Blue-ringed octopus（ヒョウモンダコ） in house reef at Bunaken Cha Cha.

Night Dive in front of our resort. When they are calm, you do not see their blue ring straight way, so I thought I found a new looking nudibranch or something, then get closer to them, they start show these beautiful blue rings all over the body and legs.

Blue Ring Octopus　（ヒョウモンダコ）

The blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) are three (or perhaps four) octopus species that live intide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Japan to Australia (mainly around southern New South Wales and South Australia). They are recognized as some of the world's most venomous marine animals. Despite their small size and relatively docile nature, they can prove a danger to humans. They can be recognized by their characteristic blue and black rings and yellowish skin. When the octopus is agitated, the brown patches darken dramatically, and iridescent blue rings or clumps of rings appear and pulsate within the maculae. Typically 50-60 blue rings cover the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the mantle. They hunt small crabs, hermit crabs, and shrimp, and may bite attackers, including humans, if provoked.   (From Wikipedia) 

ヒョウモンダコ（豹紋蛸）は、マダコ亜目 マダコ科 ヒョウモンダコ属に属する4種類のタコの総称。日本ではその中の一種Hapalochlaena fasciata を指す場合が多い。小型だが唾液に猛毒のテトロドトキシンを含むことで知られ、危険なタコとされる。 ウィキペディア

"Joshikai" with our repeater guests, good friends.

Ritsu

Aya

Three of us got together and went Lembeh Diving Tour from Cha Cha to "Black sand divers(Friendly owner Bruce & Fun)" again this year.  We had great fun! 

Let's have *"JOSHIKAI" (girls night out) more often!!

* Joshikai (女子会) is a word of the minute (a vogue woad) in Japan at moment and a big boom, the meaning is "girls night out".

 Some say Magazine models in Japan made this boom, others say it's greatly influenced by TV drama "Sex and the city".

Diving at Tawara Point, Bunaken Island

Tawara Point on Bunaken Island.
 Water temp. - 29℃.   Visibility - about 20m.

Ghost pipefish

Shallow reef of Bunaken Island

Diver's bubble stuck inside hole of Bunaken coral wall

Meeting with Dugong!! at Bunaken Cha Cha point.

Our guests met Dugong on Bunaken Island

at 2nd dive, Cha Cha 2 point, 1st of April (It's real, not april fool joke, hahaha)


I was just talking to the guests two days ago about the dugong when/where they can normally see this wonderful creature. Could not have been better  timing, but actually who saw the dugong today, was the other guests on our 2nd boat.  What can I say....?  It is not easy to make everybody happy...  umm....

All guests except one, who had video camera, saw the dugong eating sea grass on the shallow reef at Cha Cha2 point.  so no picture of the today's dugong again.

This one I took at same Cha Cha 2 point while I was snorkeling on 2006.

***Dugong***
"The dugong (Dugong dugon) is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. It is also the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of at least 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, though the majority of dugongs live in the northern waters of Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay. The dugong is the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal, as all species of manatee use fresh water to some degree."      ----  from Wikipedia