We are off to a fantastic start with the diving this year !

From the boat alone, we have already had numerous sightings of Mola-mola, one Hammerhead lazily swimming on the surface and even a huge manta passing right beneath our divers during a surface interval, not to forget the usual pods of dolphins making an almost daily appearance.

But of course most of the action has been happening under the waves…

Current Alley is as exciting as ever; with all sorts of reef sharks patrolling the reef, accompanied by big tunas, Spanish Mackerel and Jacks swimming around intimidating the balls of fish.  Groups of Eagle and Mobula rays calmly swimming along the wall while Stingrays queue up in line at the cleaning stations.  Batfish, barracuda, bump-heads and turtles dotted around the reef have been a common in the shallows. Our other dive sites haven’t disappointed, offering occasional Shark and Ray encounters at Rumah Biru and Cathedral; Wobbegongs in the world-famous Anemone fields on Pura Island; and we also found the new favorite sleeping place of a big white tip reef shark.

As for the small stuff…  Our newest muck-diving spot, located under a newly built jetty, just gets better each time we visit. Just recently we have counted 10 leaf fish on the dive site! Coral and hydroids growing around jetty pillars offer a nursery to baby-Batfish and on the bottom the octopus seem to have found the perfect spot to build their houses.  The sandy areas have been hosting rare sighting such us Emperor Shrimps, Zebra crabs, and even a tiny Bumble-bee shrimp. Not to forget more of the Ghost-pipefish than you can shake a stick at. In other muck dive spots we broke some records: 4 Rhinopious in one dive; 6 sea horses in another; 5 ornate ghost pipefish together in one pinnacle; as well as 5 new frogfish and 2 blue-ring octopus spotted in less than one month ;-)

Lastly we have to mention the house reef – as spectacular as ever. The challenge will be for you to find all the lobsters, the resident turtle, and if you are a good spotter maybe the new tiny seahorse or the Halimeda Ghost-pipefish…

But don’t take our word for it - come and see for yourself !!!

Over 50 hammerheads circling divers for 10 min !!!

Incredible experience and probably the best action dive we ever made!!!  We had around 50 hammerheads coming to our group of divers, circling them for over 10 minutes!!! Smaller bunch of hammers was so curious, they decided to take a really good look at bubble-makers and came within 5 meters, while the majority of them stayed at a discrete distance of 15 meters or so :o. Divers were "breathlessly" following the spectacle until they decided to leave the scene for a safety ascend !  Now [that] is something to talk about for months (if not years) to come ;) !!!

Yes, we are already well into our 2014 season and action is not only with the big stuff. Muck diving in Kalabahi bay is as good as ever (see a partial list of possible encounters here incredible critter diving in Kalabahi Bay). This year we have also seen eagle rays and huge turtles on few occasions, as well as black tips. Diving is great and divers are happy :)

We hope this blog will inspire more diving enthusiasts who haven't visited Alor yet, to come and discover this hidden jewel of diving :) If Alor is on your 2014 list, don't hesitate too long,  the places at Alor Divers are filling up fast ;)

Happy bubbles  ><)))°>  oO° 

Another great dive in Current Alley!

Yesterday we had again a great dive in Current Alley...: giant travallies, black tips, white tips, grey reefs and looooads of fish! Today in Apuri and Ternate : 2 frog fish, turtle, sea snake, tuna, blue spotted ray and many nudies! And that was the last "official" diving of this year. Tomorrow all guests leave the resort and we start full on with some renovations (much was done already in last month) and wet season break preparations.

Diving season 2013 is closing soon

December is the best time to plan a long break (due to heavy rains and reduced visibility). Diving is nevertheless good considering conditions, actually often real "fishomania" with all the fish feeding on suspended particles! 

Rhinopias species are still in the Bay (as well as many other critters that we saw during the year) and there seems to be a bloom of Harlequin ghost pipe fish. 

November/December is also a great time for nudibranche lovers, we noticed -as usual for this time of the year-  an abundance in their numbers and variety. Few days ago divers had a great time on a house reef, encountering an Eagle ray, black tip and a turtle on a single dive! Not bad for closing the season ;-)

We are very happy with diving in 2013! We had some very exciting dives, in general witnessed great reef life and some stunning pelagic encounters !!

Fast review of diving lately...

To focus on pelagic first: a couple of Grey Reef Sharks plus Black Tips in Current Alley, Turtle (not plural :-(  ) and a Giant Travellies, Napolian plus big Tuna at Bama Wall, a big Marble Ray in the south and the top of the tops: a school of 40 Hammerheads in Current Alley ! we had to descent to 50 mt to meet them but it was well worth it :-). We also had few encounters with Thresher Shark, that came to check us in the "shallows" of 15-20 mt! Whales are starting to migrate the Pantar Strait and are during this time-as every year- frequently passing just in front of the house reef...
From pelagic to reef and muck:  the reef diving still with fantastic ambiance, lots of reef fish and great corals... Muck diving still very interesting with highlights like Rhinopias species (Weedy and Paddle Flap), frog fish, ghost pipe fish (Harlequin, Halimeda, robust), blue ring octopus,mushroom head pipefish, arrow head crab, solar powered nudi, winged pipe fish, Sea horse and other critters that divers are happy to see!

We will soon post few things about above water level activities and events!