Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen
Photo by William Tan
Photo by Rantje Allen
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… Continue Reading
MIDE 2023, the Malaysia International Dive Expo, welcomed Miguel’s Diving back. This is our first reappearance at a regional dive expo since the pandemic. Malaysia International Dive Expo MIDE 2023 The Malaysia International Dive Expo took place May 26 to 28, 2023. It is also called MIDE 2023. In the past, the event venue was… 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
Green turtle is a species only occasionally seen along Gorontalo’s dense coral reefs. Adult green turtles are strictly vegetarian and so live near sea grass flats. Those seen at Gorontalo dive sites are migrating between sea grass areas in western Gorontalo to those in North Sulawesi Province. Divers will usually see Hawksbill turtles here. Green… Continue Reading
Side gilled sea slugs are a delight to find during night diving in Gorontalo. Nocturnal Sea Slugs Nudibranchs usually have their gills exposed on the top of their bodies. But side gilled sea slugs have large plume-like gills tucked between the mantle and the foot. The gills are usually on the right side. They mostly… Continue Reading
That tumbling mass is really sea hare mating! Imagine the surprise of divers looking for critters at Sand Castle, one of Gorontalo’s muck diving sites. On the sand in shallow water were masses that looked like sea weeds, rocking back and forth in the gentle surge. In fact, there were patches of algae on the… Continue Reading
Viable marine protected areas are a crucial need worldwide. At Miguel’s Diving, our business model is based on ecological sustainability and community development. Gorontalo Marine Protected Areas During our early years of operation, Miguel’s Diving staff conducted a series of coral awareness campaigns. These took place in local schools, village halls and government buildings. We… Continue Reading
