Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen

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Category Archives: Sulawesi Diving

Striped Barracuda Warily Eye Divers

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Striped Barracuda schools on Gorontalo’s shallow reef flats. Smaller and more cautious than its larger relatives, this species dazzles with its streamlined body.

How to Identify Striped Barracuda

In contrast to other barracuda species, the Striped Barracuda is smaller, reaching about 55 cm in length. Also, its body features two thin, dark horizontal stripes running along its silvery body. These stripes are its defining feature and help divers distinguish it from barracudas that look similar.

Sometimes, it is called the Obtuse Barracuda, which translates its Latin name of Sphyraena obtusata.

Other Barracudas found in Gorontalo

Occasionally, divers in Gorontalo will see a Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda). As the largest barracuda species, it can grow over a meter in length. Often, it swims alone. Its imposing size and solitary nature make it easy to differentiate from the smaller, schooling Striped Barracuda.

Also found in Gorontalo is the Yellowtail Barracuda (Sphyraena flavicauda). As its name suggests, its yellowish tail is the most prominent feature. Its body has faint spots instead of the distinct stripes seen on the Striped Barracuda.

The Black Barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) is slightly larger than the Striped Barracuda and is known for its dark fins and body markings. While the Striped Barracuda has clean, horizontal stripes, the Black Barracuda’s markings can appear as a combination of dark smudges and irregular lines, giving it a more shadowy appearance. These features, along with its tendency to inhabit deeper waters, help divers tell the two species apart.

Habitat and Behavior

striped barracuda school — *Sphyraena obtusata* school in Gorontalo

This barracuda species is found in warm, shallow waters throughout the Indo-Pacific region. They prefer areas with coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds, where food is abundant.

During the day, they form schools for protection, creating a shimmering spectacle as light reflects off their bodies. At night, they disperse to hunt small prey like fish and crustaceans.

Tips for your Encounter with Barracuda

The schooling behavior of the Striped Barracuda is a visual treat for divers. Seeing these sleek fish glide in unison over Gorontalo’s colorful reefs is unforgettable.

barracuda wary of divers — Barracudas are wary of divers

However, their cautious nature makes observing them tricky. We suggest divers move slowly, so as not to startle them. Also, try to approach from different angles. The barracuda school will maintain distance from divers if it feels threatened.

An encounter with a school of Striped Barracuda offers divers an opportunity to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the underwater world. So, plan your dive with Miguel’s Diving to explore Gorontalo’s vibrant marine life up close.

Kayak.com features Miguel’s Diving

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Kayak.com is a strategic player in the online travel market, processing billions of searches annually. Now, it’s information page on Gorontalo activities features Miguel’s Diving.

Gorontalo Travel Guide on Kayak.com

The booking platform Kayak.com is adding destination travel guides for its locations. Recently, they contacted Miguel’s Diving, asking for a photo and basic information helpful for dive travelers. We were happy to accommodate their request.

On their travel guide for Gorontalo, they provide information like population, weather, and hotel options. Now, that guide includes a photo of our dive boats moored along a deserted beach not far from our dive center.

The Kayak travel group began in 2004 with only fourteen staff. Now there are over one thousand, operating seven international brands. Searches for flights, ground transportation, and travel packages are currently available in more than twenty languages. Additionally, in 2013 they acquired Booking Holding, a major travel player in online travel.

Flights to Gorontalo

We have added a link to Kayak.com to the Flights & Travel page on our website. Oftentimes, Indonesian domestic airlines do not accept foreign credit cards for flight bookings. Fortunately, the Kayak website will.

The ease of payment with credit card is only one advantage for flight bookings. For mysterious reasons, domestic carriers in Indonesia supply only limited options on their own websites. One example is the Lion Air website. Travelers wishing to fly from Denpasar, Bali (DPS) to Gorontalo (GTO) are not given complete options. The best flights are via Makassar (UPG). However, flights with that transit option do not appear on the Lion Air website! They are available with Kayak.com.

Gorontalo’s Airport

Our modern airport is located in the central valley of Gorontalo. Because this valley is ringed with mountains, the air approach usually circles over our dive center, above Gorontalo City, and onwards to Limboto Lake. The drive from the airport takes less than one hour.

For flights to Gorontalo, Kayak.com is a great option. For diving, make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.

Schooling bannerfish found near pinnacles

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Schooling bannerfish are a rare sight in Gorontalo. Divers can see these beautiful fish at only two less-dived sites.

Trailing white ribbons

Like graceful dancers pulling long, white ribbons behind them, Schooling bannerfish are a distinctive addition to any dive site. The adult fish’s white dorsal fin extends past its tail. This looks like a long banner trailing behind the fish as it swims. Actually, this banner is only the first rays of its dorsal fin. The remaining dorsal fin is thick, deep yellow, and hugs close to the body.

Overall, the fish’s body is white, tall, and flat. It sports two large black bands. These bans cross the body diagonally. Also, the tail and pectoral fins are yellow. The fish’s snout contains a few dark spots.

Schooling bannerfish in Gorontalo

Although this fish lives through Indo-Pacific waters, divers in Gorontalo are not likely to see it. Schooling bannerfish only live in two dive sites here. These sites are rarely visited, and only Miguel’s Diving staff know where to find them. The rarity of this beautiful fish is one of the marine mysteries of the area.

In Gorontalo, this fish stays close to certain coral pinnacles. As ocean currents flow past the pinnacles, these bannerfish feed on passing plankton. As the common name suggests, Schooling bannerfish swim in schools.

Confusing, similar species

Although Schooling bannerfish have unmistakable features, determining the exact species is difficult. Moorish idols also have trailing white dorsal rays. However, they stay in pairs and close to coral rich reefs where they feed on coral polyps. They also have an unmistakable, bright orange patch on their snouts.

Bannerfish with long dorsal fins come in two seemingly identical species. They are Heniochus acuminatus and Heniochus diphreutes. In H. acuminatus, the rear edge of its anal fish is more rounded. In H. diphreutes, the rear edge of the anal fin aims almost straight down, coming to a sharp point. That sharp point is basically half white and half black. Moreover, H. diphreutes has a rounder face and generally feeds on plankton in the water column. H. acuminatus tends to feed nearer the substrate, have a longer snout, and can travel in pairs or even alone.

Both species have numerous common names. One common name for H. acuminatus is the Longfin bannerfish. Its other names are Pennant coral and Reef coachman. H. diphreutes is usually called Schooling bannerfish.

For your chance to search for this beautiful fish in Gorontalo, make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.

Duncanopsammia peltata forms pagodas in Gorontalo

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Duncanopsammia peltata or pagoda coral form immense colonies in Gorontalo’s healthy waters.

Stunning Pagoda Coral Colonies

One of Gorontalo’s ancient and stunning coral formations is pagoda coral. Giant plates form spirals, hence the common name denoting pagodas. The colonies featured in this video measure over four meters across. The video is courtesy of @jhonheriano of Pertamina Dive Club.

Other colonies of this distinctive coral form single plates. Additional plates may take several centuries to form. In other coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific region, this coral forms pillars. That morphology has yet to appear in Gorontalo.

Descriptions of Duncanopsammia peltata

The scientific name for pagoda coral is Duncanopsammia peltata. When we consulted coral experts, they asked for a detailed photograph of the polyps. These are distinctive in determining the species. Usually, corallites measure between three and five millimeters in diameters. However, those of the giant colony featured here measure almost one centimeter!

As with other corals, polyps are only found on the upper surfaces of the colony. They need sunlight and easy access to plankton brought by passing ocean currents. Sometimes, the corallites are embedded flush with the coral plate. However, other times they protrude above the plate like little bumps. Typically, the polyps are extended during daylight hours, ready to sunbathe and catch plankton. Their many arms can measure up to one centimeter in length.

Tiny single-cell organisms called zooxanthellae live inside Duncanopsammia peltata. They turn sunlight into food that they share with their host coral.

Colonies of Duncanopsammia peltata live in coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region. They thrive just below the surface, down to a depth of about forty meters. The color is grey to light brown.

Ask us to show you Gorontalo’s pagoda corals when you make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.

Sargassum frogfish delights divers

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Sargassum frogfish float on surface currents to dive sites in Gorontalo. Our diligent diver masters know how to find them, to the delight of guests.

Floating Refuge

As their common name implies, Sargassum frogfish hide among sargassum weeds. Although these weeds initially grow along shallow ocean bottoms, storms will rip them up. Then, these weeds will float on the surface. They have air-filled bladders that look like berries, which helps the weeds float.

Over eighty species of fish use floating mats of Sargassum weed for part of their life cycle. Juvenile fish can hide there from predators. But predators also lurk unseen among the weeds.

Camouflaged Predator

One such predator is the Sargassum frogfish. Like other frogfish

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, this one has a small lure between its eyes and mouth. When the fish is hungry, it will wiggle its lure to tempt prey to approach too closely. With a sudden, giant gulp, the frogfish will ingest the small fish, crab or shrimp. Unhappily, baby frogfish may also be devoured.

This frogfish’s scientific name is Histrio histrio. It is the only species of this genus and no other fish looks quite like it. Its appearance is unmistakable, although finding it is difficult. Its coloration mimics that of Sargassum weed. Also, it has fleshy appendages that look like its weedy host. Although it can swim, this frogfish usually remains motionless. Instead, it grabs onto weeds with its pectoral fins and tail. When necessary, it can alter its color from lighter to darker, or vice versa.

Techniques for Finding Sargassum frogfish

Our dive masters are skilled in finding these shy and delightful critters. During surface intervals between dives, they will search floating weeds near the dive boat. If they find one, they will scoop it into a small bucket along with the weed on which the frogfish clings. That way guests on the dive boat can see it up close. Although this frogfish can survive quite a while above water, we always return it safely to the ocean.

For your chance to see a Sargassum frogfish Gorontalo, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.

Estuarine stonefish horrify divers

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Estuarine stonefish look like ugly stones on the ocean floor. Moreover, they are buried in sand. Divers often pass this deadly fish without noticing.

Lurking Danger

Synanceia horrida is scientific name for the Estuarine stonefish. Famous naturalist Carl Linnaeus found it in Ambon, Indonesia in 1766 and gave the fish its “horrifying” name.

Most often, the Estuarine stonefish will hide under sand or rubble on the substrate. It uses its large pectoral fins to dig down. Then, it will wiggle its body, covering itself with sand. Typically, only its eyes and mouth emerge. Its mouth is always positioned like an unhappy up-side-down smile. Other times, it sits on the substrate looking like an uninteresting rock .

This grumpy looking fish is merely waiting for the right moment. As a night time hunter, the Estuarine stonefish waits for a fish, shrimp, or crustacean to pass by. With sudden inhalation, the fish will suck its prey into the mouth.

Venomous not Poisonous

Like other stonefishes, the Estuarine stonefish has a series of spines. These are usually lying flat onto its back. If the fish it started or feels threatened, it will erect its spines. If someone steps on it or grabs its, the spines will inject venom. This venom quickly and adversely affects the heart and muscles. The pain is extreme and deaths have occurred.

The best emergency treatment is submerging the wound in very hot water. Heat is a general tool for all marine venom and stings. It breaks down the neurotoxins, eventually rendering them neutral. Naturally, any victim should be taken to a medical facility.

Estuarine stonefish and its Lookalikes

Many of the bottom dwelling stonefishes look similar. However, only the Estuarine stonefish has the boney ridge between its eyes. Its eyes point upwards for sunken depression on the fish’s face. The fish’s color is dark and mottled. Oftentimes, filamentous algae will be growing on its body. All this is to disguise the fish’s presence. In Gorontalo, we find this species in muck diving areas.

Similar is the Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa), which is typically found near reefs. It lacks the boney eye ridge and often is more colorful. On our Honeycomb dive site, we find Flasher scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis macrochir) , which is much smaller than Estuarine stonefish. Its body is smoother and usually lies flat with its tail stretched straight back among rubble. Lying in plain sight, it is still most difficult to detect. Another similar venomous bottom dweller is the Devil scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis diabolus). We sometimes find this fish in muck diving sites. Its skin is almost smooth looking. When disturbed, it stretches out its yellow and red banded dorsal fins, as it glides to another place.

Advice for Viewing

When divers are enjoying muck diving, they should always avoid laying on the substrate. Many creatures live just under the surface. When threatened, they sting in self-defense. Using a dive stick for positioning is a helpful and safe way to observe marine life without making contact with the ocean bottom, something that can be potentially harmful.

Sometimes, the Estuarine stonefish will be sitting in the open, above the sand. Even so, divers will probably swim right past it since it looks like an ugly stone. Careful inspection will reveal the grumpy curve of its mouth, its wide pectoral fins touching the sand, and its tail curled around its body. Hard to spot are its eyes, which are staring at you.

For your chance to see this stonefish in Gorontalo, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.

Flower urchin trembles with danger

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Flower urchin looks like a lovely ball of trembling flowers. However, those flowers contain highly toxic venom. This sea urchin’s maximum diameter is about 15 centimeters. It lives in areas of sand and rubble along coral reefs. It also inhabits areas of sea grass.

Beauty to Avoid

Although commonly known as the Flower urchin, the scientific name of this echinoderm is Toxopneustes pileolus. The genus name Toxopneustes means “poison breath.” And “skullcap” is the meaning of pileolus , the species name. These names underscore the creature’s deadly possibilities.

Its toxins can cause a number of symptoms. These include breathing problems, muscular paralysis, and numbness. Such effects can render the victim disoriented. The combination can result in accidental drowning. Initial contact gives the victim an extremely painful shock. Then numbness and spasms start to travel through the body from the point of contact. Happily, accidental contact with this sea urchin is extremely rare.

Deceptive Flowers

Various projections cover a Flower urchin’s exposed surface. The most noticeable are the flower-like pedicellariae. These colorful appendages are actually jaws. Each jaw has three prongs. Moreover, the flower-like jaws have sensors that detect contact or proximity movement to the sea urchin. Any touch will trigger the jaws to contract. Then the jaws inject venom. To make matters worse, once the jaws are triggered, they can easily break free from the sea urchin. That means they stay embedded and will continually inject venom for several hours.

The flowers of this sea urchin can appear a pinkish or yellowish white. There will be a single lavender dot in the middle. These false flowers typically cover the short spines of the urchin.

On the underside of the Flower urchin are double rows of tubular feet. These emerge along the ten segments of the urchin’s shell. In the center is the creature’s mouth, which contains five plates. These plates function as teeth that crunch food. Sea urchins forage along the bottom on algae, bryozoans and detritus. With the mouth facing the substrate, the anus faces the water column and any curious passing diver.

Flower Urchin Piled with Debris

To observe a Flower urchin, divers must keep a safe distance. Careful observation of the surface of this creature shows thin, translucent, and waving appendages that are longer that the trembling flowers of the urchin. These appendages are tubular feet that end in three claws. These are used to clear the urchin’s surface of debris.

However, the urchin also uses these tubular feet to move debris from the substrate onto its top and sides. Scientists call this covering or heaping behavior. The tubular feet keep debris in place. The function or purpose of this behavior remains a mystery. Because divers think that a small heap of debris is simply rubble, most flower urchins remain unnoticed.

In the rare instances when we see a Flower urchin, our dive masters will warn guests first and then carefully show the beautiful creature. Afterwards, the dive master will use his stick to move debris on top of the urchin. This helps the urchin but also prevents accidental contact by anyone else passing by.

To dive with such caring dive masters, please make your trip reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.

Beach Clean Up 2023

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

Beach Clean Up 2023 took place on this year’s International Whale Shark Day. That date was the twenty-seventh of August. The provincial government organized the event at Botubarani Village in Bone Bolango Regency. The location is about twenty minutes from the center of Gorontalo City.

Local Diving Community in Action

In additional to trash removal along the coastline, the government sponsored underwater activities. Over forty local divers participated. Miguel’s Diving staff of five dive masters composed one of the teams. Each team received a couple of used, large rice sacks to collect trash found underwater.

In addition , each team received broken corals found at adjacent sites along with ties. Team members tied the coral to a row of bicycles that have been part of an artificial reef. These bicycles sit in a sandy area between coral pinnacles.

Beach Clean Up 2023

Gorontalo dive pioneer and Miguel’s Diving staff Rantje was asked to address the officials overseeing the event. In his remarks, he recounted how the beach clean up 2023 was the latest in an annual series. Year by year, the amount of trash found has decreased.

Looking at the ocean surface that day, he challenged official to see any floating plastic. There was none, even though Beach Clean Up 2023 had not started. This points to the growing awareness of locals to place trash in designed bins. Clearly, no one had thrown trash into the ocean recently.

Local media interviewed Mr. Aryanto Husain, Head of Gorontalo Provincial Tourism Department. He emphasized that this event “improves the attractiveness for both international and national visitors.”

Miguel's Diving staff — Miguel’s Diving staff in action

Additional Activities

In addition to trash pick up above and below the water, Beach Clean Up 2023 included an underwater photo competition. Photos taken served as documentation of the effort. Also, children enjoyed a coloring contest.

Best of all, ladies from Botubarani village had a special area where they sold local food. One favorite is yellow rice, wrapped in a banana leaf.

This year’s event occurred in late August, at the worst of wave season here. Diving season in Gorontalo is from November to April. So, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving. We have been keeping the underwater world here clean for your enjoyment!

DXI2023 marks Miguel’s Diving return

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

DXI2023 or DEEP EXTREME 2023 marks Miguel’s Diving return to Indonesia’s prestigious diving expo. Other adventure sports are also represented there.

Joint Promotion with Tourism Department

Gorontalo Provincial Tourism Department invited Miguel’s Diving to join its booth. We are most grateful for their support. The booth location was D10. Two of Miguel’s Diving staff attended DXI2023. They were Yunis Amu and Maman Abdullah. Other dive staff remained in Gorontalo to take guests diving.

As in many previous years, DEEP EXTREME Indonesia 2023 held its exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center. The dates were June 1 to 4. The expo combines scuba diving with extreme sports, such as rock climbing. It is now the largest expo of its kind in Southeast Asia. At DXI2023, Miguel’s Diving offered a discount dive packages exclusively to visitors to our booth.

our dive boats — Our custom-built dive boats

We also promoted our custom-built speed boats. The larger one holds a maximum of fourteen divers. It comes complete with a marine toilet. The smaller speed boat can hold eight divers, but we prefer to limit the capacity to six guests plus dive masters. Both boats provide canopies for complete coverage from the sun. We built both specifically for divers rather than renovate boats built for fishing. No one else offering diving in our area has the facilities that we have.

Friends Old & New

The Gorontalo booth for DXI2023 contained a variety of underwater photographs from Gorontalo. Gorontalo is a great place for underwater photos, whether wide angle or macro.

After taking a pause from diving since 2020, many divers wish to return to Gorontalo for our great diving. The Jakarta dive show was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends and to make new ones.

One visitor to our booth was our representative to parliament, Mr. Fadel Muhammad. He is Wakil Ketua MPR for the current period. He will be up for re-election in 2024.

If you could not meet us in person, please book your dive trip with us.

Leopard sea cucumber self-mutilates

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

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 cucumber lives in sandy areas, flanked by coral reef. Researchers say that it lives from three to almost forty meters deep. We usually find it between 15 and 18 meters here.

Although research claims it can grow to 60 centimeters, those in Gorontalo measure only half of that length. Divers can easily identify the Leopard cucumber. Its spotted pattern is distinctive and unmistakable. The tubular body is grey but sprinkled with random rows spots. These spots are orange and edged in brown.

Avoid Touching

Leopard sea cucumber is highly sensitive. It considers touching, grabbing, or lifting to be a threat. When threatened, it will eject white strings. These elongate in sea water. They also become sticky. Scientists consider this behavior to be defensive.

These white strings are called Cuverian tubes after the French zoologist who first studied them. They are naturally attached to the sea cucumber’s interior respiratory system. When the Leopard cucumber feels threatened, it will contract its body muscles. This contraction is so great that it tears the cucumber’s interior. The contraction forces Cuverian tubes out of its anus. In this way, it self-mutilates.

The Leopard sea cucumber can regrow its tubes. However, this takes several weeks. So, divers should avoid touching this sea cucumber. The tubes contain toxins, which can cause skin irritation in humans. Interestingly enough, researchers are using toxins from the Leopard sea cucumber in cancer research.

Leopard Sea Cucumber in Ecology

This sea cucumber has several rows of tubular feet on its underside. It moves slowly across the sandy bottom. While doing so, it ingests sand and anything the sand contains. In this way, all sea cucumbers clean the ocean floor of detritus and other waste materials.

Moreover, its own waste is beneficial to coral growth. After internal digestion, it excretes calcium carbonate and ammonia along with clean sand.

Home for a Fish

Pearl fish live inside of some Leopard sea cucumbers. The fish’s scientific name is Carapus mourlani. It enters and exits the cucumber via the anus, usually tail first. A scientific study in Indonesia of Bohadschia argus, the official name for the Leopard sea cucumber, found fifteen pearl fish living inside a single cucumber!

Sometimes an Emperor shrimp will be living on the sea cucumber’s surface.

For your chance to see this beautiful creature in Gorontalo, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.