Dive Shots: Indonesia, Borneo, Philippines

[Patwa]

more from the Philippines...

massive purple barrel sponge

ocellaris clowns with juveniles (nemo!) in anemone

tunicate

leather (sarcophyton)

tomato clown

goniopora coral

plating montipora (or porites?)

crown of thorns starfish - coral predator (currently ravaging areas of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.....not so much here in the Phils)

reefscene

check out the profile of the big trumpet fish...

 

[Patwa]

black coral and crinoid

bright orange tunicate (sponge)

tomato clowns in anemone

white frogfish

beautiful pink mottled porites (maybe a montipora???)

Divemaster Noel (Genesis Divers)

huge bright yellow leather (sarcophyton)

Zach

 

[Patwa]

some from above water


Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila

Tarsier....world's smallest primate....damn straight, he was as small as a grapefuit!!!!

the iconic philippine Jeepney...soo many colours, figured black and white still gets the crazyness across

me at Chocolate Hills, Bohol

Virgin Island, Bohol - tiny island with a long, sweeping sand bar

Moalboal beach scene

Alona Beach at sunset

siesta time, manila style

Baclayon Church (one of the oldest in the Phils, circa 1727)

 

[ousnakebyte]

The frogfish on that Tubastrea micrantha colony is awesome! What great contrast. I'm so jealous your scored a frogfish like that...

Cheers
Mike

 

[Patwa]

gorgeous leather

tomato clown taking the offensive

he came after me a few times!

crinoid on the move....awesome, jellyfish-like movements

rockfish

 

[Patwa]

pretty cool nem!

sponge

goby in his hole...didn't see his shrimp buddy
though

 

[Patwa]

psychedelic urchin!

dendronepthya

hawkfish

my dive buddy from Montreal...and divemaster in the background

taking a short nap in between dives

 

[ousnakebyte]

The growth form of this coral is REALLY interesting. I assume that's why it caught your eye. Very cool.

Awesome pics as always. I see now what you mean about the color balance (too blue vs not too blue).

Well done.

Cheers
Mike

 

[Pylos]

I just got back from the Philippines on a dive trip. It was amazing. Seeing these photos really sparks the initial impression back as if I were swimming along the reef again.

Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[psusocr]

great pics!

 

[Crustman]

Fantastic, huge leathers and crinoids all over the place. Some of those corals should be cultured.

 

[Patwa]

here are some more shots from the Philippines...

yellow leaf scorpionfish

orangutan crab in white bubble coral

nice platygyra

favia showing some very vigourous growth

one of my fav corals of all time...gorgeous pectinia.....shame my pic didn't turn out well

war coral....and the colour looks way off, but trust me when i say this red was ELECTTRIC...i took maybe 3 or 4 shots and this was the best....highlighter red, man...would go for a pretty penny over here i bet

blue sponge
53/]

pinkish/purple lobo....

massive anchor coral

 

[Patwa]

carnation coral

white-eyed moral eel

black (juvenile) ribbon eel

anemone shrimp

another sweet pectinia....4 colours...orange, yellow, white and green

couple of white eyes in a single hole

divemaster noel

 

[Patwa]

lionfish

 

[teemee]

Hey Patwa,
Thanks for posting these pictures
Was esp. loving the pics of my most favorite anemone, heteractis aurora - one of which looks like its splitting, which is cool. Mine just died after having the bejeezus stung out of it by my LTA, but I'm going to be on the lookout for one when I get back. Prob at NAFB - I'm from TO, too!
I'm going to be leaving soon for 2 months in Indo, including 6 weeks in Lembeh, the critter capital of Indo. Can't wait!

 

[ousnakebyte]

Nice pictures as always Zach. I share your sentiments on Pectinia - they don't get enough love here. This is one of the corals we were working with during the spawning workshop I referred to in my thread, and they produce SO MUCH egg and sperm to work with - they are so easy.

But, the growth pattern and the colors of many of those colonies is fantastic. In fact, growth form often gets me more excited about a coral than colors.

Cheers
Mike

 

[percula99]

Patwa, you do live the life. I have followed several of your threads and I am always amazed at the locations you dive and the photos you take. Really nice work dude. Keep it up.

 

[Patwa]

Hey Patwa,
Thanks for posting these pictures
Was esp. loving the pics of my most favorite anemone, heteractis aurora - one of which looks like its splitting, which is cool. Mine just died after having the bejeezus stung out of it by my LTA, but I'm going to be on the lookout for one when I get back. Prob at NAFB - I'm from TO, too!
I'm going to be leaving soon for 2 months in Indo, including 6 weeks in Lembeh, the critter capital of Indo. Can't wait!

hey... i love meeting fellow Torontonians ...your dive trip to Lembeh sounds awesome.....was watching a dive documentary recently and I believe it was Lembeh they were investigating....keep ur eyes out for the flamboyant cuttlefish!! they're tiny, but ohh so worth it!!!

Nice pictures as always Zach. I share your sentiments on Pectinia - they don't get enough love here. This is one of the corals we were working with during the spawning workshop I referred to in my thread, and they produce SO MUCH egg and sperm to work with - they are so easy.

But, the growth pattern and the colors of many of those colonies is fantastic. In fact, growth form often gets me more excited about a coral than colors.

ditto....love that coral, if not for the crazy colours, it's the growth pattern! Funny enough, I went diving in the phils with the express purpose of seeing some key species....this was one of them

When I spotted it on the dive, i made an immediate b-line right toward it.....my DM thought I had dropped something important...when i motioned it was a coral I was after, he understood (on the surface all I do is talk about the corals I want to see or the corals I just saw on the dive lol)

Patwa, you do live the life. I have followed several of your threads and I am always amazed at the locations you dive and the photos you take. Really nice work dude. Keep it up.

thanks, bro! I dive 'cuz it makes me happy....i snap pics cuz it makes you guys happy

right now, for 2012, i'm toying with either South Africa to dive with the Great Whites......OR a trip to Chile, of which a trip to Easter Island is guaranteed ...diving with Moai, anyone? 2012 should be a treat, either way!

can you dig it?

Zach

 

[spy_spy]

very nice.. thanks for sharing

 

[wilsonreefs]

OK, I know why you posted your pics.....to make the rest of us jealous! JK, Man, I am jealous though awesome dives. I liked the photos of the Moorish Idols, I would really like to have one in my 240. I'm just too skeptical because I've heard of their survival rate...

Did anyone else see the snowflake eel?

Great pictures!

Carl