"Manado Talent Show" held at Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort

So much fun!!  "Manado Talent Show" Father and Son/Daughter Group Trip from Singapore held at Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort.
The group donated lots of books to  "Bunaken Children's Library" project on Bunaken Island run by "Bookbound" and "LSM Mata Biru".

Flatworm, Pseudobiceros fulgor at Bunaken Island

Flatworm - One of the most beautiful flatworm I ever seen around Bunaken.

Flatworm - Pseudobiceros fulgor - Bunaken Cha2 point - Indonesia

Bicolor Blenny at Bunaken Cha Cha 2 Point

Blenny at Cha Cha 2 Point

How are you everybody?
Bunaken is still hot as peak season. Today we had just little bit rain, but finish in 5minutes. Our garden looks still dry..  We need water for our plant...!!!

Anyway...  we want to introduce cute Blenny at Cha Cha 2 point.

Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor)

The bicolor blenny (Ecsenius bicolor) is an interesting little marine bottom-dwelling fish.This fish is called the bicolor blenny because its front half is blue to brownish in color and its back half is yellow or orange.

It belongs to the family Blenniidae. All members of this family have small projections protruding from their heads called cirri. They feed on marine algae.

Bunaken Porcupine fish

Mona Lisa Smile??

Porcupine fish at Cha Cha 2 Point. 

Beetle - Prosopocoilus occipitalis at Cha Cha

Prosopocoilus occipitalis

Cool!! 

Cha Cha Staff Odnir found this amazing beetle I never seen for 25 years since I visited Indonesia.

Snake eel and Baby squid, Manado, Bunaken National Marine Park

Snake eel and Baby squid video.

Puffer fish, Bunaken Island

Big puffer fish lives in Cha Cha 2 point, Bunaken Island.

Blacktip shark in Cha Cha2 point, Bunaken Island

Blacktip Shark in Cha Cha 2 Point at Bunaken Island, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Today's Sunrise - Bunaken Island, Manado

Sunrise 5:38AM Bunaken Island, Manado

Manado,Bunaken, Crab eyed goby movie

Crab eyed goby, Twin spotted goby.

Egg of Nudibranch, food for Nudibranch?? Bunaken (Manado)

This is the egg of Glossodoris stellatus, size 2-3cm.
When I took picture, could not see clearly there were two different nudibranch staying inside... eating egg?? maybe...  amazing...

Glossodoris stellatus

Departure from the resort on the "Man power floating bridge".

A special way to checking out resort (Only sometime though...), 

Bunaken, Chelidonura sandrana and Glossodoris stellatus

I love this leopard looking sea slug. The size is 15mm.

Chelidonura sandrana

This nudybranch looks like "gumi" or "jelly bean"... sweet... 

Glossodoris stellatus

Photo by R.Downey

Giant Trevally(Caranx ignobilis) at Bunaken Island

"Ron's point" at the corner of south west Bunaken I.S., It gets sometimes very strong current.
17th of August, there was some current and slightly down current as well, but we could enjoy meeting with these school of Giant Trevally, Bigeye trevally at deeper down, also with Yellowfin Barracuda, some huge Napoleon fish, garden eel, etc.
Sometimes if there is no current or slow current, nothing happen, no show of these big fish in same dive site, but today's diving was so fantastic!



Video by R.Downey (Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort)

Enjoy a cocktail at the beautiful moment of the earth

Enjoy a cool cocktail at sunset time on the Cha Cha balcony with stunning sea view. 

Congratulation!! New PADI Scuba Divers!

For the last week the Water Temperature has been around 29-30 Degrees

Visibility - 20 - 30 meters

Surface Weather - Sunny with the odd day a little swell.

Yesterday we had Shi and Herbert Complete the PADI Scuba Diver Course and followed up with some fun dives. They purchased there own camera so here is a nice shot of them both Hovering along the reef during a fun dive. :)

Yet again more happy students, We hope to see you again at cha cha in the not so distant future.

Congratulation from the Cha Cha Team

Flower Ghost Shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis)

Common name: Flower Ghost Shrimp, Tide pool Shrimp

Found this in the dry sand at very low tide beach, seemed to be struggling a lot. In the beginning I thought it's start changing their skin, but not. It was struggling because of the body start gets dry I guess. so moved it gently to the very shallow water 30cm away.  

Finally this shrimp start gets really active in very shallow water and digging a whole which somebody already live in....

But as you can see it's holding a lot of orange color eggs under the body.

Amazing!

Enjoy the Video.

Pontoh's Gorgonian Pygmy Seahorse, Manado Bunaken

Wheeler's Watchman Goby (Amblyeleotris wheeleri)

Wheeler's Watchman Goby (Amblyeleotris wheeleri)

Wheeler's Watchman Goby is also know as Wheeler's Prawn Goby, Gorgeous prawn goby, Wheeler's shrimp Goby.
This is a goby from the Indo-Pacific. It grows to a size of 10 cm in length. 

Frogfish - up side down pose.....

Frogfish - Size about 25cm

Can you see where is his/hers eye?

Frogfishes, family Antennariidae, are a type of anglerfish in the order Lophiiformes. They are known as anglerfishes in Australia, where 'frogfish' refers to a different type of fish. Frogfishes are found in almost all tropical and subtropical oceans and seas around the world, the primary exception being the Mediterranean Sea.

Abnormal weather all over the world....?!

Weather now. Sunny and Hot. This is quite normal weather in Dry season.

Weather 3 days ago. Cool and bit chilly in the early morning. Did not feel like as "July weather" at all.

The fish kindergarden in front of Cha Cha.

Please try beach combing in front of our resort especially when it's low tide.
It is like a treasure hunting in the fish kindergarden.

Yellowfin Tuna delivery

Huge Yellowfin Tuna delivery!!

Minimum 1.5m, 50kg size of Yellowfin Tuna delivery from local fisherman at night.

Same day in the rate afternoon, one of our guest saw this big yellowfin tuna in front of Cha Cha while he was snorkeling.  "I got bit scared to see it in the water even I knew that was yellowfin tuna, it was quite big..." he said.

Ghost Pipefish@Manado,Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort

amazing Ghost Pipefish

This one has a partner, but I never seen they were close together, always "Going my way" swimming style. 

Dive Blog, "I will be back."

Water Temperature 30 Degrees

Visibility - 20 - 30 meters on a slack tide with a mild/strong current

Surface Weather - Sunny :)

Ozgor from Turkey, Living and working in north Indonesia in the mines

Completed his Discovery Dive and will return soon and finish his full Open water course.

What can I say,, awesome guy and hooked on diving,, good stuff
Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort

-  Mr.Ozgor  -

Beautiful Accessory for iPhone

 

What a gorgeous iPhone case!!
Big surprise present form our guests Aguness and Marcus from Sweden.

Aguness said she bought this in Singapore. When I was looking a case for iPhone, I could not find like this in Japan nor in Singapore.
Amazing!

Thanks Aguness & Marcus!

Bunaken Island, Tiny Nudibranch Nembrotha sp.

around 7mm size Nembrotha sp.

Colorful World of Bunaken

Bartail fusilier with blue neon light.

Spinecheek Anemonefish pair. 

Bigger one is a female.

PADI, OW Course at Cha Cha.

Water Temperature 29 Degrees

Visibility - 20 - 30 meters on a Rising tide with a mild current

Surface Weather - Sunny

Today we our repeater guest Celine Ng from Singapore complete here PADI open water course after trying for the first time last year.

Congratulation Celine we hope to see you for more diving soon.

Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort

Photo by R.Downey

Bunaken, beautiful weather again this morning!!

Beautiful morning today on Bunaken Island.

Time to say good bye to Chin chan's last puppy.

One of our dog "Chin chan" 's last puppy in the resort.

He is so cute and just look like his father "Gonzo". 

Our staff bring him their home today.

Time to say "Good bye" to him.

He is just so cute!! So pity to let him go...ummm

So long puppy and be happy with Odnir and Veronica family.

Mikes point, East side of Bunaken Island.

Water Temperature 30 Degrees

Visibility - 20 - 25 meters on a High tide with a mild current

Surface Weather - Sunny with a west wind
Our Guests the Nakane Family with us for Scuba diving and snorkeling.

Their daughter had her first try at Scuba diving with our Discover Scuba Diving program.Great guests we hope to see them again soon.

 Out on our trip today we came across this huge Napoleon Wrasse at Mikes point a cha cha favourite snorkel and dive location.

Bunaken Cha Cha Nature resort

Critters at Night Dive, Bunaken Island

Night Dive at Tanjiung Parigi beach point, Bunaken Island.
Just 5 minutes boat ride from Bunaken Cha Cha Nature Resort.

After the sunset.

Slipper lobster

(young lobster about 15 centimeter size)

Oncinopus aranea "Spider crab"

It looks big in the picture, but body part is only about one centimeter size.

Dardanus gemmatus "Jewel Anemone Hermit Crab"

(about 10 centimeter size)

Dive Log 17June2012, at Bunaken Cha Cha

Water Temperature 29 Degrees

Visibility - 10 - 20 meters on a falling tide with mild to no current

Surface Weather - Sunny with a south east breeze

Henrik from Denmark and 2 of his photos from today - Canon SX 240

1- Our first dive at Mikes point we came across this Bump Head Parrot Fish

2- Our second dive across from Cha Cha Siladen we found this Robust Ghost Pipe Fish 

Special Thanks to Mr.Henrik

Bunaken Cha Cha Nature resort

The solar eclipse seen from Bunaken Island.

How was the solar eclipse from where you live?

Here from Bunaken island, we could not see the complete solar ring, but when Raf took picture of the sunrise, it looked like this.

It looks like a moon at night, but this is sun rise this morning around 5:35am on Bunaken island.

We had to use special sun glasses to see the sun, of course.

Risky business??

This is snail living in Reiko's herb garden.

and this is a   ↓

Hermit crab at the steps on our balcony 

using a SNAIL shell, pretending a snail....?

bit risky if this is in France I think.............