Meet Matteo
Posted on November 7th, 2019 by News DroidOne of the things we are very proud of at Siladen Resort & Spa is the food that we provide our guests. For us, food is more than just the fuel required to fill our days with diving and snorkelling, and we think most of you would agree with us there! We are lucky to
Spotted Eagle Rays a special treat in Bunaken
Posted on November 5th, 2019 by News DroidDivers come to Bunaken to see the macro life, healthy and diverse coral walls and of course the resident turtles. The region is not so famous for its ‘bigger fish and rays’ especially not in the quantity and variety as other locations in Indonesia. That being said you might be surprised on the walls as…
Critters of Lembeh Strait: The Napoleon Snake Eel
Posted on November 1st, 2019 by News DroidThe Napoleon Snake Eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) is typical of the ambush predators that patiently lie in wait for their dinner. Have you ever stopped to consider what may be lurking in the sand beneath you? A variety of worms, eels and cephalods will hide out during the day waiting for the cover of darkness and…
Fun diving and frogfish in Bunaken Marine Park, North Sulawesi
Posted on October 28th, 2019 by News DroidFinding Frogfish in Bunaken Indonesia is famous for its frogfish encounters and Bunaken has its fair share of these camouflaged critters, especially giant frogfish which were spotted on a new site this week. Guide Geraldo got a tip-off that there were 2 new frogfish at the dive site Muka 2, right in front of Two…
Bobtail Squid in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi
Posted on October 25th, 2019 by News DroidBobtail Squid The Bobtail squid (pictured: Euprymna berryi) features on many divers’ tick lists for its sheer beauty. Shrouded in an ethereal cloak of sparkling colours you will need to plan a night dive to find this tiny cephalopod. Often the first thing you will notice is a small ink cloud in your torchlight and…
Scuba Diving Tips For Beginners
Posted on October 21st, 2019 by News DroidSo you just earned your PADI license, congratulations! But where do you go from here? Moreover, how do you improve as a diver? This is why I put together a few scuba diving tips that will help you become the best diver you can be. But what does that mean, being a good diver? In
Buoyancy like a Boxfish is Best in Bunaken
Posted on October 21st, 2019 by News DroidBoxfish in Bunaken The Boxfish, family ostraciidae, is a strange-looking fish but it is a master of buoyancy control. Being square and rigid, you will be surprised how maneuverable they are and jealous of their seemingly effortless ability to glide and turn, in and around the coral reef, with just a flick of their flimsy-looking fins.…
Harlequin
Posted on October 20th, 2019 by News DroidFor our latest marine blog, we will be focussing on one of the most flamboyant, interesting, and rarest crustaceans that grace the waters of Bunaken Marine Park. With psychedelic spots and unusual (perhaps slightly cruel) dietary habits, we can only be talking about the Harlequin Shrimp. What are Harlequin Shrimp? Scientifically known as Hymenocera picta,
Going Solo in Indonesia
Posted on October 19th, 2019 by News DroidThere are many benefits of traveling alone, especially to a country as mesmerizing as Indonesia. However, there may be things that concern solo travelers planning to visit this wonderful country. Before being discouraged to travel on your own, read our guide to traveling solo in Indonesia… Guide for Solo Travelers in Indonesia Arriving in Indonesia When
Anemone Eating Nudibranch in Lembeh
Posted on October 18th, 2019 by News DroidNudibranch in Lembeh We have sea slugs galore in Lembeh Strait and to celebrate their incredible diversity we’d like to introduce this week’s featured nudibranch: the Anemone-eating Nudibranch (Baeolidia moebii). Anemones are predatory animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria which means they contain stinging cells called nematocysts (same as with hydroids and jellyfish). Does this…
Crinoid Squat Lobster in Bunaken – The Heart of the Coral Triangle
Posted on October 15th, 2019 by News DroidThe Bunaken Marine Park is located right at the heart of the coral triangle and this is the centre of diversity for squat lobsters. These “lobster-like” crustaceans are found hiding amongst the coral and feather stars on the walls of Bunaken and take a keen eye to spot. Our guides are very good at spotting…
The Importance of White Balance and Underwater Photography
Posted on October 14th, 2019 by News DroidMost of us have heard the term “white balance” but do you know what it is and how it affects your underwater photography? White balance, more importantly, having the correct white balance, is an essential element of capturing great underwater images. Are your underwater images always tinged with blue? Are the colors portrayed in your
The Bobbit Worm in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Posted on October 11th, 2019 by News DroidHigh up on the ‘arguments against nude diving’ list is the Bobbit worm (Eunice aphroditois). Its common name is allegedly a nod to the infamous John and Lorena Bobbit case in the USA (if you don’t know what we mean then Google is your friend). As an ambush predator, nature saw fit to endow this…
Green Gold Award 2019
Posted on October 9th, 2019 by News DroidWe are very happy to let you all know that Siladen Resort & Spa has received the Green Gold Award from the ‘Indonesia Sustainable Tourism Awards (ISTA) 2019. These awards are given to resorts, operations, and destinations throughout Indonesia, to show recognition for their hard work to pursue sustainable tourism and environmental practices. From the
DUIKEN – Manado & Bunaken
Posted on October 7th, 2019 by News DroidThis article originally appeared in scuba diving website and magazine Duiken (which means “diving” in Dutch). This piece focuses on diving Bunaken, Manado and the Bunaken Marine Park. Because the original articles are in Dutch, I translated them and posted them here for our English readers. The first article was all about Lembeh. This time,
The Sulawesi Bear Cuscus at Murex Bangka Resort
Posted on October 7th, 2019 by News DroidDid you know that at Murex Bangka Resort we have been having sightings of the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus (Ailurops ursinus) in the trees near the dive and snorkeling center? In fact, in one day we spotted FOUR cuscuses together in the treetops!!! Did you know that the Sulawesi Bear Cuscus is actually a marsupial and
Ribbontail Rays in Bunaken are Seen Night and Day
Posted on October 7th, 2019 by News DroidThis week we have been lucky enough to see stingrays on a few of our favourite dive sites. During the day they are mostly taking shelter and hiding from predators under coral shelves or in sandy patches beneath the rocks but we can sometimes see them peeking out of their hidey-hole. At night they are…
Flatworms and Muck Diving in Lembeh
Posted on October 4th, 2019 by News DroidMuck Diving in Lembeh Strait Flatworms are the evolutionary result of generations of worms being squished by larger fish. That’s why they’re often brightly coloured; to avoid being crushed entirely into a 2-dimensional plane. Ok, this isn’t true….. But sometimes the truth is even stranger when you are muck diving in Lembeh. Flatworms have no…
Christmas in North Sulawesi, You’re Invited!
Posted on October 4th, 2019 by News DroidFor many divers, including singles (more on that later), Christmas is the perfect excuse to get away from the cold holiday season. Instead, why not spend Christmas in North Sulawesi? Swim in warm, tropical water, meet like-minded people and enjoy some fantastic diving. Celebrating Christmas in North Sulawesi North Sulawesi is mostly Christian, which is
Single Divers: Join Us For Christmas
Posted on October 2nd, 2019 by News DroidFor single divers, Christmas can be a perfect excuse to get away from the cold holiday season and spend it in warm, tropical water, meet like-minded people and enjoy some fantastic diving. Dive the Bunaken National Marine Park and be surrounded by turtles, vivid coral reefs and huge amounts of fish. This area is especially attractive for snorkelers
7 Underwater Photography Tips for Instantly Improving Your Images
Posted on October 1st, 2019 by News DroidDo you enjoy underwater photography but feel that the quality of your images is not where you would like it to be? Are you just getting started and want your learning curve to be as steep as possible? To help you to improve your images and get the best results from your gear, here are
The Sponge Crabs and Sponge Hats- Night Diving Bunaken
Posted on September 30th, 2019 by News DroidNight diving brings out many creatures that we don’t normally see during the day. One of these creatures is very strange looking as it appears to be a sponge but it is scuttling across the reef. These are commonly known as sponge crabs and can all look a little bit different due to the size/colour/shape…
Meet the Interns
Posted on September 29th, 2019 by News DroidSeptembers edition of ‘meet the team’ will be a little different from normal. Recently, we have had many guests asking “who are the smiling young people on the boats and restaurant?” Each summer, we provide internships to some local teenagers who are studying to enter the hospitality and tourism industry some day. The work placements
Project AWARE Week- The fight against plastic in Bunaken
Posted on September 28th, 2019 by News DroidAs recent documentaries and reports in the media have shown there is a systemic problem with regards to the way we are using and abusing our oceans. Each year tens of thousands of marine species are killed by either eating marine debris or becoming entangled in it and all of this marine debris comes from…
Ambon Scorpionfish in Lembeh Strait
Posted on September 26th, 2019 by News DroidThe Ambon Scorpionfish I’ve never considered writing about a fish’s eyebrows before. Perhaps because fish aren’t generally known for their body hair. Here in Lembeh, we have a lot of impressively adorned critters and one of the most stylish has got to be the Ambon Scorpionfish (pteroidichthys amboinensis). Scorpionfish are ambush predators and they use…
Divemaster Internship & Juvenile Sharks in a Bunaken Cave
Posted on September 26th, 2019 by News DroidAlex has been doing his Divemaster training here at Two Fish Divers Bunaken and at over halfway through he is progressing at a good pace through theory, pool and open water skills and workshops. He still has fond memories of the first dive he did and the amazing moment when he saw juvenile sharks in…
Magical Mandarin Dive in Bunaken
Posted on September 23rd, 2019 by News DroidMandarin fish are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and colourful fish found throughout the pacific and we are lucky to see many of them at our Two Fish Divers locations in Indonesia. Taking a Mandarin Dive gives the best opportunity to see these beautifully coloured fish which have a personality all of their own.…
The Oceans Most Venomous Fish – Reef Stonefish
Posted on September 21st, 2019 by News DroidThe deep waters that run through Bunaken Marine Park are hiding a lot — there are almost certainly species living here that we still know nothing about. But it’s not just the deep water that is hiding things — the shallows are home to many cryptic animals that are hiding in plain sight. Today, we
DIVER DIVER ARE YOU OK?… PADI Rescue Diver Course in Bunaken
Posted on September 21st, 2019 by News Droid“Hi one and all, my name is Alex, originally from England. I am part of a company called Conservation Wise and for the next six weeks I’ll be blogging, vlogging and posting stories about my experiences on this once in a lifetime trip to realise my life goal of becoming a PADI Divemaster here at…
Lembeh Strait Nudibranch Feature: Halgerda batangas
Posted on September 20th, 2019 by News Droid‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ is a very suitable saying for this nudibranch which is commonly found around our Lembeh Strait dive sites. If I described a sea slug covered in orange-spotted, lumpy tubercles to you, you’d probably ask if it was contagious. However, as the attached pictures demonstrate, this is one…