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The Black-Blotched Porcupinefish: Spiny, Shy & Striking

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

A most unusual fish divers see while diving in Gorontalo is the Black-Blotched Porcupinefish. Most noticeable are its large head and big eyes. Short, strong spines stick out from the back half of its body.

Striking patterns of the Black-Blotched Porcupinefish

Divers can easily recognize a Black-Blotched Porcupinefish. In the video shot while diving Gorontalo, notice its large size. Also striking are the broken dark bars on its face and head. Note the big black blotches on its back and sides. Its fins are yellow. Standing out against its grayish brown body are its white spines.

The scientific name for this fish is Diodon liturosus.

Fish Habits

This fish often hides under rocks or swims slowly along coral reefs. Its large eyes help it while hunting at night. Crustaceans and mollusks compose its main meal. The fish’s beak-like teeth crush the hard shells of these invertebrates. Notice in our video that the fish searches the sandy bottom for something to eat.

A Ball of Spines

When a Black-Blotched Porcupinefish feels in danger, it has a special way to protect itself. It quickly gulps water and swells. This makes its spines stick out. The fish becomes a ball with sharp spines. As a result, predators do not want to eat a fish like that. This defense is common in porcupinefish species.

Divers might see two other porcupinefish species. One is the Spot-Fin Porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix). It has many small black spots all over its body and fins. However, it lacks dark blotches or bars on the face. The second is the Long-Spine Porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus). A net-like pattern covers its body. Although it has big eyes, it lacks the large blotches of the Black-Blotched Porcupinefish. Also, the spines are longer and thinner.

Good Behavior for Divers

Even though porcupinefish look friendly, divers should approach with caution. Do not chase or touch them. Never try to make one inflate. This stresses the fish since it thinks you want to eat it. At Miguel’s Diving, we believe in safe and respectful diving.

Porcupinefish also contain tetrodotoxin. This is a potent neurotoxin that makes them unpalatable or deadly to most predators and humans.

Since this fish is rarely encountered, seeing a Black-Blotched Porcupinefish during your dive will make a special memory.

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

Whale Shark encounter in Gorontalo

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Miguel's Diving • 0 Comments

A whale shark encounter was in store for two American divers. On their way to the Togian Islands, they made a last minute decision to make two dives in Gorontalo. That decision made memories to last a lifetime.

World Class Diving in Gorontalo

Whale shark encounter in Gorontalo, Indonesia — A whale shark swims over divers

Sadly, many travelers miss diving in Gorontalo on their way to its more famous neighbors, the Togian Islands, Bunaken Marine Park and Lembeh Straits. But world class diving is easily available here. After touch down at the airport, the ocean is only an hour away. Eight different dive sites are only fifteen minutes from the private dock of Miguel’s Diving. Over 30 named sites are available.

The whale shark encounter captured in the video was at one of those close dive sites. It is named Swirling Steps because of a series of short drops and ledges that push into the current. Staff of Miguel’s Diving have forgotten the number of times we have seen whale sharks at this site. There have been too many over the years! In addition, this site has hard coral below 40 meters, which indicates the vibrant health of Gorontalo reefs. Only in Gorontalo can diver see Salvador Dali sponges with their surreal, carved surfaces.

Whale Shark Encounter Video

[svpVideo v=1]Watch the video shot to see the whale shark passing by. The whale shark enounters in Gorontalo are in a natural environment. They are swimming around looking for schools of small fish. Days with a higher plankton count will also bring in the whale sharks. That is what happened the day this video was shot.

Miguel’s Diving staff tell guests that if a shadow appears overhead, look up! It maybe a whale shark or a manta ray. It seems that the whale sharks are not only curious about divers but also they like the bubbles. They also like the dive boat, which has had numerous whale shark encounters of its own. Perhaps they think it is a long lost relative floating on the surface! A fantastic photo of one is available on our home page. These large pelagics can grow up to 15 meters in length. They can live up to 100 years. Judging by its small size of merely six meters, this one was probably in his early twenties.

For your chance for a whale shark encounter, please make a dive booking with us at https://miguelsdiving.com/contact-us/

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