I'm BAAAAAAAACK!!!

[lona]

So anyways, I talk about the resort's housereef. This reef is right smack in front of the resort. We could actually do a shore dive right in front of the cottage we were staying at.

Their housereef, while not as rich as the wall, was pretty good for critter spotting.

It was here that I saw my first wild ribbon eels. Both the blue ribbon and the (apparently) rarer black ribbon. You would have seen them in the earlier pictures I posted in this thread. These eels are pretty difficult to take..in all instances, everytime I make my approach and bring my cam to their burrow, they will come out to investigate with their mouths wide open headfirst, and I have so many shots of their mouths...argh...but it's so tough to get in an angle where you can shoot their sides and see their nice hue.

The resort's house reef had plenty of blue ribbons, so I had no lack of chances...in that one dive I counted about 8 blue ribbon eels..and that single black ribbon eel. That fella is jet black with a single yellow stripe running down its back...it looked really cool.

Stonefish and lionfish were plentiful, and I followed a particular lion about the reef while it was hunting and I saw it make a few meals. I think one particular meal was an octopus...a small one, but I can't be too sure since it was covered with mud...but I thought I saw a tentacle or two...

It was here I saw the typically common shrimps you see in the shops, as well as another assortment of nudibranchs.

[dradttg]

Extremely nice photographs.

I wished I have practiced my photography skill better before going there. I saw quite a number of nice things but cannot get good photographs of them.

[lona]

Oh, I have to talk a little about this fisherman's net we found on one of the dives.

It's quite sad to see the net in the water...and fishes stuck in the net.

The guide managed to free one of the fish, I don't know what fish it is, but it's about the same size and shape as those red groupers or angoli you can buy in the market. I go back tonight and post it online, but this fish, must've been so tired from struggling in the net, when freed, it just sank to the sandy slope and stayed there...it wouldn't even put up a struggle when the guide held it.

The guide offered it to me so I held it gently and the guide took a picture of me with the fish in my hands. That was quite an amazing experience for me...

After the pic was taken I let the fella go and it swam for a distance before settling down on the slope again to rest...

It's quite something to see the fish, but really amazing to hold a fat live fish out at sea, and then letting it swim free from your hands...something like how people release doves...

[lona]

Extremely nice photographs.

I wished I have practiced my photography skill better before going there. I saw quite a number of nice things but cannot get good photographs of them.

Heehee...aiyar, while I'm happy with my photos, I know it's not spectacular...I'm just glad for most of the pics you can actually see what I'm trying to shoot hahahaha..

[clammy]

great job!! wow, am sure u enjoy your trip!

Wasted about lembeh straits... saw lots of colored anglerfish (frog fish) when i was there. they sure make good macroshots models.

nice pics! thanks for sharing.