I love Bunaken! I was there with my friend who was conducting a Snorkeling Marine Education Programme with students from Japan & Indonesia. We stayed on Bunaken Island in a village called Tanjung Parigi. There are many resorts on Bunaken but we stayed at the villagers homes (homestay). I know that Bunaken is famous for scuba divers but it is also a great place for snorkelers. There are lots of shallow reefs that can be explored. I was there in September and there were some pretty strong currents in the area, so please be careful.
Just in front of Tg. Parigi is a great snorkeling area. Swim a few meters off the shore, you will encounter the seagrass bed. I spent hours exploring the seagrass bed here. It is indeed a nursery for the marine life, among other things. I encountered lots of baby fishes and they all looks very cute J It is best to snorkel during high tide, however, you can still explore the area during low tide. Just put on your booties and you can walk on the seagrass area. While investigating the seagrass bed during low tide, I saw mantis shrimp hiding in holes, an exposed anemone with anemone fish hiding underneath it for protection (that's where the puddles are) and lots of colorful marine invertebrates.
This was my first experience taking underwater photos while snorkeling instead of scuba diving. I find that it is a bit harder because I have to hold my breath while I duck in for a shoot. Most of the time I fail to take a good photo on the first dive so I had to go back up for a breath and duck in again in hope that my marine model hasn't swam away too far. I loved the challenge it presented!
Here are some photos on the seagrass bed.
Photo: The seagrass – where things hide… By Sal
Photos: Porcupine Pufferfish and Cowfish hiding. By Sal
Photo: Baby Triggerfish taking shelter among the seagrass. By Sal
It was also fascinating to see 2 ecosystems meets.
Photo: Where 2 worlds meet. Seagrass growing among branching corals. By Sal
The coral reef area was equally interesting. During my trip there I was very much into butterflyfish and there were lots of them on that reef. The anemones were also very colorful unlike anything I have ever seen in Sabah.
Photo: A pair of Butterflyfish. By Sal
Photo: Frustrating! I was trying not to move so much but alas…. By Sal
For more information on Manado and how to get there: Manado Tourist Information
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