Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Two back to back trips in Milne Bay going non stop critter hunting with pioneering local expert Bob Halstead.

Milne Bay to Kimbe Bay with pioneering local expert Bob Halstead.

More details on request, contact us for more news about our Milne Bay trips…

More trips for 2012 coming soon!

Nudibranchs & Critters with Diving 4 Images & Alicia Hermosillo

Trip details

I have managed to lure onboard nudibranch expert, author and great buddy Alicia Hermosillo as an added bonus to these adventurous expeditions. Alicia is not only a wealth of knowledge on these animals, Alicia has found and named numerous new species with eyes and a spotting capability beyond anything I’ve seen, and when we talk about small – get your magnifiers out folks! We will make a full documentation and count nudibranchs to see how many different species we can find along this route. To give you an idea of target numbers, on a previous trip with this same route back in 2008 myself and a super keen group of critter lovers logged 226 different species. Not bad considering we’re not the real experts, the challenge is now on to beat this!

If conditions are ok, which they should during this time of the year our aim is to focus on a whole range of different habitats searching for unique nudibranchs and cool critters. We will be diving around mangroves, reefs, black sand slopes, white sand slopes, rubble slopes, coral slopes & any other slopes we can find; there will be algae patches, walls, and any other habitat we come across that we think could be hot for new and interesting animals.

THE BOAT:
Cheng Ho (www.google.com for more boat information). I will not be filling the vessel to maximum capacity so there will be plenty of extra space for everyone and the rate is excellent for a vessel of this size!

TRIP 1

Trip Dates & Logistics

19^th September, morning flight Bali – Labuan Bajo

30^th September, mid day Labuan Bajo – Bali

TRIP 2

Trip Dates & Logistics
1^st October, morning flight Bali – Labuan Bajo
12^th October, mid day Labuan Bajo – Bali

Trip Rates
To add a degree of extra safety onboard I will be including Nitrox in the trip price.
Trip rates are available on request!

Included: The above price includes full board, all meals, drinking water, tea, coffee, tanks, weights and 3-4 guided dives per day, extra dives possible at no extra cost!

Excluded: Internal flights, canned or alcoholic beverages, gratuities

Ambon Nudibranch & Critter Special

After finding a hot new nudibranch site in the Bay of Ambon last year I instantly wanted to get back there and search for more. Here is a very special trip for those critter loving dive buddies. I will be taking plenty of ID books and our aim is to go for a nudibranch count in the Bay of Ambon, aiming at diving a range of different sites and habitats documenting as many nudibranch species as possible from this unique area.

Of course this is not only for nudibranch lovers, our focus is as always with a much wider interest. I find that one main goal is always a great way to start the trip! Along the way there are chances to find just about every wish list critter one can mention, along with of course, the chance of checking out the new Psychedelic frogfish Hystiophryne sp and the different variety of habitats that Ambon has to offer…

Trip details
For this special trip we will be staying at the all new Maluku Divers Resort, for more details about the resort go to http://www.divingmaluku.com/. There is now a very new unique little set up which is bound to grow with leaps and bounds as this new resort grow and their resort facility becomes the heart of what I would call “The Spice Island Critter Diving Centre….”

Trip Logistics
28th September, Bali – Makassar 07:00 – 08:10
Makassar – Ambon 12:00 – 14:40
9 th October 2011 Ambon – Makassar 07:45 – 08:20
Makassar – Bali 09:10 – 10:25

If for some reason anyone wishes to go via Jakarta, the additional routing is as below (via Makassar).

28th September Jakarta – Ambon 06.00 – 12.30
9th October 2011 Ambon – Jakarta 06.45 – 08.05

Trip Rates
US$2387.50 including internal flights.

Extra Charge Diving *South Coast Sites, Outside of Ambon Bay $15.00
Extra Charge Diving *Pulau Tiga, Tanjung Sial, Seram Island $20.00
Night Dive (Shore Dive) Swapping one 3 day dives for night dive $10.00
Night Dive (Shore Dive) Additional Night Dive (4th Dive of Day) $35.00

NOTE: as on live aboard dive vessels, any dives not taken are non-refundable, this is a special package rate for Diving 4 Images only!

Included: The above price includes full board, all meals, drinking water, tea, coffee, 3 boat dives per day and one shore dive, included in the above rate will be a few night dives by boat to other sites! At present there is no Nitrox available!

Excluded: Internal flights, canned or alcoholic beverages, gratuities.

Contact us for complete details on this trip…

********

The Unique Upwelling side of Komodo

I know I’ve always been known for the smaller marine life, though I actually love it all! For me the oceanic environment is not only about critter hunting, it’s also about the atmosphere, emotion and the power of water and what lies beneath.

During the past few years I have spent plenty of time in the southern parts of Komodo and Rinca when the weather is at its best and waters not too cold. Over the years I’ve found that this area is very unique with completely different reef systems, these are what can be classed as upwelling reefs! The reef life in the south are very good for diversity of fish life including some species rarely seen in the north and very common, even schooling in the south and a few species not found in the north at all. The reef systems themselves are totally different topographically and there are often larger fishes such as sharks, rays and plenty of large pelagic fishes!

On the most recent exploratory trip I came across a site with the most dense cloud of anthias on “THE BEST” reef in the southern part of Indonesia I have ever seen, plus there were sharks, a few of us got lucky and saw dolphins while underwater on this site. Other sites graced us with mola mola, big groupers, Napoleon wrasses, bumphead parrotfishes, huge schools of batfish, schooling bannerfishes and more…

There are lots of fantastic photographic opportunities here and there are very dramatic photo’s to be taken in the shallows here too! This will by my first commercial group trip to this area, and more than likely the first of many. I am very sure this will become a new route for many others once they found out about it!

NOTE: There is a chance that there be some current and possibly surge in the shallows on some of these dive sites. However, I have been logging and studying moon phases relating to tidal flows in this region since 1997 in Indonesia and feel I understand the safest and best times of the month and each day to dive safely to avoid the strongest currents and drop divers in the most convenient area to view the best marine life without too much struggle.

Trip details

Boat: Sea Safari 3

Trip Logistics

29th November, morning Bali – Labuan Bajo
9th December, mid day Labuan Bajo – Bali

Trip Rates
Total Payment Per Person $3,000

Included: The above price includes full board, all meals, drinking water, tea, coffee, 3-4 guided dives per day.

Excluded: Internal flights, Nitrox, canned or alcoholic beverages, gratuities.

Contact us for complete details on this trip…

*********

As promised some more changes, you can see that we are adding new content each day now! it really is very exciting to have this new development after so many years with that old clunky website.

As my webmaster says “it’s like going from an old Suzuki Jinmy to a Ferarri”

We have a new contact system and and there will be a new mailing system coming very soon too, this help us to keep you updated with new calendar functions and lots of new surprises, but good things take time. For now drop us line using the new contact form, jump on our news letter or check out some of our pics. Look for even more great changes tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by Diving4Images!