Tulamben - Any new ideas or macro stuff to photograph?

[Ardy]

HI I all, I am off to Tulamben for a week in 2 weeks.

I have been about 6 times and still not had enough of it, but I would not mind opening up to some new things on this trip.

I mainly photograph macro stuff and I have seen a lot of it. Any ideas about unusual macro things to look for?

Any areas outside of Tulamben within an hour or two that are worth a dive during the week?

Note: I don't do strong currents these days. Seraya Secrets is about all I can cope with.

regards and dive safe!

 

[Luko]

If you can arrange this, try the japanese wreck in Amed on a nightdive (1hr drive from Tulamben), lots of nudis and especially Emperor shrimps running on the head of spanish dancers, bumblebee shrimps on sponges, etc. Baliku dive centre are the spacialists of this spot, ask NIko for arranging a nightdive.Otherwise rhinopias at Padang Bai jetty are always spectacular. Gekodive will be happy to cater.

 

[Ardy]

Hi Luko: That sounds right up my alley but as I have grown older my eyes do not work well in low light. Night dives were my favourite for most of my life but about 5 years ago I noticed I was knocking lumps off coral and bumping into other divers so I gave it away. Great loss to me.

Is the wreck worth a dive in daytime?

regards

 

[Luko]

Hi Luko: That sounds right up my alley but as I have grown older my eyes do not work well in low light. Night dives were my favourite for most of my life but about 5 years ago I noticed I was knocking lumps off coral and bumping into other divers so I gave it away. Great loss to me.

Is the wreck worth a dive in daytime?

regards

Okayish but mostly for the coral fields and the small fish life in the back of the wreck.

That kind :

 

[Ardy]

Thanks Luko but I will give it a miss. If there are limited macro opps then I am not the guy for that.

Still plenty to see around Tulamben and would love to see the another wonderpuss.

 

[Luko]

That doesn't apply for Padang Bai which has a lot to offer macrowise, especially on the rhinopias/frogfish side.

Some proof?

 

[Ardy]

Thanks Luko - You really know how to hurt a guy. I went to Padang Bai in January but not a rhinopias to be seen. The last one I saw was in Lembeh 2011.

Never seen one around Tulamben.

 

[Luko]

Thanks Luko - You really know how to hurt a guy. I went to Padang Bai in January but not a rhinopias to be seen. The last one I saw was in Lembeh 2011.

Never seen one around Tulamben.

Sorry, hope you feel better now... (I amn kind of obsessed with rhinopias after spotting 4 or 5 in Ambon in 2012, 5 or 6 different specimen in Padang bai the two ast years, 3 in Alor last year, I was mad at missing one in Lembeh last april)

Did you go with Gekodive in Padang Bai, these guys really know how to find them (up to 4 in one dive in august last year)?
In Tulamben it looks like there are one or two rhinos back on Seraya from the pictures I saw these last months coming from Tulamben dive guides.

 

[Searcaigh]

There was a nice largish yellow rhinopia spotted the day after we left Lembeh last month. Met up with some of the divers at Manado airport and saw the the photos …. Murphy huh!

 

[Cali_diver]

We were in Tulamben in July.. luckily we left the day before all the big surf. There is a newish Costasiella sp. that is Yellow with black accents. Hard to find cause it is very very small so you will need a diopter. Maybe your guide will know where it is. I think it was at Big Tree. They said they hadn't seen any Rhinopias recently but the yellow pygmys are still there. I was a little disappointed in the nudi populations compared to previous visits but that happens. I saw a great pic of a jaw fish with eggs the other day so maybe you will get lucky and see him.