The Revenge of the Megabranch

   Two days ago i hauled my sweetie down to the pier.  I had seen the monster baracuda the day before and I thought we had a chance to find it again.  Besides which, these are halcyon days here in Kailua, with relatively cool breezes and tolerably cool ocean water; it wsas the perfect day for a swim.

   As expected, the water was cool and very clear.  As we swam out to the palace, there were relatively few fish, but we were enjoying swimming together so it didn't seem to matter.  W swam seaward from the last

Sea Slug Photographed from about ten feet

 buoy into cloudy water, but were unable to rouse either the fish ball or the barracuda.  Turning for home,  we followed the line where the coral transitions to sand, the palanis and ringtails foraging over the sand to our left.  As we neared the buoy, I spotted an oval twentyfive feet down below on the sand.  It could have been a small piece of coral or a stone jutting out, but it was too symmetrical. 

    I dove down and got a picture.  As I surfaced, Sandra called me over to look at a flounder, which we watched for a minute or so.  Turning back to our find, I was surprised to see that in that short time it had moved about five feet.  Not only that, but contrary to what I had assumed only a minute or so before, my time for documenting this mollusc (for it had to be either a snail or a nudibranch) was going to be limited, as he  was headed for the shelter of a coral head.

   I dove deep twice, getting within about four feet of this motivated critter.  After I surfaced for the last time, we watched him disappear under the coral head.   A small discussion ensued as we passed the camera back and forth looking at our photographic evidence.   I was pretty sure that this was a nudibranch as we could

Platydoris formosa    Kailua Kona    25 ft   2014

see no shell in the picture, but this was (in my limited experience with the nudibranchia) a very large animal.  Unprecedented. 

     My experience with living nudibranchs began as a teenager, when I saw a colony living in Neatarts Bay near Tillamook, Oregon.  This group disappeared a year following my discovery.  Since then,  my experience has been sadly small, running to four or five nudibranch species in than Sea of Cortez, one or two in the Carribean,  three in Indonesia and only two in Hawaii.. Six years ago we saw Julianna's Sea Hare among the rocks at Pahoehoe Beach Park after a rain.  And that was my last Hawaiian sea slug sighting. The sea hare was an amazing animal, almost four inches in length.  Among all my other nudibranch sightings, I had seen animals no larger than my thumb, both in width a length.  This creature was five inches long and at least two inches wide. 

   As a point of explanation, my sea slug experience has been limited by three factors.  First, I don't dive.  Second, I rarely snorkel at night.  And third, I am limited to sites that can be reached from a shore entry.  Suffice it to say, while I have found nudibranchs interesting, my experience is pathetically small and doomed to remain so.

    Back at the ranch, I worked on improving our photograph while Sandra perused the World Wide Web.  She hit pay dirt in a website published by Cory Pittman and  Pauline Fiene. Cory is a naturalist based in Washington State while Pauline works as a dive guide on Maui.  They are both serious scientists and have species of nudibranchs named in their honor.  Talk about living the dream.  Their website is amazing and I invite you to pause to take a look:

http://seaslugsofhawaii.com/

Platydoris formosa from Seaslugs of Hawai'i

    If you look through their thumbs and descriptions, you will see that there are plenty of larger sea slugs.  I actually like my picture pretty well. It provides a good look at the rhinophores (chemical receptors which many of us might refer to as antennae) and the gills. I think both look like a reticulated membrane as opposed to single projections.   As contact information was included, I sent both Pittman and Fiene my two pictures and some field notes, including my best guess as to identification.  Cory wrote back in less than 24 hours.  In a laconic note, he verified that this was Platydoris formosa, which was my best guess based on their wonderful website.  I hope you enjoy my pictures and perhaps you can try your hand using the Pittman/Fiene website.  I'm certain that you will find their pictures and descriptions enlightening.

jeff

Julianna's Sea Hare, Larry Basch, National Park Service

Happy Thanksgiving

     Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day, so with that in mind I went down to the last place that I saw a turkeyfish, now known more properly as the Hawaiian Green Lionfish.   The idea being, that if I have made a

You Don't Need to be the Emir of Kuwait to Eat at the Fish Hopper.

tradition of searching for a Christmas Wrasse on Christmas Day, why shouldn't I look for a Turkeyfish on Thanksgiving.  Suffice it to say, turkeyfish, at least at snorkeling depths in the middle of the day, are rare as hen's teeth.  So the quest was more Quixotic than our Yuletide tradition.

     On the way to the pier I passed the Fish Hopper.  The hostess there was posting their Thanksgiving menu which did not offer Turkeyfish, but rather a complete turkey dinner, replete with cranberry sauce and stuffing.  Or if you were feeling particularly flush, say you just got off your private jet from Dubai, you could have the rack of lamb.  I had left Sandra at home, slaving

Perhaps Next Thanksgiving Our Hawaiian President Will Pardon A Turkeyfish!

   

 over a hot stove, so from my point of view these choices were moot.  To be fair, I asked her if she wanted to come snorkeling and she replied that she was already looking forward to me being out of the house for a couple hours.  Go figure!

    At the pier, everyone was full of holiday cheer and good will.  A gentleman who had just swum ashore was pleased to find an audience in yours truly.  He had just seen a barracuda, he said, a great big one.  It was following the fish ball which when he left it was just seaward of the last swim buoy.   I had heard of this great Great barracuda before we left for the land of the Barong.  In fact, a month ago I followed someone's instructions and swam all the way out to the anchored boats and didn't see giblets.  (I hope you appreciate the amount of investigative work that produced a word that might mean worthless turkey organs!)

    Two weeks ago we saw a great barracuda in Bali, but I had not seen one in Hawaii since February of 2012, nigh on three years.   Armed with precise instructions, I plunged, brimming with anticipation, into the

My last Greast Barracuda in Hawaii  Kailua Bay Feb 2014

 cool, clear Thanksgiving Day waters of Kailua Bay.  Looking for a Turkeyfish as I swam out, I made it to the fourth swim buoy.  Here there were not even haggis, which might describe the animal  products left over at the Fish Hopper.  As I wasn't in the boat channel, at least not yet, I started making concentric circles from a spot twenty yards southwest of that fell buoy.

     Looking for the fish ball, I paid particular attention to cloudy water.  While I realize that this observation relies heavily on Jeffrey Hill Unpublished Data, I am absolutely convinced that the water around the fish ball is cloudy.  I don't know if the big eye scad seek out cloudy water or if the enormous amount of fish generate the cloudy water.  Nevertheless, on my second looping pass, there was the fishball.  And sure enough, there on the mauka side was the barracuda!  All those descriptions I had been hearing back on the beach were accurate...this was one big fish, probably the biggest barracuda I have ever seen.

Great Barracuda  Kailua Bay  November 2014

     I had the camera ready and as the barracuda swam away (into the cloudy water) I snapped off four quick shots.  Sadly, the mode the camera was in included flash, so while you see a barracuda, the dingy water is reflected back and its a poor picture.  But it is documentary evidence.  Luckily, the quick look that I had was significantly better than what you see here.

    After the big fish swam into the murk, I looked up to find that my concentric circles had brought me a lot closer to the anchored boats than I was to the last swim buoy, which was now about a hundred yards away.  Not to worry.  That's why God gave us swim fins, a good attitude, barracudas and Thanksgiving.  Not necessarily in that order.

    It was unlikely that I would see a Turkeyfish on Turkey Day.  The way I felt, the Great Barracuda was way more than I had any rights to hope for.  On the way back to the beach I sang (through my snorkel, of course) that anthem made popular by Heart, back when I was chasing girls to no noticeable effect at the University of Washington.   For the rest of the blog I invite you to click on the link, pretend that its back in the 70's and listen to the Girls from Jet City earn their chops.

Here's What They Serve on Thanksgiving in Bali!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0OX_8YvFxA

    This, of  course, led me to recollect my sister in law's automobile.   Barbara owned one of the last barracudas (the car, not the fish) in existence.  She loved her 'cuda.  One sad night in the early nineties a drug crazed drunk smashed that defenseless yellow antique to smithereens.  Chuck and Barb were roused from sleep about  2 AM to a repeated banging in front of their home, nestled halfway between the Seattle Zoo and the Fremont Stone People.  The aforementioned DCD had his car perpendicular on their small street and was repeatedly smashing the 'cuda and the Chevy that had the misfortune to be parked on the other side.  Seattle's finest, when called to the scene, shot the guy dead before he could explain his motivations.  Or at least that's what they would do now.  And it would serve him right. 

Barracuda!

    Let's hope this barracuda has a better fate and that lots of curious snorkelers get a peek.

jeff

Back in Kona or a Kailua Beach Update.

    We have been back for about five days now.  Despite her whimperings at the airport, Anita has gone back to Calgary.  Yesterday, with the boat finally under the sails, we took our first swim on the home

Dr. Gray Delivers a Lesson In Carcinology at K Bay.

court.  Snorkeling at Kahaluu, we didn't see very much to report upon.  But the water was cool and clear and we saw a couple young families swimming responsibly out on the reef.  Back ashore, Sandra made friends with a girl who had captured a Left Handed Hermit Crab.  How lucky was that urchin that the Queen of the Genus Calcinus was there to help with the identification of Ca. laevimanus?   With a promise that Poncho's best friend would be returned to the same spot in K Bay the following day, Sandra taught her how to feed Lefty tidbits of chicken from a toothpick. 

    This morning, with Sandra on her way to the ophthalmologist in Honolulu, I went swimming on the PAR.  I encountered a young man out in front of Paul Allen's estate who had his Go Pro mounted on a yellow floating handle.  As opposed to one of those three foot sticks that seem to empower novices into terrorizing our friends with fins.(I have worked up a little  vignette inolving the Go Pro inventor, the NYPD

Big Nose Unicornfish.  Or Is It The Bluenose Unicornfish? 

and that expletive deleted stick.  I'm certain that you would find it amusing, but Sandra will not permit me to publish my amusing tale.)

    Having taken a dip in our Hawaiian waters,  I wanted to give a comparison between snorkeling on the Big Island and in Bali.  First, most of the fish that we see here are in Bali, as well.  We probably saw 75 of the regular Hawaiian species and about two hundred more species of fish over our two weeks identifying the fish in the Land of the Barong.   The Yellow Tang, which is the backdrop for Hawaiian snorkeling, is an exception.  although it is not a Hawaiian endemic, it does not occur in Indonesia.   Neither does the Christmas Wrasse and Achilles Tang.  But the number of fishes that we cataloged in Bali that we see routinely in Hawaii was never the less immense.

    Diversity and numbers aside, I believe we in Hawaii owe ourselves a round of applause.  Compared with the equivalent sites in Bali, where tourists can enter the water from the shore, our shalow reefs are spotless.

Pacific Double Saddle Butterflyfish  Jemeluk  2014

 Any of us who snorkel around the pier regularly can remember a rare event, like a drunk throwing in a magazine rack, that caused a temporary underwater litter problem. But the waters around Jemeluk were Lady Bird Johnson's worst nightmare.  I was continually bumping into floating bags, wrappers and boxes.  There was a dirty diaper a few feet away from where we saw the Ocellated Dragonet.  How disgusting is that? 

     Although they are providing the lodging and access, this can not be blamed on the Balinese.  And there was no one there from Etats Unis (except Sandra and me... and I can assure you we did not litter.) No, the people responsible for this littering were French and Australian, pretty much without question.  Full contact snorkeling occurs both here and there.  All we can do is try to help swimmers towards better behavior no matter where we are.

     So the bottom line is that the water here on the Big Island is clear and cool.  Get on out there and see a fish for me.

White Belly Puffer  C. benneti  Jemeluk 2014

jeff

PS. As we go along, I will show you a few more pictures taken in the Java Sea.  And I will be dribbling in updates from our Bali identifications.   The Canthigaster referred to in one of the Lipah Bay blogs was identified by Luiz Rocha of the California Academy of Science as C. benneti.  It was wearing a cryptic coloration that may be new to science.  The identification apparently hinges on the red lines you see on the forehead and nape.

    Tomorrow I will get my hands on Jack Randall's West Pacific book in the Kailua Library with hopes of pinning down two gorgeous parrotfish.  Wish me luck

j

This Color Pattern of C. benneti Gave Drs. Randall and Rocha Something To Ponder

The Tradgedy of Jemeluk

   As we prepared for our last snorkeling outing in Bali, we walked down to the beach at Jemeluk about 3:30 in the afternoon.  And were greeted by an incredibly sad sight.  There on the gravel beach, about five feet

Spotfin Lionfish on the beach at Jemeluk

 from the water, was a dead lionfish. On the Blue Star Reef, I had enjoyed a single close encounter with each of the two lionfish species one might to expect to find here in the Amed area.  I could not help but wonder, was this the very Spotfin Lionfish I had seen two nights before?

    In a way, the dead lionfish was a metaphor for what is happening on the coast of Karangasem.  That is to say, massive development of the worst kind.  For some time now, throughout the world, anyplace special has fallen into the sights of developers.  It happened to Sisters, Oregon around 1995.  I was complaining about the track houses two blocks of the old main street and the condominiums rising into my view of the Three Sisters and my son said, "Dad!  What did you think was going to happen?"  He was only ten or so, but he delivered the wake up call loud and clear.  

Raggy Scorpionfish  S. venosa  Jemeluk  2014

    Since then, the pace has been inexorable.  When Sandra and I first came to the Amed area in  2008, there was only one lodging at Jemeluk, the Diver's Cafe on the western point.  Now there is solid development on the coastline for at least a mile.  This being Indonesia, it appears that little in the way of building regulation applies.  If you have a hammer, saw and some lumber, you can throw up a building anywhere and call it a homestay.  Iluh, the lady who operates Blue Star, sold the land for the adjacent Villa Coral, to fund the conversion of a Balinese compound into the property where we lodged.  Between Blue Star and Divers Cafe, there is now a chain of lodgings, slapped up apparently without regulation.

    It is difficult for the Balinese to believe that this sort of willy nilly development might not be permitted elsewhere in the world.  

Sea Fan  Bispira spp  Jemeluk 2014

     At any rate, this area that seemed so peaceful back in 2008 is radically changed.  Entering fromn the Diver's Cafe, we swam virtually alone in November of 2008 and 2009.  There is nothing quite so

Slender Grouper An. leucogrammicus  Jemeluk  2014

 pleasurable  as swimming among intact coral and looking at spectacular marine life all by yourself.  During this stay, we were never anywhere in Jemeluk Bay with out being in the company of other swimmers.  Frequently they were wearing tennis shoes, the better to stand upon and push off against the marine life.  We saw lots of broken coral.  Its really sad.

     So far though, it hasn't affected the fish and other marine life very much.  On this final evening swim, we saw three Raggedy Scorpionfish.  We had seen this species in Pemuteran in 2009, also in the evening.  Isn't he an ugly spud?  The unsightly scorpionfish was  followed in short order by a gorgeous violet fan worm...the first one of that group that I have seen. 

    At 4:30 there was already an obnoxious Aussie on the verandah of Diver's Cafe, yelling at the many swimmers.  Bizarre bordering on the surreal.  We said hello to the Slender Grouper, who was hunting actively over the reef . On our way to the beach we got a final peek at this Phyllidia nudibranch.

     all in all, we enjoyed our stay in Jemeluk.  We saw lots of marine animals, both fish and critters.  And we made lots of new friends among the staff and our fellow travelers at Blue Star.  The Amed area is still a snorkelers paradise and one that can be achieved on a budget.   However, development is progressing at a rapid rate and there are countless Australians and Europeans eager to come to these beaches for a bargain holiday.  So if you want to take advantage of this area (Jemeluk in particular) I would recommend that you come soon.

Our Last Day in Jemeluk

      The fish finding portion of our vacation is coming to an end.  In fact, today will see our last two forays in to the Java Sea.   We feel like we have done pretty well here with four species of anemone fish leading the

The identity of this gorgeous parrotfish remains a mystery.

way.  Curiously, almost every day, we add a fish that we know from Hawaii.  Yesterday, for example, we saw a pair of Ornate Butterflyfish. 

     Parrotfish, in particular, remain enigmatic.  I have pretty good pictures of at least two species that the available book, Reef Fish/ Tropical Pacific doesn’t picture.  In two cases his descriptions include the caveat that he makes the identification based on distribution.  Which doesn’t really help because the pictures don't match up.  Here is a picture of a gorgeous parrotfish taken yesterday to which I can currently not provide a name.  I have reminded my beloved companion many times that
Hawaii is dramatically different from the Java Sea.  John Hoover’s most recent effort pretty much shows every pattern of every fish that is remotely likely.  A magnum opus, to be sure.  To accomplish that feat here, would require thousands of pictures.

  Yesterday, we added only one fish.  However, it was just the sort of fish  with  which a bird watcher would revel.  Our newest friends, two triatheletes from Perth, had regaled us with tales of the Blue Ringed Octopus.  Six months ago while staying here in Jemeluk,   Sue had seen one of these tiny cephalopods six

Ocelated Dragonet  S. ocellatus  Jemeluk  2014

months ago.  The poor thing had been captured by a local urchin, who had, up to that point, avoided contact with the poison for which this animal is famous.  She was able to point across her cup of coffee, and between the beach umbrellas, to a spot just fifty feet up the beach.   The blue ringed octopus had been captured there, she declared.

      Before we took our dip I read in my enormous Coral Reef animals by Gosliner, et al and verified that the Blue Ring Octopus lives in the shallows among rubble and is active by day.  So as we entered, I was geared up to look carefully among the rubble.  Sure enough, just after I put on my fins, here was something moving among the stones and coral fragments.  It was no octopus, but a small fish, perhaps five centimeters in length.  He was long and thin and he crawled gurnard-like across the sandy rubble using his pectoral fins.  These were not as long as a gurnard’s, but were nevertheless quite handsome, black with festive orange fringes.  Go Beavers!  The rest of the fish was sadly a muddle of browns and grays.  We watched him for several minutes and sure enough, a second individual appeared.  I believe they were in love!

  It wasn't until we looked at the pictures on the computer that we were able to say for sure that these were Ocellated Dragonets.  I hope all you Oregon State fand appreciate the support that this fish shows for your team!

      Eventually even a jewel like this must be forsaken and we swam to  the outer reef.  One of the surprises we have discovered here in Jemeluk is large underwater sculpture.  At the east end of the bay, by the Diver’s Café, we have seen a Hindu godess and dolphins surrounding a mermaid.  Hee in front of Bleu Star, we found a large Japanese pagoda.  In the vicinity was  large Golden Spadefish.  Eventually we saw a second of these, as well.  This large fellow was kind enough to let me approach for a picture.

     On the outer reef we were lucky to witness a yellow trumpetfish hunting with a pair of yellow Virgate Rabbitfish.  In Hawii, the yellow trumpet sometimes uses Yellow Tang as a stalking horse.  We have never seen a better example of this behavior.

      On another front, last night we were more adventuresome with our dining.  As it is far from expensive to dine at Blue Star and the food is pretty good, we have not ventured off the reservation for even one meal.

 As we had a couple less than perfect fish experiences earler in the trip, we had not partaken of the fish offerings here.  In the early afternoon, while chatting on the beach, the ladies from Perth alerted Sandra that the fish in banana leaf was excellent.  Nyoman the Cute (self-appointed) encouraged our selection by noting that they had fresh mahi mahi and it was really good.

     Sandra ordered the aforementioned banana leaf fish and I had the fish cooked in coconut milk.  Both were absolutely toothsome.  So much so, that we are both looking forward to the dinner bell this evening!  On the side, I had garlic potatoes, which was an adventure in itself....the Balinese love garlic in a way not commonly encountered.  For a beverage, we had cokes on ice.  Up to this meal,  Nyoman and her colleagues had held out on the ice.  In this climate, it was such a treat that when Sandra failed to finish her ice we look it home!

    At 35,000 IDR (remeber to divide by 12,005) this meal was perhaps the culinary bargain of the century.  As we consumed the last few morsels, we speculated what this meal would have cost in Paris.  On the other hand, here in amed we don't have Le Metro, the Eiffel Tower or Marcel Marceau.

     Its time to sign this one off and head for the beach.  I promise to see a fish for you,

jeff

 

   
      

Two New Fish and Spam is the Bomb!

    It stands to reason that the more we snorkel here in the Amed area, the more difficult it will be to add species to the list.  Yesterday we added two really good fishes (and a couple others), changed our base and

Bicolor Angelfish, C. bicolor,  Tulamben  Nov. 2014

 visited our friend Ketut and his family.

     The day began at the Liberty Dive Resort, surrounded by the legion of young people they employ as housekeepers, waitresses, cooks and groundskeepers.  A million smiles and hellos.  While we devoured their large breakfast (the proprietors realize that divers need lots of energy) we said goodbye to Thomas and Mavis, a newlywed couple from Taipei.  We had met them the day before in an identical circumstance: they were preparing for a diving expedition by donning their dive outfits in the pool adjacent to the dining pavilion and I was a nuisance looking for a friend.  That night we arrived at the restaurant at the same time, pulled two tables together and had a delightful conversation over Beef Rangen and a couple of Bintangs (the beer of Bali).

      Having packed up our worldly belongings, we headed out for our last trip to the Tulamben coral garden.  Just before we reached the shallow reef, we spotted a pair of Bicolor Angelfish hanging around a couple

Calcinus Sandrai...Actually Ca minutus,  Tulamben 2014

 rocks in the sandy bottom, about twenty five feet deep.  They were both beautiful and cooperative and we did our best to dive deep for a photo op.

     On the reef it was usual suspects among the fishes, but we were lucky enough to find our first hermit crab.  We found two individuals, both hanging out on the top of  small corals.  At first blush, they belong to the genus Calcinus.  You may recall that Sandra is a world expert in this area of carcinology  With a measure of luck we were able to put a name to them.  I personally think that Ca. Sandrai is more colorful than Ca. minutus.

    We had to check out by noon, so our explorations were cut a bit short.  On our way back to the entry I found Sandra a perfect little abalone shell twinkling on  the bottom.  That was her first birthday present.  It was Nov 10th here yesterday and it is November 10th in the USA today.  What a lucky girl!

Deewah and the Spam!

   On our way to our new lodgings we visited Ketut's family.  He was our driver in Bali five years ago and became a close friend.  At Casa Ketut we were reunited with Nanaahk, his wife, Ketut's mother, who both this time and before held back from a central role. We also met Noman, who was just over a year when we saw him last time.  He is now a busy six year old.  And we met Ketut Number 2, who is no more than two.  No surprise, he is a chubby version of his brother at about the same age.

     As the visit progressed,  more people showed up.  Deewah, a pretty fourteen year old niece arrived with fruit and cake.  A bit later, her mother came to say hello, although her English was apparently limited to that one phrase.  Clearly the word was out that the circus was in town, because soon two neighbor girls arrived full of smiles, eager to join in the festivities.

Ketut and his Grandmother

    For our part, I passed out Kirkland Energy bars, which we foisted off as candy.  Soon Sandra came up with a brilliant idea to keep the party going.  Thinking that we might need some Hawaiian soul food, we had brought with us two cans of Spam left over from the hurricane provisions.  We passed around the spam, each person being required to pose with this quintessential Sandwich Island  treat.  The spam was as big a hit as the energy bars and yielded some excellent photos.  And we left the spam with Nanaahk with the admonition that it is sort of like sausage and goes well with eggs. 

    I do not mean to overstate our effect, but these people, who reside just 300 yards from the main road, live a life perched between the 21st Century and a 19th century agrarian existence.  their predicament is not unlike Abraham Lincoln in  Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.  There is a TV in the main  room, but its not 

The Gorgeous  Neon Damsel is One of the Regulars

works.  Sandra is fairly certain that they don't have a refrigerator. In addition to driving, Ketut farms a paddy of rice and a garden of fruits and vegetables.  When he is not in school, Noman seems to just hang around the house.   One hesitates to superimpose ones expectations on others, but to us it seems a little sad.     A snooty soccer mom might ask, "Where is the intellectual stimulation?"  And she might have a point.

     It is interesting that Ketut chose this path.  He graduated from high school in Amlapura and would have qualified for a job in that comfortable small city.  Instead, he returned to marry the girl next door and take over the family farm and the care of his aging parents. What he gained was the support of his local community and their religion.  While it is hard for me truly comprehend, these things are very important to the Balinese. 

    Eventually the party wound down and Ketut drove us into Amed, depositing us at the Blue Star B&B in Jemeluk.   (Please do not make the same mistake as me.  The name is pronounced Gem A Luke.  If you

A Juvinile Clark's Anemonefish  Jemeluk  2014

 substitute Luck, you will be corrected every time.

     Blue Star is exactly the opposite of the Liberty Dive Resort.  It is basically an aging Balinese compound with a bit of addition around the restaurant.  We were ensconced in the upstairs unit, a spacious room with harmoniously antiquated (some might say tacky) furnishings and a large WC with a huge tub.  No TV or refrigerator, but right on one of the best snorkeling beaches in Indonesia.  As it had a been a busy day, Sandra collapsed.

      Always the drudge, I put on my wet swimsuit and headed for the reef.  An hour of paddling around yielded a good variety of usual suspects, which now includes the incredible multicolored mantis shrimp.  As the sun was heading towards the horizon and  I was setting up to photograph a pretty green

The Clearfin Lionfish makes the Scene In front of thd  Blue Star   Jemeluk

crinoid, a lionfish swam into a nearby crevice.   He was a big fish, a large Clearfin Lionfish, Pt. radiata.  His bare spines filled the gap in the coral filled the gap in the coral.   He allowed two quick snapshots before receding into a cavity in the coral.

     It was a a very full day, full of fish and friends.  We look forward to several good days of fishwatching in Jemeluk and I'm sure we will make many new friends.

jeff    

SPAM !

The Fishes of Tulamben and The Ceremony of the Full Moon (Purnama)

    Sandra and I have been very busy during our stay at Tulamben.  We went snorkeling on consecutive days.   The first day, the water was fairly flat.  The second, yesterday, there was a substantial amount of

False Clown Anemonefish, Tulamben 2014

 chop.  There was one unifying feature, however.  On both days there was a substantial amount of current over the Coral Garden.   This wasn't a danger, as all it was doing was pushing us back the way we came.  But it was exhausting.  

     When we weren't fighting the sea, we saw some pretty good fish.  We have increased the number of anemonefish to four.  Yesterday, with Canon D 10, we got acceptable pictures of the skunk and the false clown.  Clarke's Anemonefish is difficult to photograph, as every time I try to approach an adult, he turns to face me.  Hence, I have ended up with too many pictures of the anemonefish's nose. 

     The big find over the last two days was a Leaf Scorpionfish.  Although he was in about twenty feet of water, the fish was bright yellow and fairly easy to spot.  Getting down to him to take a picture was another matter.  At that depth, all I can do is dive and get one shot before I am rising like a damn cork. 

Skunk Anemonefish  Tulamben  2014

  Aside from being a very interesting fish, this species was important to me personally because I missed it the last time here. 

  Sandra and I took a snorkeling tour from Permuteran to Menjangen Island.   Several people on the boat (including sandra) saw a Leaf Scorpionfish, but I was off looking at something else and missed my chance.  It wasn't until we were back on the boat that I got the full explanation and realized what I had missed.  Any bird watcher worth his salt will tell you that such an experience puts a species high up on the old  wish list.

     Towards the end of yesterday's swim, we saw a pair of Pennant Bannerfish, our third Heniochus for the trip.  This was in an area of substantial current

 which posed a bit of a problem for photography.  We used good team work, though, and eventually got the shot.  Go Huskies! (Who, I am told, are not thriving in our absence.)

    From the standpoint of invertebrates, we have enjoyed a variety of crinoids, a puffy green zoanthid and some curious serpentine sponges.  The big find was a a nice big cushion star.  Unlike the fish, he held nice and still to get his picture taken.

    The social side of our trip has been every bit as interesting as the fish watching.  Our new friends Wayan and Wayan,  the Balinese restaurateurs, were super nice and invited us to accompany them to the Full Moon  Ceremony at the local temple.  They added critical pieces of couture to our make shift

outfits.  Wayan even crowned me with one of his spare udengs.  In all modesty, I must say that we were the best looking Hau'oli's at the Moon Ceremony.

    We didn't really know what to expect.  I was hoping that a legong dance would break out, but that was a pipe dream.  As it turned out, the critical religious reason for this part of  the Purnama moon ceremony (it had been going on for three nights) involved families bringing offerings to be blessed by the priest.  These would then be retrieved, taken home and imbue the family with good fortune.

     As we arrived, a large number of what I assume where lower caste Hindus were seated on the ground just outside the temple complex.  It is said of Bali Hinduism that there are only three castes: a tiny number of brahmins and Priests and a vast majority of the third, lower caste.  Our experience at the ceremony would suggest that this is not entirely accurate.

    We waited for about fifteen minutes, admiring the tall bamboo penjur that graced the temple gate.  To one side were stacked  the temple accoutrements...a large number of tall umbrellas, employed in the shading of the sacred bones, some ornamental spears and a few gilded arcs.  At the propitious moment, Wayan harkened to a silent dog whistle that only the matriarch can hear and she said, "Come, it is time for us to go in."

Two Hindus Ready for the Moon Dance

     Inside, there was a large area with more people and two pavillions, a gamelan band taking up the one at the west end.  They sere hammering away on the their bells and drums with such abamdon that I could barely make out the Van Morrison melody.  Wayan took us up to the inner temple where people were making their offerings.

      Back in the first complex, we discovered that flash pictures were permitted.  This was just in time, as the main show involved a parade that wound through the upper and lower temples.  Participants dressed in a variety of flashy clothing wound through the temple at a brish pace.  Some carried gilded arcs, others military flags (The central text of this brand of Hinduism involves an epic battle...you see statues relating to this battle everywhere in Bali), and a variety of offerings.

     After the parade we all settled down in the central courtyard and listened to the priest's blessing  After a while this changed in character, more like a fatherly sermon.  By his tone, I thought the priest was including

 humorous aphorisms, although no one laughed.  Wayan smiled at me and said, "Are you happy?"  I asserted that I was...and it was true.  The other Wayan held his nephew in his lap and fed him a small container of applesauce.  and above all, the full moon broke free of the clouds and rose above the temple. What a special moment  The people were enjoying their community in a unique and intimate way.   As the sermon went on and on, Wayan asked if we would like to go home and her husband was dispatched to ferry us back to the Liberty Dive Resort.  It was a wonderful evening that we will always remember.
jeff

Its a Wonderful Night for a Moon Dance.

Tulamben and the Liberty Dive Resort

     This morning we transitioned from Lipah Bay to the Liberty Dive Resort at Tulamben.  It was a bitter sweet experience.  Sandra and I are extremely fond of the staff at Bayu Cottages.  In as much as it is very
difficult to get to Bali, it is more than likely that this was our final parting.  Handshakes and hugs all around. Plus a photo op with Sandra, Nyoman and Ketut posing as Japanese Girls.  That's always enough to bring out the smiles.

     We were taken aback when our driver arrived to take us to Tulamben.  It was Ketut, our driver form five years before.  When we booked the trip, we tried to contact him.  The owner of  Bayu Cottages denied any precise knowledge of his whereabouts.  It now seems that receiving email was difficult for Ketut and that Marcel was deliberately withholding information so his driver could get the business.   A Machiavellian soap opera in Bali! How intriguing!

Three Spot Angelfish Tulamben Nov. 2014

    Ketut was as surprised as we were and we enjoyed a fond reunion as we made the 45 minute drive from Amed to Tulamben.  He had lots of news.  In the past five years he and his wife have  had a second son (named Ketut) and his father has passed away.  Moving his flag from Vienna Beach,  he is now the chief diver for the Liberty Dive Resort.    

    All of our family news aside, I suspect that you are more interested in the particulars of Tulamben and our lodgings.  As I promised at the beginning of this series, we are staying in pretty nice places for around $40 per night. At the Liberty Dive Resort we are paying 1,600,000 IDR for three nights.  divide by 12,005 and you get about $43 per night.
 For this we get a modern air conditioned room in a landscaped courtyard facing a pool.  And breakfast.  Bali is clearly the answer to a world class snorkeling experience on a budget. 

Fishes of the Java Sea  Coral Gardens, Tulamben 2014

    Of course, the reason we came was access to one of the most famous dive spots in the world, the wreck of the USAT Liberty.  The Liberty was a transport ship in WWII.  In 1942 it was torpedoes by the Japanese and beached here on Bali.  In 1963 Mount Agung erupted, destroying Tulamben and the surrounding area.  This destruction is still apparent as you drive into the Tulamben area.  The earthquake that accompanied the eruption moved the Liberty about 50 meters off shore where the deteriorating wreck rests to this day.

    Having left Lipah Bay before 8:30, we were all checked in and ready to go look at the fishes before 10 AM.  It is a short walk, less than 100 yards, down to the Java Sea.  Here one finds a long shingle beach. The Liberty Dive Resort is about 50 yards west of the wreck and so, after a stroll on the stony shore,

Sea Star,  Naroda spp  Coral Gardens,  Tulamben 2014

 we entered in that vicinity.  Us and a couple dozen other divers and snorkelers.  The mix favored the Japanese (some small irony there, not so dissimilar to tourists from the Land of the Rising Sun visiting the USS Arizona.  Tora, Tora, Tora.  But we're all friends now, so no worries.)  There were plenty of Europeans and Australians and at least two game Yankees.
 
    The dive site at Tulamben is divided into two portions, at least for snorkelers.  The wreck itself, which extends from about 50 feet almost to the surface is, of course, the first.  Further to the east, about 100yards or so, is the area known locally as Coral Garden.  We swam along the shore for just a few

Choir of Sponges, Wreck of the Liberty, Tulamben

minutes to reach the garden.  The water was warm clear and without current or chop.  Perfect conditions. 

    The Coral Garden is, in my opinion, is curiously named.  One might expect a profusion of coral.  As far as we can tell, this is not the case.  The hard and soft corals of Lipah Bay are infinitely larger, more profuse and diverse.  What we have at Tulamben, in front of the Matahari Resort, is a shelf that slopes from about a meter down to about twenty feet.  This shallow field is about 40 yards at its widest and is littered with small corals, other stationary invertebrates and rubble.  And fish.  For some reason, which may run heavily towards the diving community here at Tulamben not harassing the fish, there is a profusion of marine animals here in the garden.  On this dive, we saw two species of anemonefish (Skunk and Pink) in the garden and a third (Clark's) at the wreck.  What a relief to get that particular monkey off our backs.  We also saw a a pair of Three Spot Angelfish and a Diagonal Sweetlips back at the wreck, thus filling in the list for two  (at least up to this point in our trip)  under represented groups.  And we got two new sea stars for the trip.

Fish Curry at Lesehan Segara Tegeh

    We really enjoyed the new fish and the invertebrates, especially the sponges clinging to the wreck.  I hope you like the pictures.

       The day was filled out with a minimally adequate lunch at the resort followed by a well deserved nap.  Dinner was spectacular.  For dinner, we went out to the number one restaurant in Tulamben as rated by Tripadvisor,  Lesehan Segara Tegeh.  The owner, Wayan,  picked us up, and his wife, Wayan, prepared a gourmet meal.  As both the owner and his wife are named Wayan, one might think that this would lead to some confusion.  (Do the Balinese have jokes along this line?)   While Wayan prepared dinner, we enjoyed the sun setting behind Mt. Agung from the second floor of the restaurant.  As the light dwindled, Wayan made his way through the garden below, placing offerings of incense and flowers at the small shrines, finishing  in the two shrines within the small dining area.  Only in Bali.

jeff

A Trip to Japanese Wreck

    Two days ago, Sandra and I took a trip to Japanese Wreck.  This is a dive site about three or four kilometers to the east.  It is named for a moderately sized fishing boat (presumably owned and operated by

Made and Crew   Lipah Bay, Bali

someone associated with the Land of the Rising Sun) that went ashore there sometime in the past.  The decaying hulk is home to a variety of marine plants, corals and sponges.  But it is the marine area surrounding the wreck, an area of rich coral growth which supports a slightly better variety of fish, that is the main attraction.  At least as far as we are concerned.  Back in 2009, on a memorable day, the Snorkelkids saw 11 (eleven!) species of angelfish at this location.  That has to be some sort of record and we had been looking forward to a return engagement.

     Up to now, the land owners in this vicinity have recognized the value of their reef and have protected the environment, maintaining this haven for marine animals.  In the last few years, up and down the coast of Karangasem, there has been a spate of new

Semicircle Angelfish  Japanese Wreck, Karangasem, Bali 2014

development.  Since we were here five years ago, the shore adjacent to  Japanese Wreck now supports four large bungalows that might host up to 30 guests.  The owners advertise to attract groups, like business retreats.  One does not need to be a PhD Marine biologist to appreciate that such development is likely not in the best interest of the coral.  Global warming/climate change is probably the leading cause of the world wide coral death that we have witnessed over the last fifteen years.   But pollution is clearly a major factor, especially at the local level.

    On the spur of the moment, while attempting to change some left over Australian dollars at the local currency exchange in Lipah, I struck up a

Scissortail Fusilier Japanese Wreck 2014

conversation with a group of young men taking their leisure in the morning sun.  This conversation culminated in my contracting with two stalwarts to ferry my beloved and myself from Bayu Cottages to Japanese Wreck on the back of their scooters.  Thus, the following morning, Made, who cuts quite the dashing figure, and Nyoman, the Shylock himself, pulled up to our car park overlooking the bay.  

    Now I’m sure you are saying to yourself, that Jeff is such a damn wimp.  Why couldn’t he drive his own damn scooter with Sandra perched behind?   In fact, the last time I was in Bali, I took scooter lessons.  My teacher and I even took a ride up into the hills on a little used road.  It was really neat.  However, at the end of the program I was only marginally competent.  Couple that with the quality of the road along the beach here in Amed and you would agree that piloting our own scooter  was clearly out of the question

Dwarf Hawkfish   Japanese Wreck  2014

   So Sandra and I each hopped on behind our drivers and off we went.  The beach road, the only road in this area, is one lane wide.  In spots, some joker has painted a white line down the middle.  It does not receive regular maintenance and there are lots of defects in the macadam.  With the ensuing development, the number of vehicles on this lone thoroughfare has increased exponentially.

     Our route required us to surmount and descend three modest capes.  As we went up and down and around corners our drivers swerved to avoid approaching cyclists, oncoming trucks and trucks parked on the road.  As we disembarked at Japanese Wreck, Sandra remarked that her ride had been quite exciting and she could not remember when she had been so terrified.  One must recall her extreme and amply verbalized anxiety when  I was driving on the wrong side in New South Wales only a year earlier to appreciate the depth of her concern.

Parrotfins  (Its what parrotfish wear snorkeling. You should see their masks!)

 Never the less, we were safe and sound and descended to the beach, which here at Japanese Wreck is stones just smaller than a baseball.  Similar to the shingle beach at Napoopoo on Kealakekua Bay.  In years past, these larger stones extended into the water, but there was now a steep gravel shore.  Perhaps because of this alteration, the water near the shore was muddy. 

         Clearing the cloudy water, we headed west, toward the point.  This area of rich coral growth was pretty much intact and yielded a couple new fish for our list.  A large semicircle Angelfish permitted an approach close enough for a picture.  We also added Spot Tailed and Yellow Dotted Butterflyfish, along with our long time pal the Raccoon.   Also in this location, we nabbed our second  fusilier, the Scissortail.

A Second Look At the Amazing Dwarf Hawkfish.

      It was cloudy around the wreck and further along, the coral seemed a bit depleted.  We saw several anemones, but no anemone fish.  As we headed back toward the entrance we were feeling  a bit low.  Stopping by the wreck, I noticed a tiny fish scooting around a sand patch in about five feet of water.  He was no bigger than a modestly sized cockroach, and he graciously permitted me several pictures.  


   Finally, back in the area of rich coral growth, hiding in a crevice, I caught a glimpse of the Six Striped Soapfish.  Only my second peek at this elusive, small grouper.

Greetings From Bali   Photo by SKG

  As we were getting out, six young yuppie-looking divers were entering.  Back ashore we were amid a throng that seemed to be having a get together in a spot where, on previous visits, we had seen only a few patient Balinese.  While waiting for our ride, we took a quick look at the pictures.  Happily, we discovered a beautiful shot of what looked to be a tiny dragonet.   Later on, perusing  Reef Fish Identification/ Tropical Pacific by Gerald Allen, et al. I was not able to find the little fellow.  Yesterday I submitted my photos to Jack Randall who quickly replied that we had a Dwarf Hawkfish.  I’m proud to say that our picture is so much better than the one in the book that our inability to come up with the diagnosis is understandable. 

  
     I hope you enjoy the pictures and Sandra and I wish you were here with us to enjoy these wonderful fishes and the hospitable folk of Karangasem.

jeff