Raja Ampat Highlight from Peter Walker on Vimeo.

An action-packed express tour of the highlights of diving in Raja Ampat in November 2010 by Peter Walker - see his other videos and photos at PeterWalker.com

Orange frogfish amongst grey weed

You can see much larger versions of each photo by clicking on the picture. This will take you to the Divehappy Lembeh Strait March 2011 gallery which also features images not shown here

It's difficult to over-exaggerate just how amazingly strange the creatures of Indonesia's Lembeh Strait truly are. There are few other places in the world where you can hope to encounter creatures that sound like they come directly out of a Harry Potter novel - the Hairy Frogfish, the Mimic Octopus and the Flamboyant Cuttlefish, for example. And not only do these creatures exist here, but they exist in relative abundance - it's likely you will see a plethora of otherwise-incredibly hard to find marine creatures during a weeks's diving in Lembeh. As such, this strip of water near Manado city in northern Sulawesi, home itself to a large deep water port, has become a mecca for scuba divers in the last decade.

A mimic octopus moving rapidly over the sand

I've been here twice before, and much of what I wrote up in my previous Lembeh Strait diving trip report in 2008 is still true, so there's not much point rewriting it again here. Hopefully the photos below give some idea of just a fraction of the creatures you might encounter in Lembeh. Basically, if you want easy diving and love seeing reality-warping critturs in their natural environment, then this is the place to come. If you want reefs and clear visibility, you might want to go somewhere else, like Bali or Komodo. This time round, I stayed at the Kasawari resort in Lembeh. I'll be writing up a full review shortly, but I would unreservedly recommend Kasawari if you can afford the higher price tag to other Lembeh resorts which tend to be more affordable.

Squat Lobster

Lembeh is basically the best value destination for underwater photographers of all levels that I can think of. if you're learning to take photos or simply prefer to use a small compact than a big bulky DSLR, Lembeh's array of small creatures will provide perfect subjects. If you're getting started with a DSLR, the lack of currents, shallow diving and easy to deal with terrain to manouevre in lets you focus wholly on taking pictures rather than grappling with the underwater environment. And if you're an experienced photographer, the sheer richness of marine life will keep turning up something new or old favourites to try capturing in new ways.

A seahorse floating free over the sand

The other thing that is not noted often is that Lembeh above water is stunningly pretty - lush green hills rising steeply above the water covered in palm trees beneath the blue sky. While it's arguable there are too many resorts in Lembeh now (I think it's up to 10 currently), the area is big enough that it does not feel too built up yet.

Given the amount of divers wanting to go to Lembeh, it's relatively easy to get there despite it being fairly remote: SilkAir fly from Singapore to Manado and AirAsia fly from Kuala Lumpur to Manado. Check Kayak and Skyscanner to compare prices and timings. It's then about 90 minutes (or less) drive to your resort, depending on its location. I'm already making plans to go back in 2012.

Kasawari Resort Lembeh

Shrimp on the vine, Lembeh

Hundreds of tiny catfish faces peer out from a their fast moving school

Female Ribbon Eel

Goby living in a pipe

Flamboyant Cuttlefish - only about 6 centimetres long

Baby triggerfish inside a rusty can

Hairy Frogfish with lure - the shrimp like appendage is lowered over prospective pray's hideyholes - if they bite, the lure is whisked back to the frogfish's mouth

An octopus literally running backwards away from the camera

Reptilian eel buried immobile in the sand

An octopus lying in wait inside a broken bottle

A devil scorpionfish approaches the camera aggressively, pushing its head back to look bigger

A whole bunch of nudibranches staying friendly

A stargazer lies in wait in the sand

Three pegasus sea moths - two smaller males chasing around after the female

A tiny cuttlefish attempts to spear its prey

Wunderpus chasing across the sand

Banggai Cardinalfish

Ornate Ghost Pipefish hovering just above a frond of seaweed

Up close with a devil scorpionfish

Adri has also added some nice pictures from our dive trip to Menjangan which I posted on recently. You can see her Menjangan photos here and here.

A large table coral is home to thousands of glassfish

Click any of the photos in this story for bigger versions. There are more photos not shown here in the Divehappy Menjangan Island photo gallery

Table corals bigger than a man in diameter. Fan corals two metres high clinging to ocean walls. Thousands of fish teeming over reefs so dense with coral it grows on top of one another. And, um, lots of plastic bags floating on the surface. This is Menjangan Island, one of the most beautiful - and most accessible - dive spots in Bali and, indeed, Indonesia. Popular with snorkellers due to the rich coral life easily visible from the surface, Menjangan provides even more riches for divers only a few metres further down.

Coral cluster at Menjangan

In December 2010 I headed to Menjangan Island,which is located near the town of Pemeturan on the north west coast of Bali. I'd previously visited this area in 2007 while writing a Bali Dive Safari story for Sport Diver USA magazine, and only been able to spend a couple of days there.

A diver emerges from behind a huge fan coral

I'd been so impressed with the spectacular corals at Menjangan and the critter-rich muck diving of Secret Bay and Puri Jati nearby on the mainland that I'd long resolved to return and spend more time there. A mere three years later, I managed it, thanks to a trip organised by my friend Adri [insert her site link] and accompanied by Frieda and Brooks [insert link]. We went with Aquacat who provided an all-in trip including dives, accommodation and transfers to and from Menjangan. This is a typival package most Bali dive operators can provide.

Large table coral at Menjangan

I was a little worried that Menjangan wouldn't live up to my fond memories second time around. I'd dived in many more places since then, including some of the world's best like Raja Ampat, Komodo and Palau. However, I soon realised that Menjangan is still spectacular, despite the amount of detritus often seen on the surface (brought in by the tides from the mainland).

Rain patterns the ocean surface above a large table coral at Menjangan

Pos Dua is definitely my favourite site at Menjangan, and it's probably the most famous site here - an abundant shelf of reef in the shallows with abruptly drops into a near vertical wall encrusted with a plethora of corals. Rarely have I seen such a gamut of vivid colour from coral in one concentrated area - it looks like an explosion in a paint factory in some places. The visibiliy was also great, at minimum 20 metres, giving a real sense of the sheer size and complexity of the reef walls.

Sea snake drops from the surface onto the reef at Menjangan, Bali

We dived at Menjangan for two days, returning to Posa Dua twice, and I wished we'd decided to do three days at Menjangan and only one day of muck diving. I was a little addicted to the colour and beauty of the sunlight on Menjangan's reefs, and the thought of staring at black sand for another couple of days was not particularly appealing.

Puta Jari (PJ) Temple, Pemeturan, Bali

However, I was excited to arrive at PJs again, the abbrievated form of Pura Jati, the name of a temple that stands within a rice paddie directly behind the dive site. PJs is where I saw my very first mimic octopus, which The site itself is straight off the beach, walking into to gently sloping black sand that besides the ripples left by the tide is featureless.

Mantis shrimp closeup at Pura Jari

While the site didn't yield a mimic this time, we did see plenty including mantis shrimp and pair of somewhat aggressive porcelain crabs.

Porcelain crabs at Puta Jari (PJ), Pemeturan, Bali

Secret Bay is the epitomy of muck diving, strewn with trash, cold and murky. We did a ninety minute dive without seeing much and I'd had enough. Sure enough, the second dive of the morning and final dive of the trip saw a discovery of not one but two frogfish and a large school of Banggai cardinal fish rather than the few loners we'd found on the first dive. Rats!

I did feel though that we could have pushed it a little and done two dives at PJ and two dives at Secret Bay in one day if we'd organised it better, leaving a third day at Menjangan. I think I would do the day of muck diving before Menjangan too, saving the best to last, as the colour and corals of Menjangan are just breathtaking.

Glassfish hover round the top of a large table coral

How To Get To Menjangan
To get direct to Menjangan from central Bali (e.g. Sanur, Kuta or Seminyak) is a three to four hour drive. It's standard practice for dive shops to organise pick up, minivan transfers, accommodation and diving as one package price. For 14 dives, twin sharing accommodation at the Aneka Bagus 3 star hotel including breakfast, transfers to and from central Bali, the price was 5.6 million Rupiah - around $580 to $600 US. My previous visit to Menjangan had been part of a Bali Dive Safari, exploring Lembongan, Tulamben and Menjangan which lie roughly three hours drive apart from each other. Follow the link for my detailed article about travelling the island to dive all three.

Pemeturan
The town of Pemeturan provides base for travellers to the area, made up essentially of a strip of dive resorts and hotels along the beach. Menjangan Island is a 20 minute drive away and then onto a very basic boat to head over to island's coastline which is about another 30 minutes or so. 3 dives are punctuated by first surface interval on the boat and then heading to the shore for a packed lunch between the second and third dive.

Flights To Bali
There are numerous international and domestic flights into Bali. Check Skyscanner and Kayak to compare flight times and prices. AirAsia has several budget flights into Bali, but it's worth checking traditional carriers as they often have special offers.

Bali Hotels
There is a huge amount of accommodation available in central Bali, from humble guesthouses to super-luxury hotels. Check Agoda's Bali Hotels page for an extensive range of hotels at all budgets which you can book online.

You may also find How Much Do I Need For Bali useful - a rough guide to the cost of living in Bali over on Divehappy's sister site Travelhappy.

Two angelfish amongst the coral at Menjangan

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Sunlight on a plate coral bommie

This story originally appeared in EZ Dive magazine, July 2010. Thanks to Dom at DiveAdvice.com for his help and Uwe on Tambora for letting me on the boat

Indonesia has a “Big 5” list when it comes to choosing a region to dive - Raja Ampat, Komodo, Lembeh and Bunaken, the Banda Sea and Indonesian Borneo. While the first four are all justifiably famous as some of the best places to dive in the world for their various specialities, Indonesian Borneo has largely remained off the diving map over the last few years. Territorially divided between Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, Borneo is the third largest island in the world. Sipadan and Lankayan are the most celebrated of Malaysian Borneo's dive destinations but just a little further along Borneo's coastline, across the border within Indonesia, lie four islands looping out from the mainland like a pearl necklace that also deserve a lot more attention. These islands are Nabucco, Kakaban, Sangalaki and Derawan, and they are the draw for a couple of intrepid liveaboards recently entering the region to explore further.

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Tambora Liveaboard

In recent years there have been resorts located on several of the islands, and for good reason – each area has four to five days worth of interesting diving in a peaceful, solitary setting. A big advantage of Indonesian Borneo is that it has flat calm waters during April to June and huge blue skies, with barely another soul around. Beneath the surface at Nabucco island, however, is a real adrenaline dive in the form of Maratua Channel, also aptly named Big Fish Country. Head down to 25 metres and a truly massive battery of barracuda, hundreds strong, appears out of the blue. Reef hooks are definitely a good idea, as beneath the barracuda sizeable whitetip sharks patrol. Once divers unhook, there's an exhilarating drift dive through the channel itself, where the distinct spotted markings of eagle rays occasionally flash by.

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A huge battery of barracuda hundreds strong at Big Fish Country (Maratua Channel)

The big advantage of sailing through this region is not only been able to easily dive at all of the island locations, but also to make exploratory forays into new areas unreachable by the resorts. Armed with GPS marks from local guides and advice from fishermen, we spent a couple of days exploring a submerged atoll which sits just off the island of Palau Sambit. The atoll is so big it doesn't have its own name – instead it has three names for different sections of its horseshoe shaped reef. Its undisturbed tranquility makes it a haven for turtles, which are a common sight on virtually all of Borneo's sites. Some of the atoll dives were spectacular – our first, at Lintang reef, felt like dropping off the edge of the planet as the dark blue of the early morning ocean contrasted against the bright white rim of sand that suddenly fell away vertically into nothing. Other dives were not so great, which is to be expected as part of exploratory dives but still means the dive guides can be continually teased about it.

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Palau Balembangan

One nearby island, Palau Balembangan, had the sort of reef you dream about diving on - spectacular hard corals so abundant they're growing on top of each other, not an inch of the slope to be seen anywhere, lots of plate corals and sponge corals, with years of growth evident in their massive sizes, interspersed with lots of feather stars and fans too. The reef on its own would be enough, but making this aquatic landscape come alive were huge clouds of fish too – butterfly fish, fusiliers, zebra fish – all skittering about and chasing through each other. It gave an electric feel to the reef, a sense of real energy in the water. With the afternoon sunrays filtering through the clear visibility, it was a magically lit up kaliedoscope of movement and colour.

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Palau Balembangan

Movement of an even rapid kind characterises Kakaban's signature dive site, Barracuda Point. A lip at 30 metres that requires reef hooks as standard, the ripping current of this dive site brings in big barracuda – each over a metre long - which slice through the blue whilst divers are hanging on for dear life. Whitetips and grey reef sharks are also known to make regular appearances here. Up in the shallows there are a lot of beautiful top side hard corals, which are definitely worth a couple of dives to explore at a more sedate pace. Kakaban itself is actually a large crater of an island, with a non-stinging jellyfish lake located in its centre.

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Manta close up, Sangalaki

Sangalaki is famed for its resident manta ray population, although it's not guaranteed they will put in an appearance. Apparently best spotted between 10 am and 2pm, we had two dives with tantalising glimpses of mantas at the surface and a brief encounter below before our third dive hit the jackpot before we even got in the water. Besides wheeling around cleaning stations, Sangalaki's mantas like to skim just under the water's surface to feed on plankton. Hurriedly getting out of our bulky BCDs and grabbing snorkels, we gently eased into the water and were greeted with the sight of two mantas, both three to four metres wide, looping around each other and around us. The sunlight rippled off their jet black bodies as they passed a hand touch away beneath us and disappeared into the greenish gloom before suddenly reappearing a few minutes later on another feeding run. It was an unforgettable encounter which more than made up for seeing little of the mantas whilst down below. Once regarded as one of Borneo's best dive destinations, it has to be said that Sangalaki's corals are currently in a poor state and it's to be hoped that a new resort can be established and full government support given to the operators to enforce and restore the island's no take zone and allow its reefs to flourish again.

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Crocodile Fish, Derawan

While most of our Indonesian Borneo liveaboard had been about big underwater vistas and big creatures – mantas, sharks, barracudas and more - our final few days at Derawan island were a macro enthusiast's delight. In contrast to the corals of Sambit or Nabucco, Derawan's coral is quite scrubby and the viz murky on most occasions. However, patience and a magnifying glass yield a lot of surprises, especially with dive guides who know the territory. One particular site, Shipwreck, is so rich in small stuff like nudibranches, flatworms and squat lobsters that there is rarely a quiet moment. However, the stars of the show at Derawan are undoubtedly the resident jawfish population, who every month release new eggs into the water. The jawfish incubate the eggs within their own mouths which cannot fully shut, presenting divers with what looks like a mouthful of eyeballs as the eggs reach the point where they're ready to be released. The jawfish release the eggs at full moon each month, and if you do a very early morning dive at 5am you might just get lucky enough to be there when it happens. The jawfish belches the eggs out in a couple of clouds (what a way to be born!) and so begins a new cycle of life on the reef – a tremendous way of ending our Indonesian Borneo trip.

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Jawfish with eggs

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Jawfish releasing eggs

This part of Borneo is perhaps more subtle in its diving charms than its counterparts elsewhere in Indonesia, but for underwater serenity away from the crowds and the excitement of exploring somewhere that still has yet to give up many of its underwater secrets, it's a great choice. Here's hoping the pearls of Borneo get more recognition and protection in the future.

Many thanks to Tambora liveaboard (www.tamboradive.com) for their help with this feature.

You can see more of my photos from this dive trip on the Scuba Diving In Indonesian Borneo page

Practicalities:
Getting there:
Liveaboards currently depart from and return to Tarakan. Tarakan is a one hour flight from Balikpapan which itself is a two hour flight from Singapore or Jakarta. Silk Air and Mandala Air fly from Singapore to Balikpapan, and Mandala flies from Balikpapan to Tarakan. Booking domestic Indonesian flights from outside the country is near-impossible - ask your liveaboard to arrange flights for you.

Entry/ Visa Requirements:
Most nationalities can get a 30 day visa on arrival at Balikpapan Airport. The visa costs $25 US Dollars, which is payable in Rupiah, Dollars or by credit card. You cannot currently get a visa on arrival at Tarakan Airport.

Language:
Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia. English is spoken widely, especially on liveaboard boats.

Best time to dive:
Conditions for liveaboards are best from April to June when seas are calm and there is little rain

Currency:
Indonesian Rupiah. US Dollars and credit cards are widely accepted, although check ahead with your dive operator to ensure you take acceptable payment.

Dive With::
Tambora (www.tamboradive.com) and MSY Damai (www.dive-damai.com)

Additional information:
Water temperature can be 27 to 30 degrees – a three millimetre suit should be fine, but a additional vest, hood and gloves are worthwhile items to bring too if you feel the cold

Reef, Tatawa Besar, Komodo

Reef, Tatawa Besar, Komodo

Komodo
It's not often that Komodo makes an appearance in the Top 5 of places to dive in the world - as a premier diving destination, it still remains relatively unknown. It's my personal Number 1 favourite dive area anywhere in Asia - I've been there three times in the last three years and would like to continue making an annual return. In terms of bang for your buck for a 10 day liveaboard trip, I would say that Komodo is actually even better than the holy grail of Indonesian diving, Raja Ampat. While Raja has incredible biodiversity, Komodo provides an amazing variety within a standard week and a half liveaboard format.

From the temperate waters of Cannibal Rock and Manta Alley in the south to the tropical waters of the still active volcano Sangeang in the north, Komodo has a spectacular array of different dive environments that also provide a feast of big and small critters. There's also the chance to encounter the fascinating Komodo Dragons on land and see Komodo's primeval landscape from the vantage point of the boat. Of numerous stand out areas, Gili Lawa Laut is probably Komodo's highlight of highlights, as it's home to Castle Rock, one of the world's most stunning dive sites. This is a true fishbowl where sharks, dolphins, tuna and thousands of fish can be encountered en masse. There are numerous liveaboards to choose from and also daytrips if you want to spend more time exploring on land. Bali is the initial arrival point for guests, with many boats organising a domestic flight into Maumere or Labuan Bajo to meet with the boat.

For more information, I've written three Komodo trip reports - the most recent is probably the best one:

• Komodo November 2009 on MSY Damai
• Komodo October 2008 on S/Y Siren
• Komodo December 2006 on Paradise Dancer

Manta Rays, Manta Sandy, Raja Ampat

Manta Ray with cleaner fish, Manta Sandy, Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat
It's a scientific fact - Raja Ampat has the most underwater species of any place in the world, and for a diver, that means there is a plethora of stuff to see. Raja has become The New Big Thing for discerning divers and despite the effort to get there, very few divers are disappointed. The Waigeo and Misool regions around Bird's Head Peninsula have scores of dive sites that have a profusion of spectacular corals and critters, as well as a couple of signature manta ray cleaning stations too. The picturesque limestone rocky outcrops that pepper the coastline form secret lagoons above water and intriguing caves and canyons below the water too. Further south lies Triton Bay, whose milky, nutrient rich waters are home to an amazing array of soft corals and macro critters . Liveaboards typically last for 10 days and depart from Sorong. There are also several resorts around Raja Ampat - Misool Eco Resort and Max Ammer's Kri and Sorido resorts.

Read my Raja Ampat and Triton Bay trip report on MSY Seahorse.

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Sea Snakes Coming In from Above

Banda Sea
Crossing the Banda Sea is only possible a couple of times a year when the seasons allow for calm seas and let divers take on a truly epic voyage to some of Indonesia's most remote dive spots. Departing from Maumere and heading along lor for a few days before entering the Banda Sea proper, liveaboard trips typically take two weeks to make the crossing. En route there are numerous atolls to be explored, including the two spectacular volcanos of the sea snakes at Gunung Api and Manuk which also boast centuries old coral. It's rare to see another boat during the whole crossing, and arriving in the tiny but bustling Banda Islands is a fascinating contrast to the solitude and expanse of the Banda Sea.

The islands are great to explore on land and learn about the islands' troubled past as the only source of nutmeg, once considered more valuable than gold. Banda Sea crossings typically conclude in Ambon where there is some excellent muck diving, or continue on into Raja Ampat and explore Misool for a couple of days before concluding in Sorong. Banda Sea trips also head in the opposite direction, from Ambon to Alor. Given the huge distance to cross, there is a lot of travelling and itineraries can change depending on weather. There is something magical about the Banda Sea and it's a trip I would love to do again.

For more info, read my Banda Sea trip reports on

• Diving Gunung Api
• Diving Manuk
• Diving the Banda Islands
• Diving Nusa Laut
• Diving Ambon

Pgymy Seahorse

Pgymy Seahorse

Lembeh Strait and Bunaken
If seeing weird and wonderful critters is what floats your boat, Lembeh Strait is the underwater world capital of all things aquatic and strange. It's also an excellent value diving destination, with resorts to cater for all budgets. Mimic octopus, hairy frogfish, pygmy seahorse - there is a seemingly endless list of ultra rare underwater creatures that are almost common in Lembeh. Black sand forms the backdrop for many dives but there is also some fairly decent coral too. However, such is the profusion of life that you will rarely have time to consider the environment as there are so many creatures to look at. Bunaken is only a half hour boat ride away and has some big walls, a complete contrast to Lembeh - it's better to split your trip in two and spend some time at separate resorts in Lembeh and Bunaken rather than trying to explore from just one base. Bunaken and Lembeh lie at the bottom of the Sangihe archipelago and just a little further on is the fairly unknown area of Gangga, which has some beautiful underwater canyons and pinnacles as well as a lot of macro life like ornate ghostpipefish.

Read my Ocean Rover liveaboard trip report on Lembeh, Bunaken and Gangga (August 2008) and my trip report on my stay at NAD Lembeh Resort (August 2008)

Mola Mola, Bali

Mola Mola, Bali

Bali
Often overlooked thanks to Indonesia's unparalleled array of great dive spots, Bali is a hugely underrated destination which provides not only excellent diving but the convenience of shore dives and comfortable living in either hotels or villas. The three key diving areas are Tulamben - home of the famous Liberty shipwreck and a paradise for divers that love macro stuff - also a great place to learn to dive; Lembongan - big channel diving looking for mola mola sunfish and exploring cold water epic seascapes; and Pemeturan, lost in Bali's northwestern tip with Menjagan Island nearby which has some great corals and fish life.

For more on Bali, read my Bali Dive Safari article written for Sport Diver USA magazine and Diving the USS Liberty: A Quick Guide

Hard Corals, Palau Sambit, Kalimantan

Hard Corals, Palau Sambit, Kalimantan

Kalimantan - Nabucco, Sangalaki and Derawan
Located further along Borneo's coast from Sipadan, Indonesian Borneo has several islands with great diving and some submerged atolls that are only accessible by liveaboard. Sangalaki is perhaps the most famous island for its schooling manta rays, although they are not there all the time. Derawan has some great reefs and this area in general has fallen off the dive map a little so it's one of the new frontiers of Indonesia diving again as boats come back and make their own explorations to find new sites as well as the classics.

You can see my photos of my trip to Kalimantan on Tambora - full trip report to follow soon.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUKFYMlKiNo

My friend and dive buddy Peter Walker recently put together this excellent short film about finding mola mola at Nusa Lembongan off Bali. Peter is an accomplished videographer but he's also great at telling a story too, something that's often missing from underwater footage even though it's essential for really capturing people's interest.

As a cheeky bonus, here's a fascinating - and very funny - talk by marine biologist Tierney Thys on just why the mola mola is the strange, glorious shape that it is.

This story originally appeared in the June 2008 edition of Sport Diver (USA) magazine.

Head away from the tourist-filled beaches in southern Bali and discover a quieter, more secluded place. Better still, see a staggering variety of diving. In two weeks, it's possible to drive in a rough triangle across the island and find adrenalin-fueled encounters with the elusive mola mola sunfish and manta rays at Nusa Lembongan, tranquil wreck and reef diving at Tulamben, and amazing corals gracing the plunging walls at Pemuteran's Nusa Menjangan. All the while, journey through Bali's culture and experience the islanders' legendary hospitality.

Mola Mola, Blue Corner, Nusa Lembongan, Bali

Lembongan : Home Of Giants
Tim is waving his fist at me. Not in anger, but excitement — with his thumb and little finger extended. The manager of PADI Dive Center Bali Diving Academy Lembongan is signaling that he's finally spotted what we've been searching for the past three days — the enigmatic giant ocean sunfish.

Dropping down to 110 feet, I peer into the blue and make out what Tim has spotted. The sunfish's skin, a mottled gray, aptly camouflages it with its open-ocean environment, and it looks more like an alien visitor's spacecraft — or maybe just the alien visitor itself — than a cousin of the reef fish we've seen over the past few days. Its body is a very solid-looking vertical disc, its fins sticking out at right angles, like the booms of a starship.

And it's big, both longer than I am and taller - a fish so large it makes goliath groupers and Napoleon wrasses look puny. Yet, despite its great size, the mola mola appears positively docile as it looks me over with large, cowlike eyes. As a squadron of bannerfish crowds in to clean this gigantic vagrant, I find myself wondering what a mola mola eats to maintain its size.

We keep very still and close in on the reef, marveling as the mola mola comes up level with us, seemingly unfazed by our presence. It hangs just a few feet away from us while the bannerfish go to work. A glance down and suddenly we see two more sunfish swimming in closer, keen to get clean as well. For a few more minutes we stay with these rarely seen creatures and then, mindful of our dive computers and air, start slowly heading to shallower waters.

Finding a mola mola today - our final day on Nusa Lembongan - makes the victory all the sweeter. Lembongan, a half-hour speedboat ride off Bali's southeast coast, is a small neighbor of Nusa Penida. Lembongan and the island sliver of Nusa Ceningan form two conduits through which the cold water and currents of the Indian Ocean channel directly. That's the key to dependably sighting mola molas, which rise from the abyssal depths for cleaning during April through October. This is one of the few places in the world where divers can encounter them.

Mola Mola, Blue Corner, Nusa Lembongan, Bali

Surfers first discovered Lembongan, and they still ride the island's many challenging breaks today. Although seaweed farming remains the mainstay of this steep-hilled island's economy, tourism — like the upmarket accommodation clustered around the perfect sliver of sand that is Mushroom Bay - is close behind. Our cozy room at Hai Tide Huts is built in the traditional Lombok style, with a high-arching thatched roof over a wooden bedroom resting on stilts 6 feet off the ground. Going diving couldn't be easier - it's a few steps from the room to the beach, where the dive boat picks us up each morning.

On our arrival at the island three days before, Tim is quietly confident that we will see molas within our allotted days. But he's also eager to show us that with or without molas, Lembongan provides dramatic undersea adventure. The ocean currents that bring the sunfish also shape Lembongan's epic-size reefs, and the cold, clear 120-foot visibility makes it easy to take it all in. I'm a little intoxicated by the sheer sense of space around me on our first dive, the pure blue of the water as it holds the sunlight from above and the craggy, current-blasted coral that tenaciously thrives in this aquatic landscape. Almost every dive is a drift dive, an exhilarating whirl of color, coral and critters where we speed along the reef as if it were a sideshow panorama unrolling next to us.

Nusa Penida
Manta Point is Lembongan's other star attraction, a half-hour speedboat ride along the stunning, sun-scorched cliffs of Nusa Penida. It's not difficult to see why the Balinese call Nusa Penida "The Demon Island" — blasted by the sea over centuries, Nusa Penida's vertical drops contain numerous caves and a giant stone archway looming just off the island's shore.

Manta Ray at Manta Point, Nusa Lembongan, Bali

Within moments of descent, a young manta comes swooping directly toward me, winging in swiftly and smoothly over the gnarled coral, which bottoms out around 30 feet. It passes within a few feet of me, jet-black wings effortlessly powering it on beyond our group of divers and back out into the blue. Still slightly awed that it had been so easy, I wonder if that was to be our first and last manta sighting. For a while it seems so, as we moved along the ocean-battered reef, constantly searching the blue. Then the group behind us gives us the heads-up — with the clang of metal on metal. I have time to look behind me and see not one but three mantas gliding past together in single-line formation, passing between our two dive groups in an impossibly graceful train, almost wholly synchronized in their movements.

Images of mantas and mola molas play through my mind on the journey back to the mainland. What can top encounters with giants? The next stop on our Bali dive safari beckons, and as Lembongan disappears behind us, we're already thinking about what lies ahead.

Liberty Shipwreck, Tulamben, Bali

Tulamben: Under The Volcano
We hop off the ferry and are met by our Balinese driver, Wayan, who negotiates traffic around Sanur with an ease that seemingly defies the vehicular chaos all around him. We pass by scores of artisan shops that are haphazardly stacked with intricate wooden carvings, artwork and enormous statues of the elephant god Ganesh. Heading northeast, we wend our way through small villages set among the giant green leaves of tropical vegetation. The road steadily rises as it negotiates Bali's mountainous interior and gives us tremendous views down into the vast terraced plains of rice paddies that are the heart of Balinese life. I'm glad I'm not driving so I can take it all in.

Equally spectacular is Pura Besakih, the Mother Temple, Bali's holiest site on the slopes of Mount Agung. This temple has 35 shrines with towering, multilayered pagodas set on several levels of this volcanic mountain. A place of perpetual pilgrimage, Pura Besakih welcomes Balinese families who continually arrive in their finest formal dress to make offerings and celebrate. Not far away is the Tirtagangga Water Palace, a beautifully serene garden of meditation set around an intricate ensemble of water fountains. We finally arrive in Tulamben in the late afternoon, perfect timing to meet with Eli, the manager of Bali Diving Academy Tulamben, before enjoying the view of the spectacular sunset from the vantage point of Mimpi Resort Tulamben's restaurant.

Gobi, Tulamben, Bali

USS Liberty
The following day, I'm sitting in a rigid-hull inflatable boat, riding over glass-smooth water, watching the early-morning sun illuminate the brooding presence of Mount Agung. Bali's highest point and still-active volcano is visible throughout Tulamben. Mount Agung's last catastrophic eruption in 1963 created the black-rock beach and the sand on which sits the USS Liberty. Previously on land, the Liberty was pushed underwater by the eruption's force, which also created huge trenches of volcanic rock on the seabed. Today, the wreck and the dive sites surrounding it have become a haven for marine life. It's easily Bali's most famous dive area. Scores of people visit every day, from Tulamben and beyond, heading up on charter boats from the south. But if, like my buddy and I, you're staying in Tulamben, you can have the wreck to yourself by simply getting up early and entering the water at 6 a.m.

As we drop into the water, a huge school of jacks sits in a cyclone swirl directly above the stern, the rising sun catching on their silver bodies. As we move farther down and round the stern, the entire wreck stretches out in front of us, swarming with rainbow runners, fusiliers and more. Perhaps the Liberty is so popular not just because it's a beautifully easy dive — beginning at 15 feet and running down to 100 feet at its deepest point - but because it looks exactly as a shipwreck should. The arc of the stern remains fully intact, the ribs of the ship frame the sunlight streaming in from above, and marine life encrusts every surface - the smooth metal having long disappeared.

Angel Fish and Barrel Sponge, Tulamben, Bali

My favorites are the large vase corals perched upright on some of the bow section's struts and the fronds spilling from the Liberty's now inert gun. Among the wreck's ribs hover its resident bumphead parrotfish, their faces set in a perpetual grin beneath their bulbous foreheads. For such large fish, easily the length of my arm, they move nimbly around the wreck's fallen debris, a flash of almost fluorescent blue-green.

For many, the Liberty is the sole site they see in Tulamben before being whisked back south. For my buddy and me, three days didn't seem enough to explore the coastline's endlessly surprising and nearly deserted dive sites. Kubu provides one of our most memorable dives, not least because upon descent, I see the flash of something large and silver-white above me. As I glance up, I can't help but smile as I recognize the unmistakable profile of a bottlenose dolphin powering by, disappearing from my view almost as soon as it arrived. Kubu itself is a smooth slope of black volcanic sand that levels out around 60 feet. Scattered across it are man-size vase corals, the only feature on this otherwise unbroken level. Most are upright, but some lie on their side, as if tipped over. It makes for a fascinating and surreal landscape.

The irony that this incredible underwater world was created by Mount Agung's destructive eruption is not lost on us as we enjoy our final sunset in Tulamben after a soothing Mandi Lulur Javanese massage. The tranquility of this tiny village, no more than a few houses and shops beside the dusty road, belies its recent, dramatic history.

For more on diving Tulamben, see my other post Diving the USS Liberty Shipwreck: A Quick Guide

Corals at Menjangan Island, Bali

Pemuteran: The Town That Time Forgot
Having experienced the two extremes of Bali diving — the adrenalin rush of Lembongan's huge reefs and the gentle-critter spotting of Tulamben — our curiosity is piqued by Pemuteran, our final Bali dive destination and the most remote. With Wayan at the wheel again, we follow the road west along the northern coast through Bali Barat National Park for a couple hours, occasionally glimpsing at the sea as we pass through sun-parched forests, their brown beauty awaiting the rainy season. While no volcano broods over Pemuteran, sharp-edged mountains rise like the spine of a sleeping dinosaur around the large, black-sand bay, seemingly protecting it from the outside world. Like Tulamben, Pemuteran itself is a sleepy straggle of houses and resorts along one small road, with several picturesque temples. Renaud and Mireille, the Swiss husband-and-wife team running Bali Diving Academy Pemuteran, welcome us on arrival, with Renaud showing us how to scoop up lunch with our hands, local-style, while we discuss our dive itinerary.

Menjangan Island
Nusa Menjangan, a protected island nature reserve and Pemuteran's most famous dive area, is on the menu. And I'm surprised to hear Renaud say that excellent muck diving awaits nearby. Komang, our local guide, tells us that we might even spot the shape-shifting mimic octopus on these sites.

Ghost Pipe Fish, Pemuteran, Bali

The mimic is the last thing on my mind the next morning - despite the lure of experiencing Menjangan, it's hard to tear ourselves away from the luxury of Taman Sari Amertha Villas, a newly built complex boasting soaring Balinese architecture, huge rooms, sumptuous beds, and individual plunge pools specially designed to maximize privacy and peace and quiet for each guest.

When we drop in by Menjangan, nothing prepares me for just how vibrant the coral is down the length of the sheer walls here. Dozens of species of hard and soft corals overrun each other in a glorious abundance of shades and textures that continually bewitch the eye. It's enough to simply hang in the gentle current and take in the big picture as we drift. The wall abruptly breaks off into a large, smooth, blindingly white sandy slope. Approaching it, I see thousands of eels halfway out of their hidey-holes and undulating in the current en masse.

The reef plateaus into broad table corals that jut defiantly from the bommie's summit. Slowly finning between two bommies, which form an underwater boulevard, it's hard to dispel the fanciful notion of flying past aquatic skyscrapers, the neon-vivid colors like the lighted windows of a nighttime cityscape.

Banggai Cardinal Fish, Secret Bay, Bali

Secret Bay and Puri Jati (PJ)
I'm wondering if we should have returned to Menjangan as we plunge into the cold, murky waters of Secret Bay on our final day - our first muck dive, which yields some demon stingers, stripey fish and flounders. Not bad, but there's not much else to look at and certainly little hope of seeing a mimic octopus. As if reading my mind, Komang drives us to Puri Jati, past bright-green, tiered rice paddies that surround the eponymous gray and red stone temple. From there the water is steps away.

As we wade in, the sand continues straight under the water, with its contours this gentle slope's only features. Komang tells us that such an empty landscape is ideal for finding the mimic octopus. I'm skeptical that we will see one with just a dive here, but I am cheered by his enthusiasm. The dive is great anyway - we encounter reptilian eels, big flatworms, demon stingers and a common octopus with only its eyes showing above the sand. I'm thrilled momentarily and then disappointed: I realize it's not what I had hoped for.

Mimic Octopus, Puri Jati, Pemuteran, Bali

Then, just seconds later, the usually laid-back Komang bangs his tank insistently. Joining him, we watch the mimic octopus's impossibly fluid black-and-white shape transform first into a starfish shape, then a stingray with all its tentacles trailing behind into a V, and finally a mantis-shrimp shape with stalklike eyes. When it finishes its performance by shrinking into a tiny sand hole, we feel as if we should applaud.

When we finally leave Pemuteran to drive back down Bali's west coast, we experience more of the island's breathtaking interior. We lunch at a mountain viewpoint overlooking a rice terrace that spreads for miles. With a couple of days left, we're undecided if we should go to the cultural village of Ubud and take in Balinese dance and music, or head for the beaches, spas and designer shopping of Seminyak and Kuta. Either way, we'll rejoin the crowds after nearly two weeks of blissful semi-isolation. Perhaps one day Bali's interior and its amazing scuba diving will become as well-traveled as the tourist haunts of Kuta and Sanur - but for now, they still await exploration by anyone willing to head off on a safari.

For more beautiful underwater shots from Bali, check Julian Cohen's Got The Shot portfolio.

Thanks to Michael Cortenbach at Bali Diving Academy for providing diving, accommodation and taxi transfers at all three locations.

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Tambora Liveaboard

Introduction
Tambora was initially recommended to me by my friend Dom, who runs the large liveaboard agency DiveAdvice.com. I needed to dive Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) and Tambora is one of the only boats to currently explore that area. I travelled with Tambora on a 10 day trip at the end of May 2010.

The Boss
Tambora is co-owned and managed by Uwe Gunther, a German former scientist who has been in Indonesia since 1998 and currently lives on the boat permanently. He is passionate about diving in Indonesia and is interested in exploring as many areas as possible, rather than just sticking to the tried and trusted favourites of Komodo, Raja Ampat etc. Uwe also answers all email correspondence for bookings etc sent direct the boat personally, which is a nice personal touch.

The Boat
Tambora itself is a brand new wooden pinisi schooner built in the shipyards of Sulawesi where most of these ships come from. Tambora has been built with scuba diving specifically in mind, rather than being converted from previous use. The boat began operations in 2010.

Cabins
Tambora can take a maximum of 16 guests in 8 cabins. The cabins are a good size with a nice dark wooden finish. Very pleasant to relax in. They are ensuite with a shower, toilet and sink with mirror. The shower is reliably hot and quite powerful. There is also a wardrobe and a desk and chair, perfect for photo editing. There are several well -placed plug sockets in the room. All cabins are basically the same – there's no state room etc – and they are all located on the lower deck. Besides double bed cabins, there are also twin bed cabins which are the same layout but have the two single beds end to end (rather than as bunk beds). Cabins are generally quiet but there were mysterious banging sounds on a couple of nights from below decks which did not help sleep.

The photos below show the double bed cabin, and the video gives a quick tour of a cabin.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8WUfN6tkSE

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Tambora Liveaboard Double Bed Cabin

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Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Bed and Desk

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Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Desk

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Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Wardrobe

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Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Ensuite Shower and Toilet

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Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Ensuite Shower and Toilet

Dining Area and Sun Decks

Tambora has a big roomy dining area with lounge seating – very pleasant. Because the gear area is at the back of the boat, the front area normally used for gearing up on pinisi schooners is a covered sun deck with loungers and tables, with a second sundeck on top of the dining area. This gives the boat a real sense of space - perfect for sundowners and early mornings. Smoking is permitted on both deck areas.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSC1UTgHzgk

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Tambora Liveaboard Main Deck Relaxing Area

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Tambora Liveaboard Dining Area

Food
Breakfast is cooked to order - eggs, bacon, sausage, toast etc. Cereal and fruits also available. Buffet style lunch, mix of Indonesian and Western food. Generally very tasty – ask for seconds if you want more. Desserts quite basic. There's no choice re the menu but alternatives can no doubt be produced. Plastic plates and cups. The chef is a experienced sushi chef and produces an incredible sushi feast at the end of the trip (which somehow I failed to take a photo of - too busy eating I think). There's coffee, tea and water available 24 hours, and buscuits in the jar. Soft drinks, beer and wine are also available. (Beer - $5 for large Bintang bottle, $3 for small. Wine is expensive - $30+ because of outrageous import taxes in Indonesia. If you're fond of wine, might be best to bring your own).

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Lunch On Tambora Liveaboard

Gear up area
Dedicated room at the back of the boat for gearing up and storage of all equipment, which is a nice touch. Everything feels very efficient and organised - no chance of misplacing your gear. This is directly by the entry onto the speedboats. It's a quite small area, difficult for more than 6 people to be in at a time.

Nitrox
Charged at $15 a day extra

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Tambora Liveaboard Gearing Up Area and Rinse Tanks

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Tambora Liveaboard Gearing Up Area

Camera room
The camera room is located at the back of the boat by the gear up area and compressors. It has room for about 3 to 4 people at once maximum. There are no power strips for multiple plugs and there are no adapters available on board if you forget yours. There is no fan in the room to keep it cool – on the first day of gear setup I was soaked with sweat. There's a large rinse tank by the camera room – so big it's difficult to keep it at a depth to cover the camera gear.

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Tambora Liveaboard Camera Room

Speedboats
There were two RIB inflatables when I was on Tambora, but I'm told there's now a third. Tanks with scuba gear are laid on the RIB floor by the boat boys and then donned at dive site. Integrated weights are removed at end of every dive and need to be replaced before each dive. Could be difficult/hard work for older guests. Back roll entry. Feels crowded and cramped on the boat – three staff and three guests. (As you can tell, I'm not a fan of inflatables).

The boat boys are very good at handling cameras on and off the boat. However, one major problem is that there is little room to place large camera rigs and the boat boys often have to hang onto them whilst perched on the front of the boat. This is potentially quite a dangerous setup as the camera could get knocked off into the water. There needs to be some dedicated space for cameras where they are safe on the floor and away from scuba gear being pulled in and out of the boat.

The boat drivers can be a bit trigger happy with the engines on dive sites when picking up and dropping off. Divers need to be aware of where the boat is at all times when near the surface.

Guides
Excellent. Efficient organisation, good thorough briefings, lots of stuff pointed out. Dive guides are currently Fiona and Eddie, a British couple, and on our trip we were also joined by Mike, Indonesian guide who knew the Kalimantan area inside out.

Conclusion
I had a very enjoyable 10 days on Tambora, and would certainly go back again. The important basics of comfortable sleeping, good food, hot showers and space to relax were well covered. Everything ran like clockwork. The diving setup was also efficient, despite my dislike of inflatables, and the guides were good. My only suggestion for improvement is that a bit more attention needs to be given to the camera room and to finding space to safely stow camera gear on the inflatables.

It was particularly nice having Uwe on board - it gives the boat a more personal touch when you get to meet the owner. His enthusiasm for diving in Indonesia is infectious and he has lots of plans to keeping improving Tambora - but the boat has certainly started off with very high standards.

You can see some of the photos I took during the trip on my page Scuba Diving in Indonesian Borneo.

If you have any comments or observations about being on the Tambora yourself, please leave them below. It would be good to have several different opinions of the liveaboard, not just mine.

EZ Dive Magazine - Pearls Of Borneo article

EZ Dive Magazine - Pearls Of Borneo article

Back in May I did a trip on the Tambora liveaboard to explore the coastline of Indonesian Borneo. The article I wrote has now been published in EZ Dive magazine. You can see more of the photos I took during the trip from my previous post Scuba Diving In Indonesian Borneo on the Tambora Liveaboard. I'll put the article up here in full once it's out of print.

EZ Dive Issue 4, 2010

EZ Dive Issue 4, 2010