bangka-lembeh rx100 photos!

[boletus1973]

Great shots. I'm in the middle of deciding on Bangka/Lembeh or Anilao/Puerta Galera at the moment and your photos are pushing me to the former!

thanks to you and all of you, about your choice, also depends on the period you have chosen for the trip ....
I have never been to the philippines ... but I heard wonders, by my photographer friends,
when the weather is right, I believe that both destinations are perfect !!
bangka however, is a special place. The dive sites are incredibly different ... black sand, white sand, slopes, pinnacles with soft corals, grasslands ... I really loved this variety and macro subjects were amazing, I would not have ever expected before! I think I will be back soon!
in the meantime I finished another gallery, the last one of my rx100... after lembeh i stay a week in Tulamben ... https://www.flickr.com/photos/13930495@N06/sets/72157646846976753/
bye bye
fabio

 

[Luko]

Good shots Fabio, very interesting stuff I've never seen in Bangka even after 4 stays.
I wont comment on the nudibranches you spotted in Tulamben, hurts me too much given my housing flooded on the day (or a day after) we took the same truck ride at LDC.

btw for a change I was wondering also about an italian managed resort halfway between Bangka and Lembeh on Sulawesi landside, can't remember it's name but from the photos I have seen looks very promising, accomwise, beachwise, foodwise. Maybe a good place, acceptable for wives.

Great shots. I'm in the middle of deciding on Bangka/Lembeh or Anilao/Puerta Galera at the moment and your photos are pushing me to the former!

Like said above it will depend on the time of the year :
- Anilao/PG should be good from December to may
- Lembeh/Bangka should be better from April to November.

If both are possible then I would say :
- If you like wide angle then Puerto Galera (esp Verde island) and Beatrice rock in Anilao are amazing, but Sahaung on Bangka is outstanding. On a more general consideration Philippines should be better, there are not many wide angle opportunities in Bangka/lembeh.
- If you like macro, Lembeh is tops but so is Anilao. I tend to prefer Anilao but it's a close call, Lembeh bores me after 7 days because it's often black sand diving. You can't beat Bangka for pygmy seahorses, simply you can't, really... Lembeh/Bangka might be a better combo but then again, Anilao is more varied, less black sand dive.

If you want some photo comparison have a quick look at my galleries on flickr
This is Anilao, can't show you Puerto Galera, I wasn't photographying when I staying there.
This is Bangka and this is Lembeh.

 

[funscuba]

Woaahhh .... Fabio, your pix look amazing, I also bought the RX 100 MK II recently + extra Inon Z240 + all new extra lenses, cost me an arm and a leg i can tell you. I went to all the places you mentioned, all great, but as you I mainly stay in budget places 'cause I am also travelling for long periods, so can't afford those pricey resorts.
Went to Anilao last year after mid february, indeed great for macro, but water temp was at 25, barely 26. Saying that 'cause I use to have minimum 27 - 28 a bit everywhere in Indo and I mainly dive with lycra, much easier to move UW. So was so-so for the temperature a bit everyhwere in Philippines compare to Indo while diving.
I will leave again early march to bangkok to continue to Indo or Philippines for a certain time again. If you guys know of new places worth diving recently open just let me know.

 

[Luko]

If you guys know of new places worth diving recently open just let me know.

In the Phils, I was told Romblon was amazing for macro (check out Three Ps duck's diving). On my list as well as South Leyte, the latter not a new location though but sufficiently out of the usual trails.
In Indonesia, there's a resort about to open in Triton bay, probably not your budget range though (check out Triton bay divers). I will try to go and see in March/april. I don't think there's any other options in the area apart from a liveaboard.

 

[funscuba]

Both are in my bucket list actually Luko for my next trip from march, but which one will I do first ( if I ever do them ) and especially when that's the good question.
I heard the viz is kind of so-so at Triton Bay (read that on an other report made from a liveboard), there is aswell in the same area (Triton Bay) a company organizing diving but, after checking their rates I thought they were completely insane, seriously, couldn't believe those rates, must be the locals creating them LOL !!!!

 

[boletus1973]

Good shots Fabio, very interesting stuff I've never seen in Bangka even after 4 stays.
I wont comment on the nudibranches you spotted in Tulamben, hurts me too much given my housing flooded on the day (or a day after) we took the same truck ride at LDC.

btw for a change I was wondering also about an italian managed resort halfway between Bangka and Lembeh on Sulawesi landside, can't remember it's name but from the photos I have seen looks very promising, accomwise, beachwise, foodwise. Maybe a good place, acceptable for wives.



.

thanks luko!!!
i've also other stuff like saron shrimps or coconut octopus ecc ecc..... but bad focus... we stay in bangka but we dived also the islands around and the sulawesi coastline twice(nice muck dives)...
Sorry for the flood.. did you know why it flood? next ride on the truck we have to stop for a large bintang!!!

i think the resort between bangka and lembeh is the kalinaun.... i never been there, but for what i hear the rooms and food are really good.... but mind me, be sure that they bring you at bangka!! i think if you are there during a week of big waves is risky!!


---------- Post added January 7th, 2015 at 07:26 AM ----------

Woaahhh .... Fabio, your pix look amazing, I also bought the RX 100 MK II recently + extra Inon Z240 + all new extra lenses, cost me an arm and a leg i can tell you..

thanks Funscuba...
i know that your rig cost you a lot of money.... i think i sold to you all my loved wet lenses with LD adapter...

 

[funscuba]

Sure, will test them nicely for sure

 

[Luko]

Sorry for the flood.. did you know why it flood? next ride on the truck we have to stop for a large bintang!!!

...
i think i sold to you all my loved wet lenses with LD adapter...

Not sure, it flooded right on the shore entry in Melasti, my 7D camera and 100/macro died on the spot. I flooded a second camera body 10 days after ! dead as well...
I have now canon 70D and a brand new housing...

Funscuba you bought a world photo contest winner then (congrats again Fabio).

 

[boletus1973]

Not sure, it flooded right on the shore entry in Melasti, my 7D camera and 100/macro died on the spot. I flooded a second camera body 10 days after ! dead as well...
I have now canon 70D and a brand new housing...

Funscuba you bought a world photo contest winner then (congrats again Fabio).

OMG... :shocked2::shocked2: two camera in ten days is a nightmare.... have you ever done housing maintenance? after buying my used Nauticam for em5, I'm buying the nauti vacuum kit!!! i've fear!!!
thanks for the congratulations !! were years that I watched the results of that competition, I'm really happy to be in that ranking !! wow!

 

[Luko]

have you ever done housing maintenance? after buying my used Nauticam for em5, I'm buying the nauti vacuum kit!!! i've fear!!!

Yes I had it serviced less than 2 years ago which should be enough. I probably had an issue with the bigger o ring, possibly pinched, since it flooded very quickly. Nauticam analyzed the housing and serviced it again, they told me ther was no defect with the structure or other orings.

i then installed a Vacuum system on my housing, it's very effective, even if you release the latches open, you cannot open the housing without depressurization.
I cannot imagine a housing without a vacuum now.