Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen
Fin whale surfaced right next to one of our staff while he was fishing for yellowfin tuna. Tomini Bay where we dive is over four kilometers deep. So, large cetaceans are part of the marine environment in Gorontalo. Surprise Encounter Boka, one of Miguel’s Diving dive masters, headed to deep waters offshore. On his day… Continue Reading
Yellow lace coral thrives below thirty meters in Gorontalo. Its bold honey-lemon hue adds distinctive color to deep reefs where ambient light is low. Not a Reef Building Coral Although they have some similarities, lace corals are not fire corals. Millepora fire coral species have symbiotic algae living inside their tissues. These algae contribute nutrients… Continue Reading
Leopard sea cucumber is a beautiful creature of the ocean floor. However, divers should avoid touching its sensitive body. Spotted Beauty The Leopard sea cucumber lives in the eastern Indian and the western Pacific oceans. In the areas we dive in Gorontalo, it can only be found dependably at a single dive site. This sea… Continue Reading
Arothron caeruleopunctatus is a large pufferfish that hid in plain sight until a Japanese researcher named it in 1994. Not the Other Blue-spotted Puffer Scientific names are always best to identify marine life. Although the name of the large puffer Arothron caeruleopunctatus means “blue-spotted,” another small pufferfish is often called the Blue-spotted puffer. That fish… Continue Reading
Thylacodes grandis, or the Grand Worm Sail, uses mucous like a net to capture plankton. Its beautiful batik-patterned head is unmistakable. Grand Worm Snails in the Reef Worm snails are a family of marine molluscs. They live in long tubes rather than the usual coiled chambers of other snails. Worm snail tubes are irregular. Grand… Continue Reading
Banded Amphiscolops flatworms are an undescribed species and rarely seen. However, during a check dive in Gorontalo, divers encountered dozens of them. It’s a Party Miguel’s Diving staff has encountered this rare marine creature less than five times over the two decades we have dived Gorontalo’s biodiverse waters. In previous encounters, only three to five… Continue Reading
Ecsenius yaeyamaensis, or the Yaeyama combtooth blenny, lives in only a few dive sites in Gorontalo. Miguel’s Diving staff know where to show divers this delightful fish. How to identify Ecsenius yaeyamaensis The best way to determine if a pale combtooth blenny is E. yaeyamaensis is to check for a black chin strap. Then look… Continue Reading
Polydorella spionid worms crowded the upper surface of a sponge. Their feeding activity caught the attention of a Miguel’s Diving staff. Since they are super tiny, the sponge seemed to be covered by wiggling hairs. A Mystery Solved With such rich marine life, the reefs of Gorontalo are truly a hidden paradise. Despite operating since… Continue Reading
Blacksaddle fishfish is a cute, tropical fish found occasionally throughout Gorontalo’s coral reefs. However, its saddle patterning closely resembles a toxic pufferfish. Batesian Mimicry A natural phenomenon where a harmless species mimics a harmful one is Batesian Mimicry. It gets its name from Henry Bates. He was a nineteen century English naturalist. He first detected… Continue Reading
Sculptured Slipper lobster live in the coral rich reefs of Gorontalo, Indonesia’s hidden paradise. However, divers rarely see this crustacean because it is nocturnal. The Sculptured Slipper lobster at a Glance The Sculptured Slipper lobster has a distinctive appearance. Its body is flat like slipper. Also kamagra pills gowallet buyantibiotics.space deutschland doxycycline , it… Continue Reading
