Wednesday 31 October 2012

Furana nudibranch, Faru Outer and Bandos Maagaa

Nudibranch, Nembrotha guttata
Tuesday 30th October

The seas were very rough today so the dive operation changed the dive sites to ensure safe and comfortable experiences for everyone. The first morning dive was at Furana South where we had a great dive with a school of 10 Mobilis, which are a very small species of manta ray. At the end of the dive at safety stop depth at the top of the reef Bill found a wonderful florescent red nudibranch which I have never seen before. We also saw some obliging turtles which never seem fazed by our presence and just carry on feeding. This one took a mouthful of soft coral.
Fayaz gives dive briefing
A Motley Crew!
Clare
Bandos
Blackside Hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri
Devilrays, Mobula japanica


Double-saddled Butterflyfish, Chaetodon falcula
Featherstar, Stephanometra species
Giant Moray, Gymnothorax javanicus
Sea Whip
Hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata


Noble featherstar, Comanthina nobilis
Nudibranch, Nembrotha guttata
Oyster
Pin-cushion Sea Star, Culcita schmideliana
Red-toothed Triggerfish, Odonus niger
Saddled Sharpnose Puffer, Canthigaster valentini
Sea fan
Soft Coral (Siphonogorgia sp)
The second morning dive was at Faru Outer where we saw plenty of honeycomb morays.
Alcyonaria soft coral
Bigeye Bream, Monotaxis grandoculis
Black-spotted Puffer, Arothron nigropunctatus
Clown triggerfish, Balistoides conspicullum
Blotched Porcupinefish, Diodon liturosus
Featherstar on Sea Fan
Featherstar on Whip Coral
Four-saddle Grouper, Epinephelus spilotoceps
Fluted Giant Cclam, Tridacna squamosa
Gold-striped Emperors, Gnathodentex aureolineatus
Gold-striped Emperors, Gnathodentex aureolineatus with
Bluestripe Snappers
Guinea fowl Pufferfish, Arothron meleagris
Honeycomb Moray, Gymnothorax favagineus

Imperial Angelfish, Pomacanthus imperator
Powder-blue Surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucosternon
Red and Yellow Clathria, Clathria sp
Sailfin Tang, Zebrasoma desjardinii
Yellowmargin Triggerfish, Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus

The afternoon dive was at Bandos Maagaa, which is just north of Bandos Kuda (Little Bandos) which I have never dived before.
Hassan's dive briefing
Banded Coral Shrimp, Stenopus hispidus
 I put my hand on the sand and the cleaning shrimp approached and checked me out for morsels.
Black-spotted Pufferfish, Arothron nigropunctatus 
Clark's Anemonefish , Amphiprion clarkii
Clown Triggerfish, Balistoides conspicullum
Cock's Comb Oyster, Lopha cristagalli
Cock's Comb Oyster, Lopha cristagalli
Common Lionfish, Pterois volitans
Common Lionfish, Pterois volitans
Featherstar on fan coral
Giant Moray, Gymnothorax javanicus
Giant Moray, Gymnothorax javanicus
Graeffe's Sea Cucumber,
Pearsonothuria graeffei
Graeffe's Sea Cucumber,
Pearsonothuria graeffei
Humbug Dascyllus, Dascyllus aruanus
Octopus cyanea
Orange Anthias, Pseudanthias squamipinnis
Orange-crumble Sponge, Acarnus sp
Scribbled Filefish, Aluterus scriptus 
Soft Didemnum sea squirts, Didemnum molle  & Featherstar
Spotfin LIonfish, Pterois antennata
Variable Thorny Oysterm,
Spondylus varians 
Yellow Calcite Sponge, Clathrina species
The night dive at Banana Reef has been postponed for a couple of days due to the weather.

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