Cuttlefish Hunting

HI everyone,

I wanted to share my latest video I put together. It is from a night dive, where I had a friendly cuttlefish hang out with me for 45 minutes using my lights to hunt. It was great fun to watch. I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment or make recommendations.

Dustin

Nice shot! How do you like Anilao compare to Lembeh? I'm going to Anilao March 2013. Not sure if I should set the expectation higher or lower then Lembeh.

Nice shot! How do you like Anilao compare to Lembeh? I'm going to Anilao March 2013. Not sure if I should set the expectation higher or lower then Lembeh.

thanks for watching it.

As for the Lembeh vs Anilao debate....Lembeh has a higher density of critters, and nicer resorts. However, I would go to Anilao on a 3 to 1 ratio vs lembeh. Lembeh is fantastic, and I want to go back there. But here are the reasons I prefer Anilao...

1. From the USA...Anilao is a piece of cake to get to.

2. The Filipinos are the nicest people I have ever met in my travels.

3. It is overall cheaper to go to.

4. If the critter density in Lembeh is a 10...Then Anilao is probably an 8. Not enough difference to justify the extra expense, and travel time.

5. Viz is much better in Anilao

6. Anilao is cleaner than Lembeh

7. I found the dive guides to be better than the ones I had in Lembeh. This certainly could be debated...

8. The fact that I can fly Delta into Manila and not have to worry about baggage concerns or carry on weight limits for me is a huge bonus.

9. The resort that I stay at...Club O...Is very accommodating, very basic. But they work with you and there is not time pressure at all. I also like the diving schedule they do. 2 dives in the morning, and then two dives at late afternoon and the 4th is a night dive. that is the ideal schedule that I find few operators do.

10. For photo and video, I have found that Anilao was more productive than Lembeh. But that might be due to awesome guides in anilao, vs so so guides in lembeh. Also, more time in the water because, I am spending less time traveling.

I think you will like Anilao. Its inevitable to compare everything about a destination..I do it. But the best is just to go and appreciate what that particular destination has to offer, and not what it lacks. After all any place diving is better that working back at home!

Dustin

Thanks Dustin. The trip organizer did tell me there are some Wide Angle opportunity in Anilao so you don't get bored with macro. If visibility is greater in Anilao, that would be great! Lembeh was a bit cloudy to my liking, but then it rained quite often when I was there. The sucks part is I will have to wait for more than a year to get on the trip!

Thanks Dustin. The trip organizer did tell me there are some Wide Angle opportunity in Anilao so you don't get bored with macro. If visibility is greater in Anilao, that would be great! Lembeh was a bit cloudy to my liking, but then it rained quite often when I was there. The sucks part is I will have to wait for more than a year to get on the trip!

My understanding is that Lembeh does have some good Wide angle spots, but that you have to convince the operators to go to them, so it can be out of the way.

As for anilao. Twin rocks is a popular site, that has good macro and wide angle. they have a nice school of jacks there. We saw a few turtles there last time. And the have nice anenome's that you can take some good wide angle shots of. http://www.oceanshutter.com/p65530161/h62510829#h62510829

Cathedral has some nice wide angle, and Beatrice is also a nice spot, and with current there is a ton of anthias. Keep in mind the wide angle isn't like fiji or anything.....but you can do a few dives and get some good shots.

when are you going to be there?

I fully agree with Dustin's summary of Anilao (but then, I am biased, having a house there . . .)

There are great macro and night opportunities at every site. As for wide angle, in addition to the sites listed, the back side of Sombrero Island (near but not quite at Beatrice) has been a favorite lately. When the surface is calm the ambient light on the shallow reef there is fantastic. Two other good wide angle sites are Sepok and Mapating at the eastern tip of Maricaban Island, also not far from Sombrero.

I will be going to Anilao on March 15 to 24 of 2015. The resort is "Crystal Blue". It's part of a UW photo expedition trip organize by the Southwest diver association.

I will be going to Anilao on March 15 to 24 of 2015. The resort is "Crystal Blue". It's part of a UW photo expedition trip organize by the Southwest diver association.

That's the same time we went last year. Water is a little colder...bring a 3-5mm vest hood. Crystal blue is in a good location. Haven't been there but heard it is nice. Make sure to do the anilao pier as a night dive a couple times while you are there. Bobbit worms, seahorse, ghost pipefish, Ambon scorpionfish, different types of frogfish, stargazer, a bunch of coconut octopus, and a mimic....that was in one dive in 2011. Wasn't quite as good last year....but was still the best night dive I have ever done.

Thanks for the tips! I normally dive with 5 mil. Saw Bobbit Work in Lembeh before, had no clue how to photography that thing as it looks weird from all angle while most of it buried in the sand. May be I should just take video and hopefully I can capture something like this, so cool!

One thing I learned about the bobbit worm, is if you wave a silver muck stick over it it thinks it's a fish. And will raise out of the sand a bit. Also flashes from strobes do the same thing.