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Another amazing underwater beach clean-up at Oceans 5 Dive resort Gili Air.
Every Wednesday, the Oceans 5 team mobilizes to clean Gili air’s harbor.
We include our lovely divers into the experience and give them the possibility to do something for the ocean.
Our ocean needs us!
Take action!
Every day tons of our daily life trash makes its way to the ocean.
Eagle Rays (Myliobatidae)
Eagle rays have a protruding head that is distinct from the disc. Other features includes eyes and spiracles situated laterally, pectoral fins modified to form large trianglular wing flaps,tail much longer than disc, and usually one or more venomous spines near the tail base.
They have powerful jaws equipped with large plate like crushing teeth arranged in several rows adapted for feeding on hard shelled clams, mussels and oysters.
Bigeyes (Priacanthidae)
Bigeyes are distinctive fish characterised by brilliant red colouration, small scales and large glassy eyes.
Additional features include a relatively deep, laterally compressed body, very oblique mouth with a strongly projecting lower jaw, small conical jaw teeth in narrow bands, very small scales that are rough to touch, a scaled head, ans a relatively large pelvic fins, which are joined to the abdomen by a membrane.
Although usually red, most species are capable of rapid colour changes, often assuming a heavily blotched, barred, or silvery pattern.
As their large eyes might suggest, they are nocturnally active, feeding on a variety of ocropus, crustaceans, and small fish.
During the day bigeyes are commonly seen sheltering close to the reef, usually in vicinity of caves or ledges.
Some species range into deep water, at least down to 400 meter.
They are commonly seen onb the reefs around the Gili Islands.
strong>Cardinalfish (Apogonidae)
Cardinalfish are one of the largest families of Indo Pacific reef fish. An estimated 250 species are currently known, of which 150 species occur on or near reefs in the East Indian region, like the Gili Islands. It is also one of the most dymanic groups for new discoveries. Many new species have been described over the past few years and more can be expected.
Anthias (Anthinae)
Anthias , much smaller than their grouper relatives, also play an important role in the reef community. Anthias in particular are very abundant in terms of number of individuals and often form huge mid water feeding aggregations, especially adjacent to steep outer reef drop-offs, like when yo are diving around the Gili Islands Halik Reef.
Diving around the Gili Islands gives you the oppurtunity to see unusual fish, like the Razor fish. You will find the in the harbor of Gili Air, in the front of Oceans 5 dive resort.
These are small, unusually shaped fish that are related to pipefish and seahorses. They are characterised by an extremely thin or flattenend and nearly transparent body, which is encased in an integument of thin, sutured plates. The unusual appearance is further enhanced by their peculiar vertical orientation with the snout pointing downwards. However they are capable of rapid bursts of horizontal swimming when chased by a diver or preditor. Razor fish often occur in large synchronised groups, sometimes containing more than 50 individuals. The family is restricted to the tropical Indo Pacific region and contains two genera and four species, 3 of which occur in the East Indian region.
The fish’s diet consists of a variety of zoo-plankton and minute crustaceans. When in captivity, it is fed bait shrimp and a variety of small, live marine food. It swallows its food whole. This fish, like its closest relative, the seahorse, is toothless. As a young fish, it is prey to many larger fish. As an adult, however, the fish is thought to have little, if any, predators. This is thought to be because of its great camouflage and its “armor”. The life span of the fish, unlike the reproduction method, is unknown.
Maximium size to about 14 cm. Pale yellowish brown on the back and white on lower half with dark brown to black stripe from snout, through eye, to base of caudal fin. Sometimes seeks refuge among sea urchin spines.
Sea snakes are venomous reptiles that live most or all of their lives in the sea. They’re so adapted to life in the ocean that few species can crawl on land. They swim like eels with their paddle-like tail and laterally compressed body. Like marine mammals, they lack gills and must come to the surface to breathe.
Sea-snakes are cold-blooded reptiles, so they live mostly in warm tropical waters, like the Gili Islands. During the diving around the Gilis you will meet some Sea snakes. Sea snakes are fully adapted to breathe, feed, breed and grow in the sea. For air-breathing animals, sea-snakes are remarkable divers. Some species can dive to 100 metres or more, and remain submerged for up to 80 minutes. This may be partly due to the remarkable ability of some species to absorb part of the oxygen they need through their skins. Their nostrils have valves that close when they are under the water.
Sea snakes inject venom with their bites to subdue and kill prey, which is then grabbed in the jaws and swallowed whole. As with other snakes, the skullbones of sea-snakes are loosely attached and they can dislocate their lower jaws and slide them sideways to allowing them to swallow very large prey. Sea-snakes tend to be fussy eaters. Some only eat catfish, another only eats the eggs of two families of fish. Others dine on eels, fish, prawns, crabs and worms.
Sea snake venom is among the most venomous of all snakes, yet sea snakes rarely inject enough venom to significantly harm a person. In fact, very few human deaths from sea snakes have been reported. They prey mainly on fish and other sea creatures.
Sea snake venom has properties that may one day help in surgeries. Scientists are currently researching whether sea snake venom can be used as an anesthetic.
Female sea snakes sometimes attract attention from more than one suitor and mate in the open water. They give birth to live young at sea. The mother then leaves the young to fend for themselves.
No species of sea snakes are listed as threatened, although the distribution and status of most species is not very well known.
The moray eel is a large species of eel found in warm and temperate waters all around the world. They are also around the Gili Islands. Despite their snake-like appearance, moray eels (along with other eel species) are in fact fish and not reptiles.
Moray eels are found in both deep and shallow waters in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Although moray eels can be find in cooler waters occasionally, they tend to remain in the crevices deep in the ocean rather than venturing into shore. The largest populations of moray eels are found around tropical coral reefs where they are numerous different marine species found in large numbers. Specially when you are diving the dive sites around the Gili Islands named Halik, Hans and Bounty wreck you will see them.
There are around 200 different species of moray eel than can range in size from just 10cm long to nearly 2 meters in length. Despite their varying size and colour all moray eels are fairly similar in appearance with an elongated body, slightly flattened towards the tail. Moray eels also have large eyes and mouths which contain large teeth.
The moray eel is a relatively secretive animal, spending much of its time hiding in holes and crevices amongst the rocks and coral on the ocean floor. By spending the majority of their time hiding, moray eels are able to remain out of sight from predators and are also able to ambush any unsuspecting prey that passes.
Like many other large fish, the moray eel is a carnivorous animal surviving on a diet that consists of only meat. Fish, molluscs including squid and cuttlefish and crustaceans such as crabs are the main source of food for the moray eel.
The moray eel is often one of the most dominant predators within its environment but moray eels are hunting by some other animals including other large fish like grouper and barracuda, sharks and humans.
Moray eels tend to mate when the water is warmest towards the end of the summer. Moray eel fertilisation is oviparous, meaning that eggs and sperm are fertilised outside of the womb, in the surrounding water, which is known as spawning. More than 10,000 eggs can be released at a time, which develop into larvae and become part of the plankton. It can take up to year for the moray eel larvae to have grown big enough to swim down to the ocean floor to join the community below
Mandarin fish
The Mandarin fish is a beautiful colourful fish. Oceans 5 dive resort is lucky to have 20-30 pieces of them in front of their House reef. But what do we know about them?
Design
The mandarinfish produces a thick mucous that covers its body. This mucous smells bad and tastes bitter. Scientists believe that this secretion could ward off potential predators. The bright colors of this fish could also give warning of its toxicity. These features may not have served this purpose until after the Fall of man since before the Fall all animals were vegetarian.
Features
■ The mandaranfish is distinguished by its bright colors and unusual shape.
■ Its body is primarily blue with orange, red, and yellow wavy lines.
Fun Facts
■ The mandarinfish does not have scales; instead it produces a stinky mucous that covers its body.
■ This fish is also called the mandarin dragonet.
■ Mating between mandarinfish involves a ritualized dance.
■ This is a very popular aquarium fish exported from the Philippines.
CLASS: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
ORDER: Perciformes (perch-like fishes)
FAMILY: Callionymidae (dragonets)
GENUS/SPECIES: Synchiropus splendidus
Size: Up to 6 cm in
Depth: Found at depths up to 18 meters
Habitat: Western Pacific tropical waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Guinea, and the Ryukyu Islands in coral reefs and shallow lagoons
If you like to see the around the Gili Islands, and you like to dive with them, contact us, info@oceans5dive.com
Oceans 5 dive resort is following the latest trends of diving. In the beginning of October 2012 Oceans 5 dive resort will be ready to teach sidemounting around the Gili Islands. They will be the first or one of the first who are cabable to teach sidemounting arounf the famous Gili Islands.
Oceans 5 ordered just 2 Hollis sms50 sidemount systems. And if we like them more will follow.
What is sidemount scuba diving..?
Diving in sidemount configuration is the process of taking one or two cylinders and placing them on either side of your body, rather than mounting them on your back, (traditionally known as backmounted). But Sidemount diving is much more than just a change in equipment. In fact, with the right training, you will find it to be a vastly more rewarding and enlightening experience.
If fact if trained correctly I doubt, you will ever see the need to return to a backmouted equipment configuration.
Why use sidemount equipment configuration vs backmount..?
* Enables a unique method of buoyancy control which results in a more streamlined profile, reduces drag and makes finning and moving through the water much easier and more efficient. Get as close to the free-diver experience as possible with Scuba!
* Offers a greater comfort level. Sidemount equipment and harness are custom fit to each individual, accommodating divers of all shapes and sizes.
* Great for divers with any disabilities, as you carry the cylinder(s) separate from your harness to the water. Cylinders and weights are then mounted and attached in the water, making the entries and exits to dive sites much easier.
* The safest option in terms of air management. Sidemount allows provides you with easier access to your cylinder valve(s), first stage(s) and alternate air source should a problem arise.
One harness and BCD does it all! This statement is now 100% true! Your Sidemount equipment can also be used for more advanced types of diving i.e wreck, technical and cave diving, providing you get trained correctly at each level.
If you like to have more information about sidemounting around the Gili Islands: http://www.oceans5dive.com or info@oceans5dive.com
