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
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
If you had asked me 10 years ago, while I was finding my way in the world as a diving instructor. “Do you want to be a snorkel guide?” I most likely would have laughed and said NO. 10 years on and I could not imagine doing anything else. Like most people who choose this career and lifestyle, you start out with a lust for travel and the ocean. Even better to combine the two together. As I was making my travels and wishing I could stay in all these exotic places longer. But instead having to go back to the UK to save money for the next adventure. I kept meeting all these people that were maintaining a life I wished for. living by the sea, great tans and having a great lifestyle. Not to mention spending their days at sea looking for beautiful marine creatures. All of them were working as dive instructors or dive masters. Without too much hesitation I decided that was the life for me. In 2009 I packed up and moved to Thailand to embark on my not so certain career in the diving industry. I was informed the best way into the industry was to do a 4 month divemaster internship. I joined a dive centre on a small island in the South Andaman sea, and began my 4 month internship. Once completed I was hooked. The ocean, and working in the dive and travel industry was my new home. I would spend the next 4 years working as a divemaster in Thailand, gaining a wealth of experience on the sea. After 4 years it was time to transition into becoming an instructor. Again I decided a great way to gain experience as an instructor was to do another internship. I was very
If you had asked me 10 years ago, while I was finding my way in the world as a diving instructor. “Do you want to be a snorkel guide?” I most likely would have laughed and said NO. 10 years on and I could not imagine doing anything else. Like most people who choose this
Here in Indonesia we are very lucky to find 6 out of the 7 species of sea turtle. Green turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys Olivacea) Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) Flatback sea turtle (Natator Depressus) Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta Caretta). The Leatherback sea turtle is the largest of the species, reaching up to 2.75 metres length and 600 - 900 kilograms weight, while the smallest sea turtle in Indonesia is the Olive Ridley weighing around 50 kilograms. The most commonly encountered species we come across almost every trip are the Hawksbill and Green turtle, both on the endangered list. Despite the abundance of sightings during our trips with the high numbers we see on our trips it's hard to believe. This is due to the great work of the Indonesian government and conservation efforts in making the trade in turtle products illegal, and designated national park areas. Which is why we are so lucky to go to some of the best destinations to see them. Our Snorkel Venture trips run to - Komodo Resort is on the Komodo National park, Siladen resort in Bunaken. Papua Explorers in Raja Ampat and of course Misool Eco resort in the Misool sanctuary. Making any one of these trips gives you the best chance for a great turtle interaction. Green Turtle Green turtles are one of the largest sea turtles and the only herbivore among the different species. The name is due to the greenish colour of their cartilage and fat and not their shells. In the Eastern Pacific, a group of green turtles that have darker shells are called black turtles by the local community. Green turtles are found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. Like other sea turtles, they migrate long distances
Here in Indonesia we are very lucky to find 6 out of the 7 species of sea turtle. Green turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys Olivacea) Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) Flatback sea turtle (Natator Depressus) Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta Caretta). The Leatherback sea turtle is the
If you've looked through our website or seen our newsletter you'll notice that we have a pretty extensive inventory of snorkeling safaris available all over the world. Not only that, but the snorkeling safaris range in length from one week to one month. We know, based on inquiries and guest feedback, that many of you are interested in longer trips, or even combining multiple snorkeling trips together to make one long snorkeling adventure. However, we also know there are a good number of you who are more interested in quick snorkeling trips that don't involve a ton of travel logistics or planning. Here are our recommendations for quick snorkeling safaris to world-class destinations that are one week to ten days in length. Shorter Flights (from The States) Mexico Mobula Expedition | 6 Nights This is the shortest snorkel safari that we currently offer, and also one of our most unique. This tour is all about finding fleets of mobula rays as they congregate in the Sea of Cortez during their bi-annual migration. This is a fantastic adrenaline-pumping snorkel safari that is unlike any other snorkel safari out there. Belize by Liveaboard - Belize Aggressor IV | Length – 7 Nights This fantastic liveaboard snorkel safari is one of our easiest trips when it comes to travel time, while still delivering some outstanding snorkeling. Basically, arrive at the airport, board the vessel, and you're off on an extraordinary snorkeling adventure around some of the best reefs in Belize. Belize Photography Workshop – Belize Aggressor IV | Length – 7 Nights This tour runs nearly identical to our Belize by Liveaboard snorkeling safari, same easy logistics, the same great snorkeling, same great liveaboard. The only difference about this tour is that it's aimed at those interested in improving their underwater photo skills
If you’ve looked through our website or seen our newsletter you’ll notice that we have a pretty extensive inventory of snorkeling safaris available all over the world. Not only that, but the snorkeling safaris range in length from one week to one month. We know, based on inquiries and guest feedback, that many of you
