Lembeh

Hi All,

I just came back from a fantastic trip to Lembeh. I stayed at Kungkungan Bay Resort (KBR) which just blew me away in terms of service both on land and underwater - can't recommend it enough.

The dive guides were all fantastic but I would have to give special praise to Detmon (who showed me everything I wanted) and Liberty (who found things that my macro lens could barely see).

Here is the link to the slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adambroadbent...372437395/show/

Plus here are my favourite shots.

Enjoy and thanks for any comments,

Adam

Hey Adam, Looks like you had a great trip. The last shot is very special. Got to warn you though, be prepared to catch some flack for the flying Octopus. Did he take off on his own or did your dive guide give him an "assist"?

Thanks for sharing!

Steve

Surely that dive guide with stick in is hand had nothing to do with it....

Otherwise great shots, Adam. Looks like an amazing trip. I really like the lighting on the frogfish and diver shot - really tough to light an image like that. Do you have any more from that series with a bit more eye contact from the frogfish? The veined octopus in the shell is great too. I really like the way you can see all the arms. Very nice capture.

Alex

p.s. Sorry to go about the flying octopuses - but they are becoming the new inflated pufferfish of underwater photography. Could happen naturally, but the fact we see so many leaves you thinking not.

What a set. I really love the occy in the shell picture. Wonderful composition.

Thanks Steve and Alex.

Yeah, good point about taking flack and it was something I should have addressed in my initial comment.

During my trip I had six mimic sightings (it was a very lucky trip). The first four times the mimics acted a particular way. When they were moving around they 'impersonated a sole'. See image below...

However on my penultimate day of diving we found a mimic that acted differently. It travelled head first. See image below.

However after travelling head first for a little bit it then bolted up off the bottom about 5 metres off the sand. It then stopped and then 'impersonated a feather star' as it drifted back down to the bottom. On the final day, I took out my 10.5mm in the hope of finding a mimic or something to get some slightly different perspectives. Fortunately we found the same mimic as the day before. Again it acted the same way, travelling head first and then bolting up off the bottom etc. Both times it leapt off the bottom on its own accord which apparently is very rare so it was a real privilege to experience it twice! Scouts honour!

PS Alex, we actually came across an inflated pufferfish on a night dive as well.

Do you have any more from that series with a bit more eye contact from the frogfish?

I do have a few more from the series but none with anymore eye contact. I had the housing as low as possible, so aside from digging a trench in front of the hairy frogfish, I dont think I could have got much lower to provide a more 'interactive' perspective.

I do have a few more from the series but none with anymore eye contact. I had the housing as low as possible, so aside from digging a trench in front of the hairy frogfish, I dont think I could have got much lower to provide a more 'interactive' perspective.

I can see its as low as you can go, I was just wondering if you had one where it was rocking back instead of forward. Either way it is a really nice shot.

Glad to hear that the occie was swimming of its own accord.

Alex

That occy shot is incredible..........

wow!

Great work

Hello Adam

Congratulations your pictures are fantastic , especially the wide angle macro shots .

Fantastic photos Adam- Hairy Froggy Rules!!!!

The last shot is awesome. I found the same fish swimming in formation with a yellow flatworm in deep water of New drop off in Palau.

Unfortunately it was at 2 mtrs and with dive boats zipping around overhead I didn't spend as much time trying to get a really good shot. Everytime I tried the yellow fish would turn its back to me.

congrats on some great images.

I really like the frogfish

loved them all but my fav is the octo in the shell, also the hairy froggie, thanks. Scott

Thanks everyone for all your nice comments.

It was a fantastic trip and all the credit must go to the divemasters for finding so much stuff.

Am kind of glad I didnt get to see everything - namely Harlequin Shrimp and Bluering Octopus. So I guess I need to go back again sometime. Oh well!