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…
Bunaken Mangroves – Not Just Beautiful To Look At
Posted on September 16th, 2019 by News DroidBunaken mangroves are not just beautiful to look at, they are also an important ecosystem that many other systems rely on, they’re excellent barriers for coastline protection against storms and erosion and they have the ability to store carbon. As the world’s coastlines lose more and more mangrove habitats, we need to try hard to…
The Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray
Posted on September 10th, 2019 by News DroidWith thousands of species of fish living within the boundaries of Bunaken Marine Park, it is easy to forget some of the more common species that live on these reefs — no matter how incredibly beautiful these critters might be. So we thought we would highlight not only one of the most common stingrays we
Orangutan crab – Diving in Bunaken
Posted on September 9th, 2019 by News DroidIn North Sulawesi we are lucky to see so much life under the surface. We see so many species of reef fish, corals and pelagics that we sometimes forget how lucky we are. If you love spotting macro critters during a dive too then you have to come to Bunaken to see the orangutan crab.…
The plight of the Immortal Lobsters
Posted on September 4th, 2019 by News DroidThe way lobsters go through life makes them essentially immortal. This is such a bizarre story in terms of biology, we just had to share it… Shrimps, crabs, langustines and lobsters are fascinating creatures. Their insectoid appearance make them a delight to watch during a dive. Shuffling around on the ocean floor or watching the
Meet Sindia
Posted on September 4th, 2019 by News DroidFor our latest entry of ‘meet the staff’, we will be featuring a member of staff who works entirely behind the scenes and away from the guests. While Sindia Salimu — our human resources supervisor — may have very little face time with the guests, she plays an extremely important role in the resort, and
Remarkable Thresher Shark Experience in Bunaken National Park
Posted on September 3rd, 2019 by News DroidI have now reached my two weeks mark, which means I’m already halfway through my Divemaster training here at Two Fish Divers Bunaken and I never want to leave! I can’t believe time is running so fast. At this moment everything is running smoothly with getting up early in the morning, loading the boats with…
Sustainability and Conservation at Murex Dive Resorts
Posted on September 3rd, 2019 by News DroidAt Murex Dive Resorts it is our number one priority to promote conservation and ensure that our reefs, marine life and natural landscapes are protected. As the pioneers of underwater exploration in North Sulawesi we see ourselves as guardians of our ocean. Murex’s founder, Dr. Hans Batuna was pivotal in promoting marine conservation in North
Bunaken Leaf Scorpionfish: Camouflage Experts
Posted on September 2nd, 2019 by News DroidLeaf Scorpionfish in Bunaken In Bunaken the leaf scorpionfish are camouflage experts which makes them very difficult to find – but a treat when you eventually see them! Even when you know it’s a fish, you could still easily believe that it’s a leaf! Taenianotus triacanthus, which is commonly known as the leaf scorpionfish or…
Diving North Sulawesi Bunaken, Fukui
Posted on August 27th, 2019 by News DroidDiving Fukui from Manado The area: North Sulawesi, the island: Bunaken, the diving: fantastic! Only a 20-minute boat ride away from our diving resort in Manado, you can find Fukui. This is a dive site on the south-western side of Bunaken island, and it’s quite a doozy! You’re might be wondering why this site has
Fendy: dive guide and instructor
Posted on August 27th, 2019 by News DroidIn this series of blog posts, we introduce you to our PADI instructors. This week, our resident dive guide, instructor and supervisor Fendy Galeang from Indonesia (30) shares some stories with us… How did you start at Thalassa?I was one of the first students who graduated from the school in Tongkeina, where I learned a
Diving in an underwater sponge forest
Posted on August 27th, 2019 by News DroidDiving our house reef at Manado is an underwater world that’s always surprising and different. After jumping in the water from our jetty, a swim of 50 meters takes you to the buoy that marks the start of the dive. The first thing you see is our humble little artificial reef, lying next to an
Sleepy Scorpionfish Spotted on a Bunaken Night Dive
Posted on August 26th, 2019 by News DroidAmazing Critters on a Bunaken Night Dive… We see some amazing critters at Two Fish Divers, especially on a night dive, like this sleepy scorpionfish spotted on a Bunaken night dive. Mike Toupin found the subject in the photo above and got this great shot when he was diving with dive guide Geraldo last week.…
A diving holiday in North Sulawesi
Posted on August 26th, 2019 by News DroidA diving holiday in North Sulawesi is something truly unique. In this blog article I will try to explain why I think this place is so special… Hello mister! As I’m walking through the street of Manado, almost every five minutes I hear a cheerful “Hello mister, how are you?” Of course I answer back:
Spotlight on Fukui
Posted on August 21st, 2019 by News DroidWhere is Fukui? Only a 20-minute boat ride away from our resort in Manado, you can find Fukui on the south-western side of Bunaken island. Can you spot it? Refer to this great illustration by Machiko Kagii to familiarize yourself with the site: Machiko Kagii Starting the dive Descending from the boat, you first arrive
Diving in Bunaken with the Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse
Posted on August 19th, 2019 by News DroidThe Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse is a highlight of diving in Bunaken but it is a master at hiding so you need to have a very keen eye to spot them. Luckily for us, our guides have great spotting skills and know just where to look to find the elusive pygmy. Hippocampus pontohi or Pontoh’s pygmy…
Good Times In Bunaken
Posted on August 13th, 2019 by News DroidI’m already a week into my PADI Divemaster training at Two Fish Divers and it is good times in Bunaken! Every day has been different with something new to learn all the time. In the beginning, it was mostly getting used to the early mornings with filling the boats with the right tanks and finding…
Our statement regarding direct flights from Singapore to Manado
Posted on August 13th, 2019 by ArjenThe route from Singapore (SIN) to Manado (MDC) is currently operated by Silk Air, who announced in November 2018 that they would be transferring this route, along with others, to Scoot Air. Scoot are a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and to date, two of the planned routes have already smoothly transitioned to Scoot’s operations. The