A field reference · Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi
A field reference
to muck diving.
Species entries, dive sites and camera technique for the black sand and silt of the Indo-Pacific. Compiled from dive logs and photographs taken in the Lembeh Strait and elsewhere in the region.
Browse 971 species →
971
species
6
destinations
3,598
dives logged
The critter index
Species entries, with where and when each one is seen.
Hairy frogfish
Antennarius striatus
Mimic octopus
Thaumoctopus mimicus
Flamboyant cuttlefish
Ascarosepion pfefferi
Blue-ringed octopus
Hapalochlaena lunulata
Wunderpus
Wunderpus photogenicus
Coconut octopus
Amphioctopus marginatus
Bobbit worm
Eunice cf. aphroditois
Bargibant's pygmy seahorse
Hippocampus bargibanti
Destinations
Muck diving destinations.
Season, conditions, typical sightings, and how long to allow for each.
01 Lembeh Strait Indonesia Fine black volcanic sand on both shores of a sheltered channel between the North Sulawesi mainland and Lembeh island, dived by small boat in every month of the year. Year-round, peak Jul–Oct 02 Anilao Philippines Dark volcanic sand and rubble in the sheltered coves of the Mabini peninsula, south of Manila, on the edge of the Verde Island Passage, with nudibranchs in exceptional variety. Nov–May 03 Ambon Indonesia Silt, black sand and harbour debris inside Ambon Bay in the Maluku islands, dived from jetties and short boat rides, with the outer coast's walls and caves close by. Oct–Apr 04 Dauin & Dumaguete Philippines Black volcanic sand entered from the beach along the southeast coast of Negros, with tyre and car-body reefs on the slope and Apo Island offshore. Nov–May 05 Bali Indonesia Black volcanic sand in several separate areas of Bali, from the cobble beaches of the east coast to the cool, enclosed bay at Gilimanuk in the far northwest, nearly all of it dived from shore. Year-round 06 Papua New Guinea Black sand and silt slopes in the sheltered bays of Milne Bay and northern Papua New Guinea, where muck diving was first given its name, dived mostly from liveaboards. Best Oct–Mar
About this reference
Where the information comes from.
Species entries, sighting frequencies and depth ranges are drawn from dive logs kept in the Lembeh Strait and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific. Pages are dated, sourced where a claim comes from published work, and marked where a record is thin.
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