Scuba Seraya Take Two - Tulamben Trip Report - July 2015

[AlMitch]

We stayed at Scuba Seraya (SS) in November last year and it was such a good and relaxing trip that we decided to do it again. This time we took friends with which made it even more enjoyable.

If you haven't read my previous trip report, which gives more specifics on SS resort itself, here is a link to it: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/495997-trip-report-bali-scuba-seraya-nov-2014-a.html

Nothing has really changed in terms of the resort. Still well kept, staff were still very helpful and happy, still very nice and quiet, the food was still pretty decent, beer was still cold, the villas very comfortable. The only thing the resort seems to lack is a "friendly manager type person" to come around and chat and check up on you now and then. Just to give it a tiny bit more of a homely feel. Don't get me wrong if you need anything the ladies at the restaurant or the dive guides WILL sort you out. I'm sure the manager is around, and the place is being run well, so ultimately he is doing his job well, but he is not very visible.


As for the diving, it seems like there were less critters around when compared to November. The diving was still good, but not as good. For instance this time we did not see a single frog fish the whole week, where as in November they were everywhere. The resident harlequin shrimps had vanished, the Coleman shrimps were gone and of course the Rhinopias we saw last time was also gone. We also only saw 2 small "normal" octo's. So there definitely is a shift in critters with the season. The water was definitely colder, down at 26 dec C. So that is probably one factor. And it does get a bit more wavy so that can mix things up.
BUT we did still get to see many other critters, such as tiger shrimp (one munching down on what appeared to be a nudi), Donald duck shrimp, tiny hairy shrimp with eggs, pregnant purple skeleton shrimp, Ghost pipe fish, tons of really amazing nudi's including many tiny "Shaun the sheep" nudis, I even saw I white version, which apparently is what happens to them as they get older, flatworms etc etc. So as you can see not too bad. And I'm not complaining.

For macro we dove Melasti, Liberty Slope, Seraya, Pong Pong, and a spot to the east of SS. No one was any more productive than the others really.

Purple Skeleton Shrimp

Whitish "Shaun the Sheep" nudi

Tiny hairy shrimp

Fierce Tiger!

Amazingly colourful and super happy flatworm! It certainly makes me smile!

The early morning dive to see the bumpheads was as nuts as last time and this time round we were there even earlier (in the water at 6 sharp, 30min before sunrise) and it seems like the bunpheads have just had enough of the zoo and buggered off pretty soon after we had arrived. SO it was too dark to get any shots of them. OH well the wreck is still stunning and when we did our safety stop at the stern the early morning sun light was just amazing.

Safety stop on the Liberty Wreck, so pretty!

We did one other dive on the wreck and then two other WA dives at the drop off and emerald. Both dives were not bad, the highlight being a massive cuttlefish that held it ground and let me get super close.


The dive crew are still brilliant. Super friendly and helpful and would spot the tiniest critters. At times I thought he was just joking and pointing at random grains of sand but every time is would be a tiny nudi or isopod or something.
They also went out of their way and regularly after a dive would off load all the gear from the boat and then my 2 year old would jump on board and they would take him for a spin in the boat. This was so generous of them and it was the absolute highlight of his trip.


You can see the rest of my pics here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/angmo-al/sets/72157656170514282
We had a great time and will gladly recommend SS.

 

[Luko]

AlMitch,

the white version of the costasiella Kuroshimae nudibranch (aka shaun the sheep nudi) is not an older but a different specie which is named costasiella usagi.
Costasiella Kuroshimae has white and pink tips at teh end of green cerrata (the "tentacles" over the back), Usagi has striped white cerrata.

Hope the age factor wasn't a fancy explanation given by your guide..


Costasiella usagi nudibranch by Ludovic, on Flickr


Here's now the real shaun the sheep nudi C.Kuroshimae :


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][URL="https://flic.kr/p/j7FzrM"]Costasiella kuroshimae by Ludovic, on Flickr

 

[Wisnu]

Nice report and great shot Al,
apparently the frogfish and the manager were going holiday
and seem, the Al Jr. really enjoy and enthusiastic riding the boat

 

[AlMitch]

Hey Luko
Well then the guide was definitely talking nonsense, although the two species were walking around the same leaf and they are so small and similar it is understandable to think they are the same species. I'm pretty stoked then that I got to see both species.
Man these guys were small but so cute.

Winsu the lad just LOVED the boat rides!!! And spent almost every waking hour in the water, a complete fish.

 

[Luko]

lovely shot.
All those sap sucking nudis share the same foodstore, did you also get the superpretty blue/yellow strpied stiliger ornatus? they were plentyful in Melasti at some time. .
In fact once the costasiella sp. came out of their closets, guuides realized they weren't so rare. Providing they had any bio interest,
I already dived with a guide in Lembeh who was shaking algae leaves with his sticck for some other critter but totally missed the costasiella I found on the same leaf after him.
If you know the round leaved algae, you'll have chances to get some easily.

Seems you dived a few days after the high waves that hit Bali, probably this is why it was not as good as you could expect, though it doesn't seem it the underwater apocalypse I read somewhere else.
I read a report stating everything was dead and washed out in Melasti and Segara.
Have you discussed with your guide what was the impact of the bad weather?

 

[AlMitch]

Only saw one of the gorgeous Stiliger Ornatus and yes it was at Melasti.

_DSC7540 by Angmo Al, on Flickr

The guides did mention that the waves had washed sand through at many of the dive sites but if no one had told me I would not have noticed. There was still enough for me to see to keep me firing away.
I also never saw any broken coral or anything at The Drop Off nor at Emerald Corner. So I think some people just hyped the damage up, BUT then again it could have hit other sites harder.