Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen
Seahorses are favorites of many divers. Gorontalo waters host several different species. Pygmy seahorses are so cute, but many divers love ones that are big enough to see. The Common Hippocampus kuda Hippocampus kuda is the most predictable seahorse for divers to see. Its English name varies considerably. Some call it the Common seahorse. Others… Continue Reading
Scuba Diver Ocean Planet magazine recently featured the whale sharks of Gorontalo. Scuba Diver Ocean Planet Magazine Featured Destination Gorontalo’s new whale shark reserve at Botubarani Village became a featured destination in Scuba Diver Ocean Planet magazine. “Gorontalo Botubarani” encompasses four pages. This includes a dramatic double page photo of a whale shark swimming above… Continue Reading
Whale shark sightings have always been common in Gorontalo. But this month we are encountering these giants daily. Sightings in Gorontalo Since beginning operations in 2003, whale shark sightings with crew and guests have been numerous. On average, we encounter these giants twice per month. Any month will do. In other places in the world,… Continue Reading
Mackerel feeding frenzy! Right beside the dive boat, guests of Miguel’s Diving watched schooling Big mouth mackerel feeding off Jinn Caves dive site. Regional Names This small mackerel is found throughout tropical Indo-West Pacific seas. Its scientific name is Rastreliger kanagurta. In the Indian Ocean it is commonly called Indian mackerel. In the western Pacific… Continue Reading
Sacoglossans are vegetarian sea slugs or snails. They bite into algae. Then they suck out the contents. Sometimes they are called sap-sucking sea slugs. Several species are found in Gorontalo’s diverse marine environment. Blue-spotted bubble snail One of the sacoglossans found in Gorontalo is Oxynoe viridis. Although it looks like a simple slug Koupit Lioresal… Continue Reading
Gymnodoris ceylonica were everywhere! Pearly white nudibranchs with orange spots were crawling along the ocean floor. What was going on? Watching a Rare Event The dive site was Tambo’o Fish House. It is a favorite muck diving site in Gorontalo. No nudibranchs were seen the previous day. Then suddenly one day in November, there were… Continue Reading
Sea sapphires are flashy planktonic crustaceans that appear and disappear. No one knew how they did it – until now. Suddenly Visible In Gorontalo waters on certain days, divers are ready to descend. They notice tiny flashes of color in the water column. The flashes look like chips of iridescent blue paint. Sometimes the color… Continue Reading
Fimbriated moray eels are seldom seen during daylight hours. Usually, they are hiding. Even more rare is a video of one swimming in its natural environment. Captured Live on Video During a dive in July 2015 a Fimbriated moray made a dash from one hiding place to another. This happened at Sand Castle dive site… Continue Reading
Thysanostoma thysanura is a large jellyfish rarely seen in Gorontalo waters. Bushy Oral Arms This large jellyfish lives in warm waters from the central Indo-Pacific to Japan. It was named in 1880. The Latin word thysanura means “bristle tails.” This name refers to the large, bushy oral arms that hang from the jellyfish’s central bell.… Continue Reading
Porcupine fish add to the diversity of marine life in Gorontalo. About twenty species of this unusual fish are found worldwide. Divers are most likely to encounter three of them in Gorontalo. Prickly Balls Porcupinefishes are similar to puffers. They have distinctive body spines. When threatened, they will ingest water. This dramatically increases their body… Continue Reading
