Coral bleaching is something you've probably heard quite a bit about in the past few years, and, unfortunately, are likely to hear more about in the future. The Caribbean had a major bleaching event back in 2005, then later again in 2010, and then just recently experienced another bleaching event in September 2023. Australia's great barrier reef has suffered six mass bleaching events since 2016, all of which make the headlines as it's the largest coral reef system in the world, and arguably the most famous. Common Questions Aside from corals losing their various colors and turning a bright white, what exactly is coral bleaching, and what causes it? Does a bleached coral mean a dead coral? All the corals on the reef were shades of brown and had white tips, does that mean they are dead or about to be bleached? These are just a few of the questions we regularly get as snorkeling guides. So, to set the record straight here are some cold hard facts, as well as some anecdotal encounters. Coral Anatomy Before we get into coral bleaching, we need to know a bit about the anatomy of the corals. Corals are often equated to terrestrial plants, trees, and flowers. However, one table coral, for example, is not just a single living thing, like a fern or a pine tree. A table coral, or any hard coral for that matter, is actually a colony of a bunch of identical coral polyps all living together in a symbiotic relationship. These coral polyps are all hosted together on the calcium carbonate structure that they have created through their own secretions. Each coral polyp has a set of tentacles that are used to capture food, ward off predators, and clean themselves. The tentacles also host zooxanthellae, a type of
Coral bleaching is something you’ve probably heard quite a bit about in the past few years, and, unfortunately, are likely to hear more about in the future. The Caribbean had a major bleaching event back in 2005, then later again in 2010, and then just recently experienced another bleaching event in September 2023. Australia’s great
Even if you are not an ocean enthusiast and prefer the terrestrial world for your recreational endeavors, you will surely have had encounters with the lionfish, either through beautiful underwater photos or videos featuring this lavishly decorated fish. Or, maybe you've had some lionfish ceviche & tacos while on holiday in the Caribbean. Lionfish are always a popular topic of conversation on our tours. Their extravagant plumage makes them a stunningly beautiful fish to encounter on snorkels, and their amenable demeanor makes them quite easy to photograph, particularly compared to other shy reef fish. All that being said, lionfish oftentimes get a bad reputation as a lot of fear is built up around them on account of their poisonous barbs. Also, in certain parts of the world, they are an invasive species and have played a very significant role in the population decline of many different species of fish on account of them being proficient hunters of juvenile fish. So, to dispel any misguided fears of the lionfish and to correct some misunderstood facts about the lionfish's natural habitat, here are some quick notes about the lionfish. Lionfish originate from the Indo-Pacific region, which includes all of Australia, east Africa up into the Red Sea, and all the way out to the South Pacific Islands. Lionfish can be found in a vast array of marine ecosystems ranging from depths of 0-1,000 feet, mangroves, sea grass, mucky areas, coral reefs, and artificial structures. Basically, if it's in warmer tropical waters, it's a potential home for lionfish. You won't see lionfish as frequently in their native habitat as their population is in balance. Many guests come to Indonesia or other parts of Asia where the lionfish originate from and are surprised to see so few lionfish. On average, we find a couple
Even if you are not an ocean enthusiast and prefer the terrestrial world for your recreational endeavors, you will surely have had encounters with the lionfish, either through beautiful underwater photos or videos featuring this lavishly decorated fish. Or, maybe you’ve had some lionfish ceviche & tacos while on holiday in the Caribbean. Lionfish are
Snorkeling and or traveling with a group may not be for everyone. We totally understand that being in the water with strangers is not what many people want. However, we also know, just as many of you do I'm sure, that snorkelers booking a stay with a dive resort or liveaboard as individuals are routinely treated as second-class guests when it comes to the sites that are chosen for snorkeling. It is precisely this reason that the founders of Snorkel Venture, Ben & Sarah, created Snorkel Venture. They understood that snorkelers share the same interest in the ocean as divers do, only they want to experience it from a different perspective. So, for our snorkeling safaris, what we do to ensure that all of our guests are catered to as snorkelers and not accessories, is we charter the entire resort or liveaboard so that the whole thing is ours. For the larger resorts where it's not practical to book the whole thing, we have an agreement with the resort so that we have several snorkeling-specific boats with local guides just for us. As you can probably understand by now, all of these resort takeovers and charters mean we need to run the tours as group tours. With that in mind, if you booked a trip to any one of these resorts or liveaboards, you'd still be around the same number of people, only those people would most likely be bubble-blowing divers. For quite a few of our guests, this is the first time they've ever snorkeled in a group setting, and, as a result, we get a lot of questions about how it works with the groups in the water. Here are a few questions we frequently get, along with the responses, of course. How do we snorkel comfortably and
Snorkeling and or traveling with a group may not be for everyone. We totally understand that being in the water with strangers is not what many people want. However, we also know, just as many of you do I’m sure, that snorkelers booking a stay with a dive resort or liveaboard as individuals are routinely
These small and beautiful creatures are ever more becoming popular in the world of snorkeling. Over the past few years it's great to see more macro species, becoming a must see on our snorkeling trips. With Nudis ( Nudibranch ) being at the top of the list. With so many variations of colour, size and shape they are a spectacle for the eyes. The best part of this, is we can find them on almost all our tours. Top tip for finding nudis. Stay close to the local guides. They have eagle eyes for these things. Nudibranchs are a type of sea slug, and there are over 3000 species found from across the globe in both shallow and deep water. Though they often only reach a small size, they are famous for their spectacular colour and patterns. Nudibranchs get their name from the Greek (nudi) and latin (branch) words meaning "naked gills". There are two main types of nudibranchs: dorid nudibranchs look fairly smooth, with a tuft of feather-like gills toward the back of the animal that are used to breathe. Aeolid nudibranchs instead breathe with organs called cerata covering their backs. Nudis are hermaphroditic, having a set of reproductive organs for both sexes, but they cannot reproduce by themselves. Mating involves a dance-like courtship. Nudibranchs typically lay their eggs in spiral formation, which is often described as looking like a ribbon or even a rose flower. The number of eggs varies, it can be as little as just 1 or 2 eggs, or as many as 25 million. The eggs can contain toxins from sea sponges as a means of warding off predators. After hatching, the infants look almost identical to their parents, though smaller. The lifespan of nudibranchs can range from a few weeks to a year, depending
These small and beautiful creatures are ever more becoming popular in the world of snorkeling. Over the past few years it’s great to see more macro species, becoming a must see on our snorkeling trips. With Nudis ( Nudibranch ) being at the top of the list. With so many variations of colour, size and
Recently I was lucky enough to lead our first West side Komodo trip. Having worked in Komodo for some years, I spent nearly all my time in the main park area. It goes without saying I was excited to go and see the west side and what it had to offer. That side of Komodo is very remote and untouched. No day boats from the busy town of Labuan Bajo are able to cover that distance. Making this area very quiet with only a handful of liveaboards stopping there. So having mind blowing reefs to ourselves became normal. Staying on the island of Sumbawa at the resort Kalimaya. A beautiful small boutique resort situated on the seafront facing Komodo. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and local villages dotted on the coast. With a 1.5 hour car journey over the mountains to reach here, you really get the feel of being remote and in the wild. Arriving at the resort we were greeted by such smiling faces and showed to our beachfront bungalows. With A\C, hot water and a ridiculously comfortable bed overlooking the ocean. What more could you want?? Great food and great snorkeling? That's exactly what was delivered. With a wide variety of snorkeling sites available all over the Sumbawa, Komodo channel we were ready to go and explore. Setting off from the resort after a tasty breakfast in our private speedboat. We started to explore as much as we could. With a big highlight being the island of Gilli Banta. Full of beautiful pristine reefs inside stunning white sand bays. Was a real picture of a tropical paradise. Not forgetting a very active manta cleaning station. With great guidance from our guides we were dropped on the money every time. We could observe and watch the Mantas go about
Recently I was lucky enough to lead our first West side Komodo trip. Having worked in Komodo for some years, I spent nearly all my time in the main park area. It goes without saying I was excited to go and see the west side and what it had to offer. That side of Komodo
