[Report] 2 weeks in Lembeh Strait

[btd]

Hi everybody,
In late April 2006, we spent 2 fantastic weeks at Divers Lodge Lembeh - Indonesia.

Lembeh is a small island located at the North East of the main island Sulawesi, and the strait between the two island definitely is a paradise for muck and macro lovers.

The diving here is very peaceful, and there are plenty of things to see, among which : frogfish, nudis, octopus, wonderpus, crustaceans, seahorses (pygmees also), pegasus, daemon stingers and the magnificent Rhinopia.

There might be current sometimes, the water is not so warm (24 to 27 °C), and also bad visibility sometimes, mainly due to the coconut farms around. Due to the harbour in the strait, there is also lots of rubbish, but so much life !!

But better than a long story, have a look to our movie :
Videos Lembeh

If you have comments, they are welcome.

Thanks, have good dives.

 

[Jason Ooi]

Great video!Thank for sharing

 

[mase]

Wonderful video. Loved watching it. Makes me want to go.

 

[diver69]

Great videos.

We were there 2 years ago for only a few days - wish we had stayed longer. We stayed on a liveaboard (Liburan) with Rudy - this was the old Liburan, he now has a new boat.
It's amazing you had so many Mandarin fish all in one shot - we waited forever (on two separate dives) to see only two of them.

Watching the video makes me want to go bakc!!!

A few questions:

1. What equipment were you using fo the video? I only had my Olympus Digicam with me and I used the vide feature in it (kind of jerky videos, bad colour)

2. What is the name of the music you used for th first video?

3. Does anyone know the name of the "lightning clam" in the video? This is the one that looks like there's electrical running through it like a lightnin every secon or so? Red wth tenticles?

Again. Great videos. Thanks fro sharing.

 

[TSandM]

We're headed for Lembeh and Bunaken in a little over three weeks. Watching these videos has me giddy with excitement. Thanks SO much for sharing the link!

 

[pakman]

C'est Magnifique!!! bravo...

wow first time I've seen a ribbon eel swimming...

also love the fingered dragonettes!

 

[tangfish]

We're headed for Lembeh and Bunaken in a little over three weeks. Watching these videos has me giddy with excitement. Thanks SO much for sharing the link!

TSandM, I loved diving off of Bunaken and Lembeh. Let me know if you want some tips before heading out there

 

[madoze]

Great videos.

A few questions:

1. What equipment were you using fo the video? I only had my Olympus Digicam with me and I used the vide feature in it (kind of jerky videos, bad colour)

2. What is the name of the music you used for th first video?

3. Does anyone know the name of the "lightning clam" in the video? This is the one that looks like there's electrical running through it like a lightnin every secon or so? Red wth tenticles?

Again. Great videos. Thanks fro sharing.

Hi everybody, and thanks for your kind comments.

Diver69, the cam we used is a Sony HCR-DC42, with a red filter but no extra light (except for night dives). Compared to pictures done with lightening, the colors are less bright but the overall movie is more natural and close to what you see with your eyes.

The music we used is from lounge style CDs like Cafe del Mar or Buddha Bar

For the clam, we also looked for the exact name but could not find it. In Lembeh they call it "fire clam".

For the Mandarin fish, the best place in the Strait is Divers Lodge Lembeh housereef (at the very South East of the Strait on Lembeh Island side). We saw dozens of them mating at sunset, it was too cute !!

Lembeh really is an amazing place. Let's hope the local authorities will do their best to protect it, especially when you know that the mines and coconut farms and oil from big boats and ferries poison it slowly...

Thanks again for watching,
have good dives:blinking:

 

[Indah]

The name of the clam is flame file shell I think. Rob

 

[jiveturkey]

Wow. Those are great videos. I like how you've grouped the fishes. Very nice.

One question: what are the fish from part 4, 1:45-2:20? I don't think I"ve ever seen them, even in a magazine.