Auspicious Beginning of Lunar New Year - January 23, 2012
Divers spending Lunar New Year with us in Gorontalo dived a cavern, submerged point and muck all in the same day. First was the eerie darkness of Jinn's Caves, one of Gorontalo's signature dive sites. Then on the second dive we encountered a 70-kilo Dogtooth tuna not once but twice! It passed so close that no one needed the 30-meter vis to see it. On the final dive of the day a Mimic octopus tried all kinds of shapes and movements to confuse us. We hope to post a video on our Facebook page after guests return home to process what they shot. An auspicious start to the Year of the Dragon!
Posted by Miguel at 07:19 PM
Gorontalo, het verborgen paradijs! - January 21, 2012
Thanks to Jacky for writing this great article on her recent diving experience in Gorontalo. Included are her photos, which include some beautiful wide angle shots and even a boxer crab carrying eggs. For Dutch readers, please vote for her article!http://www.duikeninbeeld.tv/duiken/artikel/gorontalo-het-verborgen-paradijs/
Posted by Miguel at 07:39 PM
Whale of a Time in Gorontalo - December 27, 2011
Guests diving in Gorontalo during December have enjoyed a special bonus, thanks to the sharp eyes and knowledge of Miguel's Diving staff. In addition to encounters with pods of both Bottle-nosed and Risso's dolphins, there have been multiple sightings of whales. On December 4th, a False Killer Whale surfaced alongside the dive boat. Then on December 17th, a pod of Melon-Headed Whales escorted the dive boat back to the river mouth. A 10-minute video is available for viewing on our Facebook page (Miguel's Diving Gorontalo). The pod had great fun bow-riding. Then on December 24th, three False Killer Whales entertained guests with a performance of their own, including doing a head stand by lifting its tail and flukes out of the water vertically. Happy divers...and happy whales!
Posted by Miguel at 05:35 AM
Follow your dive guide - December 04, 2011
Miguel's Diving has three guides ready to assist our guests in the water. They are not only there for safety, helping with equipment and those sorts of things, but also to show divers the hidden paradise of Gorontalo that others miss. Yesterday for instance, those diving in the group with our divemaster were shown a school of about 30 tuna that swirled past three times in blue water. Not to be out done, our senior dive guide found about 100 rare skeleton shrimps for those diving with him. Ironically, the pelagic encounter and the rare macro find were on the same dive and within 50 meters of each other. That is Gorontalo diving!
Posted by Miguel at 06:28 PM
That's not coral bleaching - November 24, 2011
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Although some areas of Sulawesi have experienced coral bleaching, Gorontalo has not. Those diving here sometimes see white on coral and think something is wrong. Coral bleaching is generally associated with water temperatures that are too hot for the symbiotic bacteria that provides both color and food supplements to hard corals. As a result of the hot water, bacteria dies, leaving the corals white in color and lacking sufficient food. If temperatures do not drop quickly enough for bacteria to return and provide needed nutrition, the corals will die. This phenomena hits many or all corals in a particular area, leaving the reef looking ghostly white.
Divers in Gorontalo marvel at the highly dense and diverse coral reefs here. But they also notice corals with white edges, particularly Acropora table corals. This is not bleaching, but an indication of healthy and rapid growth. Acropora corals always expand and grow along the edges. So in Gorontalo many edges are white since bacteria have not had time to develop inside this new growth.
Notice the white new growth in this photo of the edge of healthily Acropora table coral. The white coral polyps, looking like hairs, are out feeding in the current.
Posted by Miguel at 09:19 AM