This trip report is going to be a bit different, and I make no apology for this. You see, being a photographer I tend to recall things based around pictures I’ve taken, so I’m not going to list all the sites we visited, but I am going to curate the places that have had a particular impact upon me, especially from a visual image point of view. This is difficult on a tour like this as there’s always a lot to choose from, and it is a very personal view. Chatting with our group at the end of each day never stops informing me that whilst there is often universal appreciation for the various delights we may have all encountered that day, each and every individual has their own unique perspective. So alongside sharing with the group the exciting sea snake encounter we had all swim amongst us, there’ll be someone as equally rapt about watching a starfish make its way slowly across the reef, or a pair of tiny bulldozer shrimp and a partner goby doing their thing—keeping what must rank as one of the oddest cohabiting trios in apartment sharing history. Yet another reason to love the enthusiasm for snorkeling and those that do it! First Snorkel of the Tour: “Like Being in a Dream” Our trip began in Siladen Resort, North Sulawesi. This area is known for its bustling sea turtle population. So, I made a wager with my group that I thought almost impossible to lose, yet it didn't make me any less nervous as you never know when Mother Nature might play a cosmic joke on you. I promised the group that, if we didn't see a turtle during our first snorkel I would run naked around Siladen village! So, it was with no small
This trip report is going to be a bit different, and I make no apology for this. You see, being a photographer I tend to recall things based around pictures I’ve taken, so I’m not going to list all the sites we visited, but I am going to curate the places that have had a
Coral Eye is the new sister resort to Siladen Island Resort, and is located just around the corner from Siladen, relatively speaking, on Bangka Island, just off the tip of northern Sulawesi. The buzz around this new boutique resort in the snorkeling community has been huge, and had it not been for my busy schedule, I would have paid Coral Eye a visit much sooner. After waiting the better part of a year for my opportune moment to jump on a plane and jet off to Manado, I have now finally been able to see what all the chatter that I'd been inundated with was really all about. As many of you have already visited Siladen as part of one of our snorkeling safaris that stops in North Sulawesi, I don't think I need to elaborate too much on what this means in terms of service, the food, the accommodation, and, of course, the snorkeling at Coral Eye. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Siladen yet, you will have no doubt heard of this award-winning resort's outstanding reputation. As one of Indonesia's oldest and most well-regarded resorts, Siladen sets the tone for other resorts to follow. Now, with over twenty years of experience behind the Siladen/Coral Eye team, this new resort could very well be the resort that raises the bar a notch higher when it comes to the entire experience. Coal Eye is on the southwestern edge of a little island called Banka, just thirty minutes from the mainland of Sulawesi. We access the resort via a one-hour drive from the Manado Airport, followed by a thirty-minute boat ride in one of the resort's comfortable boats. Alternatively, as Siladen is just 'around the corner' from Coral Eye, we can also access it via a boat ride from Siladen
Coral Eye is the new sister resort to Siladen Island Resort, and is located just around the corner from Siladen, relatively speaking, on Bangka Island, just off the tip of northern Sulawesi. The buzz around this new boutique resort in the snorkeling community has been huge, and had it not been for my busy schedule, I
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
For sure is an absolute bucket list adventure, to be able to swim with the world's largest shark. Considered the holy grail by many. Even though the world's largest shark sounds a bit scary, they are in actual fact harmless. Gentle giants is a name affectionately given to them and suits them well. They are ocean nomads crossing great distances all over the world. Fortunately for us we know a few areas where they like to congregate. Here in Indonesia we have Cenderawasih Bay and Triton Bay in West Papua. I recently just explored Gorantalo in the north of Sulawesi. While in Mexico you have the famed La Paz area in Baja. These are places we visit on our Snorkel Venture tours, and while nothing is guaranteed this is our best chance to snorkel with whale sharks. Though they can turn up anywhere on any one of our trips. Just got to be lucky. So let's jump into some quick facts about the whale shark. As mentioned before it is the largest fish (Shark) in the ocean, With the largest specimen measuring at 20 meters. Most weigh between 15 and 20 tons when mature. If you think of a big bus, that’s about the size of a whale shark. Whale sharks can live up to about 60 years with some reports believing they can reach 100 or even 150 years old. Whale sharks give birth to live young that develop from eggs inside the mother. They can give birth to up to 300 pups, measuring between 35 and 70 cm in length. Whale sharks have a vast area they populate. With the majority living in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with a small percent living in the Atlantic. Whale sharks have been spotted as far north as New York. Whale
For sure is an absolute bucket list adventure, to be able to swim with the world’s largest shark. Considered the holy grail by many. Even though the world’s largest shark sounds a bit scary, they are in actual fact harmless. Gentle giants is a name affectionately given to them and suits them well. They are
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