No Nudis Near Narita

Narita Airport

Tokyo Time 5pm

Chicago Time 2am

Nudibranch Sightings: 0 (unless you count glancing through my Neville Coleman’s 1001 Nudibranchs ID book)

So far so good.  Although we had a mini-snowmaggedon in Chicago last night, O’Hare was pretty calm this morning.  I had a bit of a kerfuffle with the agent at United about the weight of my SCUBA luggage but after some regulator bag jumping and a shift change, I sailed through nary an overweight baggage charge.

My flight from Chicago to Tokyo was 12 hours and now I get on a flight to Manila.  It’s delayed, but just a half hour.  And I’m plenty amused by the Sumo wrestling on the television.  A petite little woman next to me just let out an enormous burp.  Is that acceptable in Japan?

OK, back on track.  For those of you new to the blog (and nudibranching)… and as a reminder to me, here is where the nudibranch fits in the Animal Kingdom:

Nudibranchs are fascinating and come in all sorts of colors and patterns.  The fun is in the finding.  They are usually pretty small and it’s great sport to photograph one and point it out to your dive buddies (in that order, you never know when one might slip away).  It’s true, they don’t move very fast, but sometimes they disappear without a diver noticing.

There are thousands of species of nudibranchs which are grouped up into Families.  The species names are all in Latin and have two names.  The first is capitalized and the second is not.  My goal on any dive trip is to find as many nudibranchs as possible.  While it might be interesting to collect an overall count, my objective is to find as many unique species.  There are some nudibranch species like Phyllidiella pustulosa which are very common and can be found on almost every dive, so rest assured, I will only count it once.

OK, we’re boarding now.

Countdown to DIVE-rsity in the Philippines

It's been quite a year since my trip to Bali.  I've been working a lot, but also volunteering at Shedd Aquarium every Friday morning.  Diving in the Caribbean Reef exhibit never gets old, but there are not too many Nudis.  I spend more time with Nickel and the Bonnethead Sharks and got a quick mention on the Shedd blog:
http://interactive.sheddaquarium.org/2011/08/sharks-at-sheddcaribbean-reef-.html

The closest mollusc to a nudibranch at Shedd is the limpet.  There are a few black blob-ish limpets near the seahorses.  I'm not exactly sure which species they are.

Maybe I need to learn more about limpets by watching this movie:
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1987026688/tt0058230

So the countdown is on to get my gills wet.  I leave on Saturday for the Philippines, one of the best places on the planet to photographic nudibranchs.  I can't wait!  I've been there twice before, but neither time on a liveaboard.

Boracay 11/17/2005 - 11/24/2005
Puerto Galera 3/9/2006 - 3/16/2006

When I was in Puerto Galera, I stayed at a resort called Atlantis.  This trip, I am going back to another Atlantis Resort, but this time in Dumaguete.
http://www.atlantishotel.com/dumaguete/

Dumaguete is very close to Apo Island, the location that Shedd's Wild Reef exhibit was modeled after.  I'm going to see if I can get over there for a bit.

Then I'm off to Atlantis Azores Liveaboard where we will be doing five dives a day.
http://www.atlantishotel.com/azores/index.php

I sprung for a couple of new strobes and I am so excited to capture images of those nudibranchs and other little critters.  Oh, and we've also heard there are plenty of whale sharks in the area around now... so maybe I'll look up once in a while.

I'll have internet access at the Atlantis Resort, but not once I get on the Liveaboard.  I will do my best to collect photos and count unique species of nudis on this trip, like my Bali trip.

Speaking at League of Underwater Photographers Meeting April 3rd

If you enjoyed getting to know all about Nudibranchs, I'll be presenting "Nudis 101" on Sunday April 3rd at 1pm at Helix (310 S Racine, 8th floor).  It is a LOUP event (League of Underwater Photographers) which is run by Lynn Funkhouser, a respected malacologist herself.  She leads awesome dive trips to the Philippines, one of which I'm looking into for January 2012. 

Often we patronize a local watering hole after the presentation.  Come join the Sunday fun!

http://www.gadboisproductions.com/loupchicago/currsked.html

Nudi "Clothes-ure"

The weather was choppy this week at Maluku in Ambon.  We still got to dive but we had to take a “limo” to Laha town to board the boat.  What do you think of our “sweet ride”?

Here is the inside:

The vehicle actually caught on fire on the way back from one of the dives!

I had Jayne help me with the nudi IDs.  Here we go…

55 – Phyllidia babai

This looks a lot like the Phyllidia oscellata, but if you notice it is white with black circles instead of yellow with black circles.

56 – Ceratosoma tenue

This one is really neat and is often called a kangaroo nudi.  Notice that it has a flap in the back that flips up by the gills.

57 – Flabellina sp.

This was so beautiful and dainty.  I asked Jayne and she said it is not a Flabellina rubrolineata because it doesn’t have three lines.

58 - Dermatobranchus sp.

The big one liked the shell but look closely, there is a little one just to the left.

59 – Cuthona yamasui

Soooo pretty!

60 - Glossidoris pallida

There were two near each other.

61 - Platydoris sp.

This is also called the four spot Platydoris.

62 - Glossidoris rufomarginata

I thought this was a Glossodoris cincta until I reviewed it later with Jayne.

63 – Aeolid of some sort

This looks a lot like a blue dragon nudi but there are circular cerata.

64 - Chromodoris strigata

I may have a better image of this one.

65 - Halgerda batangas

Unfortunately we found this on the last day and neither of my strobes were working anymore, so the color is less than desirable, but at least I captured it!

Here is another cool slug that is a close cousin of the nudi – a Thuridilla albopustulosa.

I also got some awesome footage of blue dragon (Pteraeolidia ianthina) nudis fighting.  After reviewing the crude video my photo camera takes, my favorite part is my underwater commentary.

After all this excitement, I decided to move in.  Here is my new Indonesian house if you need to reach me.

Ha ha.  Well, this nudi safari is over and I’m ready to integrate back into the cold Chicago society.  Until we meet again, nudibranchs of the world!

And speaking of "clothes-ure", I sure have a bunch of stinky laundry to do!

NUDI COUNT = 65

The most fun a girl can have with her wetsuit on!

This post is from 2/17, but we had spotty internet connection at Maluku Divers so I'm just posting it now from the Starbucks at the Bali Airport.

OK, I’m two days into diving at Maluku and it is great.

Marcel has worked hard to build this resort and get it up and running.  Here, he is known as “bossman”.  It is very cute.  He has over 30 Indonesians working at the resort and he convinced a beautiful woman named Lily from Singapore to lead dives (and serve as his significant other).  J 

They have room for just over 20 guests and do about three dives a day (night dives only if you specially request them).  The dives are as long as you can last and this is mostly muck diving.  Muck diving means that while you dive, you are not looking a beautiful coral but instead gross black sand (and often trash).  But in that ugliness, there are amazing little critters that are a blast to photograph!  And there are usually tons of nudibranchs.

In two days, I’ve found some new ones.

42 - Hypselodoris maculosa

This one was sooo tiny.  Look at how big the grains of sand are in the photo!

43 – Cratena sp.

This one was also very small.  It was all white with orange rhinophores and oral tentacles.

44 – Glossodoris cincta

This guy is good sized and appears to be spongy-like.  So colorful!

45 – Flabellina rubrolineata

Just gorgeous.

46 – Hypselodoris emma

I think these two were in love.  Look how they are holding each others’ rhinophores!

47 – Pectenodoris trilineata

At first I thought maybe this was a Hypselodoris bullockii but after running across the Pectenodoris trilineata, the three lines make this ID a slam dunk!

48 - Ceratosoma sinuatum 

I can’t figure this out if this is a Orodoris miamirana or a Ceratomosa sp. or Ceratosoma sinuatum.  There is a guest coming today named Jayne who is a big nudibrancher who may be able to help me out!

49 – Hypselodoris sp. 11 

This one is very small and I could try to identify it as many different nudis (mostly juvenile).

50 – Unknown aeolid (maybe a flabellina of some sort)

I love the orange underside with the white purple and pink cerata!

51 – Flabellina bilas

Look closely, this one is missing a rhinophore.

52 – Chromodoris setoensis

This one is pictured with a Chromodoris geometrica.  I need to get a better shot.

53 – Kentrodoris rubescens

I LOVE this one.  It has a very high hump on which the gills come out.  Also, you can see inside the nudi just a little bit.  I can’t seem to find this in any of the books but Jayne said that this is a Kentrodoris rubescens (or Jorunna rubescens).

Here is a color variation as well:

54 – Aeolidiella alba

This one was so tiny (that’s why it is blurry).  It was moving like a rocking chair, so I wasn’t sure it was a nudi but Soulman assured me that it is.  I cannot find anything even resembling this in the book but Jayne helped me with her super secret PDF!

NUDI COUNT = 54

You are so "nudi-ful" to me!

<Thanks to my friend Kelly that title suggestion.  I love it!>

The Nudi Safari continued at SCUBA Seraya.   Alit and I had so much fun diving together and finding new stuff.  We had an underwater happy dance (it was more like a butt wiggle and regulator singing) and a very complicated fist bump thing.  Here is a picture of the super underwater nudi shaka heroes:

29 - Hypselodoris nigrostriata

Check it out, this one is laying eggs!

30 - Hypselodoris sp.

In the book they call this one Beautiful Hyselodoris but it has not been named yet.

I caught these two in the act!

31 – Unknown aeolid

Alit found this on a hydroid.  It is soooo photogenic but I have no idea what it is exactly.

32 – Phidiana indica

This looks like fireworks to me.

33 – Unknown chromodoris

This one was so small (that’s why the picture is a little fuzzy).  It may be a juvenile of some sort.

 34 - Chromodoris aureopurpurea 

35 – Unknown aeolid

36 – Moridillia brockii

37 - Discodoris sp.

You have to look closely at this all white nudi to see its rhinophores and gills.

38 - Bornella stellifer

This one has whiskers up front.

39 - Unknown aeolid

This one is modeling for me.  Nudibranch's Next Top Model.

40 - Glossidoris atromarginata

41 - Chromodoris reticulata

In Kona, this nudi was very rare and we called it a red spotted nudi.

As I was leaving SCUBA Seraya for a night in Bali, I noticed a little snail on the driveway.  It’s almost like a nudibranch crawled out of the water to say goodbye to me. 

Happy snails to you… until we meet again!  I would like to come back in another five years.

OK, off to Malaku Divers in Ambon!

NUDI COUNT = 41

I've died and gone to Nudi Heaven.

I am now at SCUBA Seraya.  It is amazing here.  For the first night/day, I am the only guest and diver.

I was here in 2006 and they have made many changes.  Patrick, a Swiss ex-Pat runs the place and has added quite a bit.  There is a cool outdoor lounge area to hang out and talk about your dives.  There are nooks and crannies everywhere and a beautiful spa like pool.  And there are four new sunchairs (although when I went to check them out, I was attacked by red ants).  They also purchased a brand new yellow boat.  I was the first guest to ride in it.

As for the diving and nudibranchs, my count has gone up dramatically!  Woo Hoo!

Hold on for this wild ride…

18 - Risbecia tryoni

We call this one the pizza nudibranch.  Sorta resembles a pepperoni pizza.  They are often known to “tail” each other.  It is unknown if this a courting behavior or not.

19 – Nembrotha cristata

20 – Doto sp. 9

My dive guide called this one the Donut Nudi.  I cannot seem to find it in the book at all.  I think it is a Dodo of some kind.  I definitely need help identifying this one!
Neville Coleman said it is a Doto.
Jayne said it is an sp. 9.
So, there you go!

21 – Chromodoris collingwoodi

22 – Bornella stellifer

Notice the little "whiskers" up front.

23 – Hypselodoris sp. 2

Look at the detail on the gills!  That is just amazing to me.  Originally, I thought this was a Hypselodoris infucata, but Jayne set me straight.

24 – Mexichromis multituberculata 

This one looks like candy if you ask me.

25 – Flabellina bicolor 

26 – Chromodoris hintantuensis

27 – Platydoris formosa

Orginally I thought this was a Platydoris formosa but Jayne corrected me and said it is a Platydoris sanguinea.

28 – Hoplodoris estreyado

The texture and the patterns on them were amazing.  These two were canoodling but not mating.

I am soooooooooooooooo happy!  11 new nudis in one day and four dives!  That’s awesome.

In addition to all these nudis, there are also tons of photogenic critters.  I’ll try to post those on Facebook soon.

The only sad part about this place is that there is not much interaction as on a liveaboard or a destination resort like Wakatobi.  I have to substitute by reading and writing.

NUDI COUNT = 28