30 August, Referendum Day

Today we toured K57 (57 kms east of Dili) and Marble Rock (so named for the nearby Marble boulders from a marble quarry up the hill, not quite 57km east of Dili). It was my first dive at K57 and, despite the early visibility issues (10m, I guess), it was spectacular. Jonathan spotted the big Ray with its menacingly bulging eyes (not sure what type of ray). And Wayne, the master spotter, found this delicate little Nudi.

Despite both Wayne’s and my boredom with the ‘warty’ nudes, this is an exception (Because it’s not quite a warty nude - note the green rhinophores and gills - Chromodoris geometrica?) I'll place a name in an edit to this post later, after i have consulted nudipixel (unless anyone knows...).

See the difference from this one which is incredibly common across almost all reefs I have seen in Timor-Leste.

Actually, they don't look too similar - note the black rhinophores and thicker body - this one could be Phyllidiella pustulosa? (backscatter was a problem with this shot but the focus is about right)

I would have posted some more photos (there were quite a number of nudes on this dive) if not for the fact that I was ‘challenged’ by my exposure settings today. Blown highlights spoiled a number of shots. Not sure how to correct this with basically a fully automatic camera. So I guess I’ll just have to keep practicing. Ok...here are some.

Another Wayne find at the end of K57 on the wall - Nembrotha chamberlaini? I saw one of these previously at Dili Rock west.

And this was my first find of the day at Marble Rock - same as what we saw on Saturday (Chromodoris coi?).

And then there were an assorted array of nice nudis disappointingly photographed...

Duet at Marble Rock (Chromodoris annae)

And finally, Chromodoris magnifica?

All in all, it was a good weekend for nudis

Previous Dives

Here are some photos from previous dives (before my first posting). This was taken with Kim Glenn at Dili Rock East in July.

Halgerda Carlsoni. The current was strong but it was worth battling it to capture this little beauty!

And Marianne Woodward pointed out this guy at Tasi Tolu.

The "Chinese Dragon" Pteraeolidia ianthina

A little beauty found by Wayne Lovell at Pertamina Wharf, Dili, August 2010

I am continually inspired by the amazing creatures at the unassuming Tasi Tolu ("3 Lakes") 5 minutes west from Dili. Incidentally, the 3 lakes are opposite the beach in which these photos were taken.

The Leaf Scorpion Fish is incredibly well camouflaged!

And the obligatory Lion Fish...No photo album is complete without one.

The gorgeous and delicate Sea horses at Tasi Tolu either come in a number of colours or they change colours often.

This golden guy is pregnant! Taken at Tasi Tolu on my first night dive with Kim Glenn in July.

Here is one of the little gems of Tasi Tolu, the Pygmy Pipefish. If you are lucky, you can see 2 together.

This fellow is about the size of an earthworm and very difficult to get in focus.

And off "the Patch" at Tasi Tolu there is even more...

An egg carrying Sawtooth Shrimp, so well disguised that I never would have found it without Greg's help. I only noticed the eggs after processing the photos back home.

More common (yet still amazingly beautiful) nudi, this one at Bob's rock, East of Dili.

Not a great shot but you get the idea...a strange and unusual nudi as I dropped down at the entry point at K41 (41kms east of Dili)

But it's not just the crawling critters, the corals and sponges and the like are equally amazing.

Amazing beauty on the coral walls at K41

Nigel's First Posting in Timor-Leste

It has been a long time coming. Finally I have got around to posting some pictures and thoughts about aspects of Timor-Leste. The main purpose is for my son to see what I am doing and, in particular, to show him some of the underwater beauty of Timor-Leste. I am not a professional photographer. Far from it. I am a novice with my Canon SD1200 IS point-and-shoot digital camera with Ikelite AF35 Single Strobe. I also use an Inon 165mm macro lens. There are many limitations to this but my aim is to take the best photos I can with this set up (mainly because I don't have the $$ to buy the expensive kit that DSLRs require). One of the main limitations is the depth of field which, with the canon macro setting, is incredibly shallow. But I am still working on these things. Of course, if anyone has some suggestions on my photos and photography, I am happy to hear from you.

I hope you enjoy my blog, Raeph!

Nemabrotha Kubaryana (or the "Christmas Tree Nudi") at Secret Garden east of Dili on Saturday 28 August

Another cool "nudi" spotted by Wayne Lovell of Free Flow