Charlie's Diving Blog

Monday, May 25, 2026

Last Two Dives at Lembeh (post retirement dives 942 and 943) and a Monkey Hike May 12, 2026

Our last two dives were at Tamjung Kubar and Teluk Kambahu (TK1), then, in the afternoon, since we couldn't dive within 24 hours of our departure flight, a few of us went on a Monkey Hike at Tangkoko Wildlife reserve nearby (well, a 20 minute boatride and a 1 hr and 15 minute drive). Below are some photos from our 8 am dive at Tamjung Kubar, to see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tacn3gxy4Jm4nZMJA A White Spotted Puffer, below:

Wonderful Shrimp Goby (not sure the species) and its Pistol Shrimp. Below:

Thorny Sea Horse. Below:

A Magnificent Fan Shrimp Goby, below. It is well named!

Dragon Nudibranch, below:

Tiny (3/4 inch), cute, Filefish. Below:

Another cute small, very active, juvenile Barramundi Cod. Below:

Our last dive of the trip was at Teluk Kambahu. Below are some photos from the dive, to see the rest, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ySRaajYdczogtGt76 We saw two Painted Frogfish on this dive. Below:

A Goniobranchus reticulatus Nudibranch. Below:

A beautiful nudibranch, . Below:Hypselodoris zephyra.

Another wonderful Shrimp Goby (species tbd) and her room mate. Below:

We saw a squadron of about a dozen Bigfin Squid, each about a foot long. Below:

Sexy Shrimp, maybe 1/2 inch long. Below:

Poss's Scorpionfish. Below:

Small, maybe 1/2 inch, nudibranch. Below:

Snowflake Moray. Below:

For the afternoon, since we couldn't dive because of our flights the next day, several of us signed up to visit Tangkoko Wildlife Reserve and see its Celebes Crested Macaque monkeys, which are endangered. Photos below:

We continued our hike until dusk in order to see a Tarsier, a very small (maybe 5 inch) primate, the world's smallest, endemic to Sulawesi. Below:

Goodbye to our dive boat Andrea, its crew, our fellow Andrea divers, and the wonderful Lembeh Resort, its staff, and Richard Salas and the wonderful group he assembled for this trip. For me, 34 wonderful dives in 11 days, executing my retirement plan, which is to go diving, reaching 943 retirement dives.Below:

The dive cameras. Mine has the red Inon strobe, reliable with heavy usage since 2007!

Saturday, May 23, 2026

Coral Gardens, Sarena Patal, and Nudi Falls, post retirement dives 939, 40, and 41. Last full day of diving. May 11, 2026

Our first dive was at Coral Gardens, some photos from this dive are below. To see more, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pBiJrENXsgogsToz5 A Hairy Squat Lobster, his body about 3/8 inches across. Below:

A pretty Stripehead Pygmy Goby on a sponge. Below:

A beautiful Chromodoris Lochi nudibranch. Below:

Striking Soft Coral, below:

Colorful Painted Rock Lobster, its body is about 6 inches long, once again, I love that I can shift between tiny subjects and larger ones with my Canon 60 mm macro lens. Below:

Beautiful, dense, invertebrate life. Below:

Wonderful Ghost Pipefish, below:

Chromodoris Elisabethina Nudibranch, below:

Beautiful, young (12 inch, they grow much larger), Barramundi Cod, photographed small juveniles on earlier dives. You can see a blue cleaner wrasse up ahead of it. Below:

Beautiful Bangai Cardinalfish. Below:

Our second dive was at Sarena Patal. Below are some photos from the dive to see the rest, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/g4DUEygN98Sskw63A I was able to shift from tiny subjects to catch a photo of this Blue Spotted Stingray, about 16 inches across, below:

Beautiful Blue Ribbon Eel, below:

Wonderful Mexichromis Nudibranch, below:

Very strange, tiny (1/4 inch), Mimic Shrimp. Below:

Flasher or Humpback Scorpionfish. Below:

Anemonefish, below:

Anemonefish with eggs, below:

Our third and final dive was back to Nudi Falls. Some photos from the dive below, the remainder can be seen at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hCHdUaAiV2ddrnFRA Starry Flatworm, below: