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
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
It has been so great to see how fascinated our Snorkel Venture guests are becoming with frogfish. The frogfish was really not on the radar for many snorkelers. With muck snorkeling becoming ever more popular, the frogfish is starting to become a must find. With their incredible camouflage and bizarre looks it is great when we find them. For our best places to see them, Indonesia is definitely at the top. With great chances to find them in all our Indonesia Snorkel Venture trips.For me one of my favourite places to find them is in Alor. Alor is not only famed for its stunning reefs, but also regarded as one of the best muck areas in Indonesia. For those not sure what muck snorkeling is we have a great previous blog by Alex explaining (What is muck snorkeling) all about it. With eagle eyed guides we always hope we can find them on the reefs or in the muck. With them coming in all different shapes, colours and sizes. Frogfish are part of the Antennariidae family, which is a type of anglerfish that includes about 50 different species. They’re found in ocean waters all over the world and have a wide range of shapes and sizes. They have modified pectoral fins that resemble hands, which allow them to “walk” along the ocean floor looking for prey. The astonishing camouflage is called a type of aggressive mimicry, a strategy of resembling something else to gain an advantage over your prey. This means potential prey, like small fish or crustaceans, can pass by and never see the well camouflaged frogfish, allowing them to attack the prey at a close range. Frogfish have a dangling lure, which is a type of modified fin called an illicium. It can resemble a worm or shrimp
It has been so great to see how fascinated our Snorkel Venture guests are becoming with frogfish. The frogfish was really not on the radar for many snorkelers. With muck snorkeling becoming ever more popular, the frogfish is starting to become a must find. With their incredible camouflage and bizarre looks it is great when
These weird and wonderful creatures are always a treat and cool to see. Real crowd pleasers. Probably the closest thing we have to aliens on earth. With the ability to change colours, Shape, and texture makes them fascinating to watch. Living predominantly on the reefs, we are lucky to find them on most of our tours. The most common species we see are the Octopus, Cuttlefish, and squids. Cephalopods can be characterised by their arms and tentacles, incredible camouflage and impressive level of intelligence. Octopuses or octopi, squid and cuttlefish are the most well-known members of the Cephalopoda class of animals. They have all evolved from a common, hard-shelled ancestor (more similar to a nautilus). The word “cephalopod” comes from Greeks and means “head foot,” which perfectly describes animals that have eyes just above their many limbs. Octopus There are around 300 species of octopus and they are found to be in every ocean. known for their high intelligence and their amazing ability to blend into their surroundings. They are some of the most fascinating creatures to observe. The octopus is equipped with three hearts: one that pumps blood through the body (including the 8 arms), and two that pump blood through the gills. It is an interesting fact to know that the octopus does not have tentacles. They are in fact arms. Octopus are the only marine animals, apart from the Cetacean family (Whales & Dolphins), that demonstrate primitive problem-solving and pattern recognition skills. But whatever kind of intelligence they possess, it's different from the human brain, probably closer to a cat. The skin is covered by three types of specialised skin cells, these can quickly change their colour, allowing them to easily blend in with its surroundings. While it is very intelligent they can also be very inquisitive.
These weird and wonderful creatures are always a treat and cool to see. Real crowd pleasers. Probably the closest thing we have to aliens on earth. With the ability to change colours, Shape, and texture makes them fascinating to watch. Living predominantly on the reefs, we are lucky to find them on most of our
