We recently returned from our latest live-aboard underwater photo cruise in North Sulawesi. Eight very keen u/w photographers joined us on a 12 day cruise from Lembeh Strait along the coast of Nth Sulawesi and around Bangka Island. We also dropped down to Manado and Bunaken Island for a couple of days.
The highlights were:
14 Pontohi Pygmy Seahorses on one small reef near Bangka Island. A pair of feeding Hairy Frogfish in Lembeh (see video below). A sunset dive at Bunaken with massive Turtles drifting-in to rest on ledges in the wall. And...... the list goes on, we will upload a page of photos.... when the sea isn't calling us!!

Today we dived the new wreck that was scuttled 10 days ago in Kubu. Just 50 metres offshore and only 10 minutes drive from Tulamben, the ship was built in Holland in 1952 and was used by the Indonesian Government as a Patrol Vessel  for the Department of Sea Communication before her sinking.
It is appproximately 37 meters long and sits almost upright on a sandy bottom, surrounded by coral reefs. The bow sits facing the beach in around 14 meters, the stern complete with propellor pointing seaward, at 33 meters. The deck is between 10-24 meters deep.
There are some areas of the wreck that can penetrated, but currently their are many sections of canvas & rope from a collapsed awning that is draped over entrances, making it a little dangerous for inexperienced penetration divers.
But a few years down the track this will be an excellent dive wreck, as it begins being colonised by sea fans, soft corals and sponges that this area is already very rich-in.

Yesterday we were diving by Jukung (a local Balinese outrigger canoe) at a remote spot a few kilometers east of Tulamben. We came across three cuttlefish very busily concentrating on a mating ritual, so busy they never even noticed us!
Two males were competing for one female, but one male was very determined to not let the other get a 'leg-in'!
After he had performed his deed with his lady friend (a head-to-head affair with legs going in all directions). She immediately began depositing her eggs among small staghorn corals on the bottom.
The successful male sat right above her with his arms spread wide and constantly touching her, as he protected her from the other (unsuccessful) male who tried every trick to try and get to her.
We sat watching for 30 minutes as she deposited eggs around the reef, all of the time her suitor next to her or above her, his body coloured in bold stripes.
Was he caring for her as she was carrying his offspring? He certainly never tried to mate with her again. This was the first time I have seen any marine creature (other than mammals) showing caring/protective feelings to another. I have always been fascinated by cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopus). This almost confirms to me their intelligence is far greater than other marine creatures.

August has been an unusual month, as traditionally we get periods of big swells that can make entry and exiting form the shore rather difficult and visibility is often less than ideal. But this year we have experienced relatively calm conditions with only a few days of swell. But underwater visibility has been outstanding for the last two weeks of the month (30-40meters at times).
The calm conditions and clear water seem also to have attracted the underwater photographers best friend - Frogfish!!
We have been seeing Clown & Warty frogfish at most of the muck dive sites around Tulamben. Some of the tiny clown frogfish come in amazing colours. But my favorite are the Warty Frogfish (right).