Komodo National Park dive 20: “Loh Sera” (2019-1-24) I missed the 3rd night dive on 2019-1-23 (Padar Kecil).
Dive site notes: A fringing reef dived at low tide. Corals were exposed to air. 10 m viz and no current=among best diving conditions of trip. Descended upon sheets of foliaceous corals (unsure of species), as well as vast swaths of Acropora, which dominated the shallows at all parts of dive. Still, soft corals tended to dominate in many areas. Even saw Anacropora for only the second time this trip. Numerous large, bleached Seriatopora caliendrum (SC) colonies with live tissue. Unsure what is going on there. Pachyseris and other foliaceous corals common from 2 m to surface, though branching Acropora spp. were the dominant shallow coral species. Hydnophora was common at 1 m in many places. Finger Porites, P. rus, and some small massive poritids were present, though this was not a reef built by Porites. Seriatopora hystrix, Pocillopora acuta (PA), and Pocillopora verrucosa (PV) all common. In fact, this may have been the site with the most PA. Little coral below 17-18 m: just sand. Stylophora pistillata and Galaxea both relatively common. Small wrecked fishing boat covered in soft corals and hard corals=beautiful. One new nudibranch. Acropora, PA, PV, Pachyseris, and 5-10 other species (at least) on the wreck. Bleached SC was also found on the wreck. High Acropora diversity and cover at site (best of trip for cover). Euphyllia, Merulina, Plerogyra, Fungia. Golden sweepers. Nearly all SC was partially bleached at top (bottoms of branches were pigmented). Surface was covered in garbage.
The rest of Loh Sera (still pretty nice barring all the trash at the surface)
