highly recommend the pier. We found beautiful bigfin reef squid here as well as lots of ornate ghost pipefish, bobtail squid, stargazer, coconut octopus, a baby Ambon scorpionfish and when the moon is right it’s a hotspot for bobbit worms.
To get seriously engaged with Anilao’s critters we recommend a resort. We work with the two best, Crystal Blue Resort – best for groups and photography clubs, and Acacia Resort best for singles, couples and for those wanting added luxury! The other option for diving Anilao is a liveaboard such as the Atlantis Azores or the Philippine Siren with whom you’ll get a great taste of Anilao and of course you can always extend your liveaboard with a resort stay!
More details on Anilao resort based diving >>>
Anilao Group Trip - April 2013 >>>
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Wunderpus in Anilao (Ben Jackson - Equator Diving) |
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Dumaguete, Philippines
Dumaguete is a tranquil town lying on the coast of Negros Island. The area has long been famed for the Dauin Marine Sanctuary where the word on everyone’s tongue is critters. Dumaguete is also fortunate enough to be within a 45min to 1.5hr boat ride from many beautiful islands, including Apo Island, Siquijor, Balicasag and Sumilon. This means that the muck diving in Dumaguete can easily be combined with day trips to the wall dives at these islands.
In Dumaguete we work closely with Atlantis Resort. Atlantis is situated on the beach, in a great setting with sublime views to the ocean. The resort has an amazing reputation for its service and hospitality, and also has beautiful bedrooms, a huge camera room and one of the best dives sites as a house reef. During our time at Atlantis we saw a handful of their muck dive sites, including the house reef, Dauin North, Masaplod, Cars and San Miguel Tires and were impressed to find an assortment of critters, including Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Painted Frogfish (just beautiful), an assortment of ghost pipefish, bubble coral shrimp, orangutan crab, hairy squat lobster, mantis shrimp, lots of different nudibranchs, stargazer and our definite highlight - Marbled Shrimps! These beautiful shrimps were present throughout the corals on our Mandarin fish dive and for us stole the show. This dusk dive at a site named Bahura was our favourite during our stay.
More details on Atlantis Dumaguete Resort >>>
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Marbled Shrimp, Dumaguete (Bonnie Jackson - Equator Diving) |
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Mabul, Kapalai & Mataking, Malaysia
Mabul is a small sandy island with an incredible array of macro-life. Sandy sea-beds, coral outcrops, small walls and artificial reefs and jetties, are all home to some of the seas most amazing little creatures. Many underwater photographers choose to visit only Mabul and not it’s famous neighbour- Sipadan! Dives sites at Mabul reward divers with frogfish, an assortment of nudibranchs, ornate ghost pipefish and the most sought after prize here- the flamboyant cuttlefish. A stone’s throw from Mabul Island is the Seaventures Platform, an oil rig now converted into accommodation, this platform makes for an excellent macro dive. Underneath the platform, among the piles of metal rods, you will find frogfish, crocodile fish, glassfish, moray eels, ghost pipefish and nudibranchs galore.
Not far from Mabul is Kapalai, which is essentially a shallow reef onto which accommodation has been built. Just like Mabul Island, some people come to dive only Sipadan and find themselves choosing to dive frequently at Kapalai to enjoy the fascinating macro critters it provides shelter to. Dives in Kapalai are nice relaxing wanders in relatively shallow water and along the way you can find ribbon eels, stonefish, ghost pipefish, many beautiful and rare nudibranchs, longnose hawkfish, pegasus sea moth and at dusk the famous Mandarin fish.
Mataking Island is located around an hour's boat ride from Mabul and Kapalai and is another island with great macro diving. Critters encountered here include crocodile snake eels, pipefish, frogfish, pygmy seahorse, leaf scorpionfish and an array of shrimps and nudibranchs.
Malaysian Resorts >>> |
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Juvenile Warty Frogfish at Mabul Island (Explore Asia Tours) |
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Big Fish Encounters >>>
WWII Wrecks >>>
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