Komodo National Park (trip 2) dive #30: “Siaba Besar” round 2 (2019-1-26)

Dive site notes: Our second dive at this amazing site. 10 m viz, very mild current. Pocillopora verrucosa (PV), Seriatopora hystrix (SH), Stylophora pistillata (SP), Seriatopora caliendrum (SC), Acropora (diverse and abundant), Pachyseris (dominant in places), Pavona (including a MONSTER colony), 5-6 large turtles over course of dive, several sharks resting on sand, cuttlefish. Hard coral-dominated site punctuated by large, sandy patches. Tons of large, foliaceous coral colonies, only one of which was Pachyseris. Need to check on the other species. Cabbage/lettuce coral, with tons of huge branching Acropora colonies. Pavona, nurse shark, Euphyllia, 1 Culcita, several species of Galaxea (all small), Montipora, several species of brain coral, Hydnophora, finger Porites, small massive Porites (uncommon). Notable absence of Pocillopora acuta. Saw a tiny frogfish (no good picture) and baby mantis shrimp (?) in sandy area, where we spent the last third of the dive.

Best of Siaba Besar

The rest