Another busy week at Mikes Beach Resort just ended. Dmitry brought a group from his Scuba Diving Club “MegaDive” in St. Petersburg in Russia to Dauin to have a week of discovering the tropical water in the Visayas.

Dmitry is almost an old-timer when it comes to diving in the Philippines and has been traveling here numerous times for many years… finally the first time with us at Mikes Beach Resort in Dumaguete.

The “MegaDive” Club did their name justice and had multiple day-trips to Apo Island and Siquijor as well as some local dives in Dauin.

Dmitry met Mike already a few weeks earlier on a livaboard trip in Tubbataha. After a few days diving together they finally figured out that Dmitry’s next stop will be Mike’s Resort in Dauin.

Thanks for being with the Adventure Dive Shop at Mikes Beach Resort.

All the best and come again…

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Many of our guests identified their discoveries with one of his ID books. Neville Coleman, inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2007  has passed away this May 5 – 2012.

The world lost one of the biggest underwater explorers Neville Coleman. He passed peacefully away on May 5 – 2012. The member of the Scuba Diving Hall of Fame was an inspiration for thousands of divers. His passion to discover the Oceans led Neville Coleman to discover 450 new species with 15 of them carrying his name.

Neville Coleman was diving since 1963. He published his first book in 1974 Australian marine fishes in colour. Many of his publications can be found in dive shops worldwide. They are known to be some of the most comprehensive underwater guides  available… source: Scuba Tribune

Neville Coleman “Footsteps in the Sea”

R.I.P Neville Coleman

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The calm water, good visibility and outstanding aquatic life were the reasons, which made our French guests to blow some bubbles for the first time.

Bob (one of the biggest fish in our team) brought them out with Gaby to a Discover Scuba Diving experience in Dauin. Alain, Cathy, Valentine and Faustine Auzanneau did fantastic and were welcomed by thousands of fish.

If you wonder why they can not stop smiling, just drop by for a Discover Scuba Diving and get addicted.

The Discover Scuba program is ideal for everybody who wants to make his first breaths under water. After a short theory part you gear up and go into the water where you learn some simple skills under the direct supervision of our experienced instructors, the rest is watching fish…

Another great advantage of the Discover Scuba Diving program, it gives you credit towards the Open Water Course if one decides to go for the certification.

If you have any question about diving in Dumaguete, write us a mail, drop by in our Adventure Diveshop at the boulevard or in our Beach Resort in Dauin. We look forward to get you wet.

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The Hippocampus Histrix, more commonly known as Thorny Seahorse, is a part of the syngnathidae family is inhabitants of the Indo-Pacific region from Japan, Tanzania and South Africa to Hawaii and Tahiti, South to New Caledonia and of course in the Philippines. The Thorny Seahorse is non-migratory and can be found on reef-like environment.  They also have a greatly structured social behavior, which means that their way of living flows on a definite, organized pattern.

They can be on the shallow parts of the ocean, as shallow as 2 meters – mostly on sea grass beds next to reef zones, and grow up to 15 cm in length and weights as much as 12 grams. They reside on the corals and sea grass areas on soft bottom of the sea, feeding on smaller creature such as tiny fishes, small crustaceans, or other invertebrate. They steadily wait for prey until they passes close their mouth, making them ambush predators. They reproduce in an interesting manner. While mating, the female seahorse deposits her eggs into a pouch in the male’s tail, where they are later fertilized by the male. Then the male carries the eggs, protecting them from environment, and then enters labor at the end of pregnancy.

An interesting fact about seahorse species is that after birth, every young seahorse is independent and will not be taken care of their parents. They can easily be distinguished from other species of sea horses by their appearance, as their name implies, because they have thorns all over their body. They were once used for traditional Chinese medicine, but are now less desirable.  The scientific name for seahorse (Hippocampus) comes from ancient Greek, where “hippo” stands for “horse” and kampos means “sea-monster”

The Thorny Seahorse can be spotted around the dive-sites of Dauin during the safety stop in the sea grass beds next to marine sanctuaries.

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Summer time has arrived at our Beach Resort in Dauin. After being very busy during the holy season, we have now a bit more time to breath and enjoy the weather.

Summer here in Dumaguete means it is hot. There is no better place to cool down than on a relaxed dive and a dump into the pool.

The water is very calm and the visibility outstanding. Our dive-staff enjoys this time very much as everything slows down a little bit and some routine maintenance can be done to keep our equipment top – notch.

… Of course all under the watchful eyes and lovely smile of Joeann..

If you are in Negros, just drop by for some quality time, if you are a bit further away, drop us a mail, jump into an aircraft, we will be at the Airport and pick you up.

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Zanclus cornutus       

Fans of the movie Finding Nemo may recognize this particular species as Gill, a Moorish Idol and the leader of the Tank Gang. This beautiful fish has a flat, disc-shaped body  marked by contrasting black, white and yellow vertical stripes similar to the butterfly fish. It is the presence of 6 to 7 elongated spines of the fish’s dorsal fin that sets it apart as well as the orange band at the beginning of their elongated, tubular snout.

They can reach a maximum length of 23 cm (about 9 inches) though most specimens divers encounter are just palm-sized (14-20 cm or 5-8 inches). Moorish Idols mate for life, and reproduce by releasing sperm and egg cells into the water. The larvae floats in the ocean for 10 days, the longest of any reef fish, and may reach up to 7.5 cm before fully becoming free-swimming juveniles.

This subtropical fish prefers  reef environments though they can also be seen in coastal lagoons. They can be seen from shallow to deep waters, in cloudy or clear environments. The Moorish Idol can be found throughout the Indo- Pacific region, all the way up to the southern portion of Japan and in the Hawaiian Islands. They are also distributed in areas of East Africa and the southern portion of California. Divers in the Philippines may find Moorish Idols a common sight in dive sites throughout the Visayas region.

Divers may come across these fishes singly, in small groups composed of two to three individuals or occasionally, large schools composed of juvenile males. As the males become adults, they become more and more aggressive towards other males. These reef fishes feed on encrusting animals like sponges and other invertebrates found on the surface of corals and rocks within the reef. They are active during daytime and may be hard to see during night dives since they settle near the bottom.

Sometimes Bannerfish are mistaken as a Moorish Idol, just look for the typical “mask” of the later. They are often spotted around Rock Point at Apo Island.

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Aulostomus chinensis

The trumpetfish is a skinny, elongated species that thrives in coral reefs across the equatorial belt: from the Pacific, the Australian coast, the Hawaiian Islands and all the way to Panama and of course our pristine coral gardens in Dumaguete. This stalking predator can lie motionless, usually with its head pointed below, blending with sea grass or algae strands. They use their coloration to blend in with their surroundings, hovering stealthily over their intended prey and sucking them through their long, prominent snout. The trumpet fish can reach lengths of up to 80 cm though individuals commonly seen are only 60 cm long.

Found from about 3 to 122 meters, their coloration varies, depending on their environment. There are three main color schemes: brown to green, mottled brown to green, and yellow. Individual trumpetfishes can change their color in order to further blend in with their surroundings. A black spot can sometimes be found on the base of their pelvic fins. A black stripe running throughout the length of the fish’s body can also be seen in some individuals. Eye-spots can also be seen on the fish’s tail fin, acting as a deceptive coloration mechanism to draw attention away from the fish’s actual mouth and head. Their chin holds a series of protuberances, called barbels, which they use to detect prey movement.

Usually solitary, trumpetfish hovers slowly on top of their intended prey. They use their tiny anal and pelvic fins to control their movements, making them almost imperceptible against the environment. Their coloration and lack of quick movement allows them to approach their prey, usually smaller fishes and crustaceans, undetected. As they hover vertically above their prey, they suddenly dart downward, using their long snout and small but flaring mouth to suck in the unfortunate fish. The trumpetfish achieves this suction effect by suddenly expanding their mouth and drawing their prey in. They have also been known to utilize other, slow-moving fish species, trailing in their wake or blending in with their patterns in order to approach its prey.

The trumpetfish is part of the Syngnathiformes, an order containing other elongated and oddly-shaped fish species like the pipefish and the seahorse. Like other members of this order, the Trumpetfish conducts an elaborate courtship dance prior to reproduction.

Approach them with as little movement as possible and you can watch them  hunting their prey.

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Spirobranchus giganteus

It is difficult not to become intrigued with these fascinating creatures called Christmas tree worms. These structures come in wide variety of hues and patterns. Indeed a field of these brings to mind a tropical  fiesta.

The twin spiral whorls are in fact the organism’s highly modified respiratory and feeding apparatus. These structures are part of the worm’s mouth. The twin spirals are composed of tentacles (called radioles) lined with tiny hairs called cilia. It is these hairs that trap food material in the water and then passes it down into the worm’s waiting mouth. The worm, through the movement of the tentacles, can actually sort through the material it traps. Larger particles like sand particles are discarded while smaller ones are led down into the worm’s digestive tract. The feathery tentacles themselves are involved in exchanging gas with the water around the worm, their version of breathing.

Christmas tree worms are Polychaetes and belong to the family Serpulidae also known as the tube worms. Any disturbance would lead these highly sensitive creatures to withdraw their spiral plumes into their tube-like body. The light sensitive tentacles can even detect subtle changes in light, as when a diver or snorkeler swims just above the worm’s location. Divers and photographers need to approach them carefully and slow, and  minimize their movement in order to avoid short-lived encounters with these fascinating creatures. As the worm registers the disturbance, it pulls in its tentacles and plugs its opening with a lid-like structure called an operculum. When they do reel in their beautiful plumes, it pays to stick around for a couple of minutes and wait  for the plumes to slowly, tentatively, re-emerge.

They are found in coral reefs, usually on the surface of coral themselves. Larvae typically settle on the coral surface, burrowing and extending their tube-like bodies into the hole. The worm uses calcium from the environment to fortify its tube. As the coral grows around them, they become embedded deeper into the structure. Christmas tree worms are usually found in stony and brain coral surfaces. The twin cone shaped structures are usually about 1-2 cm in length though most of the worm’s body is in fact deep within the coral and may reach a full length of  4 cm. Male and female Christmas tree worms release sex cells into the water, where fertilization occurs. The larvae then drifts down to the coral surface to begin a new, colorful life among the reef’s denizens.

Christmas tree worms can be found on many hard corals in most dive spots in Dauin and Apo Island.

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Recently we have been having the pleasure of the company of up to 6 whalesharks that have been hanging around near Sumilon Island. It has been an amazing experience for all as the whale sharks swim around you. Hopefully they will stick around a bit longer and we will get to see them again.

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