Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Nudibranches, Lankayan Island Resort, Happy 2013...

Returned to Japan from Malaysia on the last day of 2012...
Back to freezing temperatures, compared to those of Malaysia's... 

Spent some time diving the seas of Sulu... 
Nudibranches are one of my favorite photo subjects...
From the guide books, the above specie is classified under 'Chromodoris sp.'... 
But frankly, these scientific names are quite difficult to comprehend for a layman like me... 
Why? For there are apparently many, many different types of nudibranches that look so different and are yet classified under the same names... .
My dive buddy (aka my missus) found this one for me to photograph...

This one appears to fall under the 'Chromodoris bullocki' classification...
Again, my dive buddy found this one for me to shoot...
We thought they were mating... 
Apparently, 'each nudibranch has both male and female producing sperm and eggs. To mate, two nudibranchs come together side by side and pass sperm sacs through a tube in their 'neck' to each other. Both then go their own way and lay egg masses that may contain millions of eggs.' (Source)

Could not believe this was a nudibranch at first... 
Its scientific name? Yes, try 'Phyllodesmium briareus'...
All nudibranches are carnivorous, meaning that they prey on other marine animals like corals and sponges.  
This guy seemed to be feeding on the mat-forming soft corals...
Have seen this nudibranch somewhere before... 
'Chromodoris willani' is the name... weee...
Would have loved to have an external flash on my camera for this shot....

Lankayan Island is a good 90-minute speed boat ride from Sandakan... 
Despite the fair weather, the ride there was bumpy...
It is quite a nice island on the seas of Sulu... 
It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk around the island...

All the bungalows were single standing... 
Very well built with good materials and nicely furnished...

The main building of the resort... 
Imagine this, right in the middle of nowhere, in the Sulu Sea...
This building houses the restaurant, and offers plenty of spaces to relax in between dives...

Of course, today is the second day of the year 2013...
We took our first walk in the nearby hills...
And stopped by the neighborhood shrine to offer our thanks to the heavens for the past year... plus, our wishes and hopes for the new year...
Happy new year to all who comes by this post...

43 comments:

  1. Beautiful & colorful sea creatures. Wow you have a great time in Sulu Sea. Love the night view of the resort with reflection of lights in the sea. Wishing you & missus A Happy New Year 2013

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    1. Thank you for your comments... that building is really luxurious... happy 2013 to you too...

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  2. Thanks for the detailed info about Nudibranches and all the nice underwater pixz. Would be nice to hold them. Are you able to hold it or they are too shy or too fast to catch?

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    1. Am afraid not as recreation divers are trained not touch any marine animals... many reasons such as: it may harm the animals... they may be poisonous... etc...

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    2. Yup learned another do's & don't of diving. Kamsia

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  3. Lrong, Happy New Year! That is a very lovely island, and really far from the crowd, what a wonderful vacation. Malaysia and the Philippines have maybe almost the same conditions of the seas, so maybe our marine species are the same. I am not a scuba diver so i see nudibranchs only in photos and books. I saw a coffee table book on these creatures all from Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. This is my town but it is too embarrassing that foreigners see our underwater biodiversity, but I am a resident yet haven't seen any of them. I am envious of people like you!

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    1. Hi Andrea... yes, that is a lovely island... my missus and I are very thankful that we can enjoy scuba diving... it is heavenly, really, to be immersed in water... Anilao... one day, we may just head that way...

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  4. Like your photos which are excellent even without the flash. Hope you had a good holiday. Happy New Year.

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    1. Thank you for your compliment... yes, I have been taking underwater pictures with only the internal strobe... the range is very limited... still, I try to make do with the limitations... happy new year to you too...

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  5. What lovely images you've captured. :)

    Happy new year to you and wife. :)

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    1. Thank you, Lina... happy new year to you too...

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  6. Happy New Year, today is 3rd day when I read your post. Great holidays in the island. Never seen b4. Tks for the postings!

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    1. Thank you, Dew... glad you like the pictures... happy new year to you too...

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  7. heyhey, so, there should be quite a number of armed guards who oversee the resort?? by the way, a very happy new year to u and suweto hatto.

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    1. You guessed right... there were soldiers stationed in most if not all of the islands off the Sabah coast... thanks for your greetings...

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  8. Lovely shots of these lovely sea creatures. Malaysia is indeed blessed with such beauty. Thanks for sharing.

    Happy New Year to you and your missus, Professor.

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    1. Yes, Msia is blessed with regards to marine resources... Happy new year to you too...

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  9. They are amazing They inspired me a lot because of the beauty :)

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    1. Nice to hear that you are inspired... it is really pretty down in the water...

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  10. Happy New Year to you and the Missus. I really like your underwater photos -- they are all amazing and beautiful. I hope you stay healthy in the cold weather.

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    1. Thank you... we are having minus one degree again this morning... too cold for me but I am keeping quite warm with the wood stove...

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  11. Happy New Year to you and your missus. Glad you enjoyed the paradise:) The pictures really look wonderful.How nice to be away from the madding crowd and immerse in natural beauty!
    Was away in Australia. Enjoyed Lennox Head ( between Ballina and Byron Bay), NSW and Sydney.

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    1. Keats, trust that you enjoyed your holiday at OZ...

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  12. Happy New Year to you and your diving buddy Lrong. Love your pictures. Thanks for sharing. Never been to this place but maybe one day.

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    1. Malaysia still has some really pretty places... am now already planning on our next move...

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  13. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip, the resort looks beautiful and the nudibranches are amazing! I also enjoyed seeing the decorations at your neighborhood shrine. Happy New Year!

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    1. Yes, indeed we had a wonderful time at the resort... the nudibranches are really so pretty... natural 'diamonds' in the sea...

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  14. Happy New Year to you and sweetheart. I wonder,what offering did you leave at the shrine?

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    1. Thank you, Diana... the practice here is, we put some money into the dedicated box as a donation for up-keeping the shrine... and then, we pray to the deity...

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  15. Hope your New Year fill with good luck and good health! Never know there is a such beautiful island .

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    1. Yes, Sonia... there are still some 'jewels' in Malaysia... I intend to continue visiting them...

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  16. Glad to see you back in the blogging world..

    Gorgeous sea critters, and beautiful shots of the island.

    Wishing you and your family a fantastic New Year!

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    1. Thank you, IC... likewise, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy NY...

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  17. Wow! Thanks for sharing these wonderful pics of beautiful creatures beneath the surface of the ocean.

    Happy New Year to you and yours! May you enjoy health, love, and happiness all year long.

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    1. Arigato, Panda... the marine creatures are really very very pretty... heavenly to be able to enjoy looking at them in the ocean... happy NY to you, K, and Momo-chan...

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  18. Excellent photography. Pick up on your own or attended some course somewhere?
    Have a good year, 2013.

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    1. Thank you very much for your comments... been fooling around with photography since the early 1980s just for fun's sake... have not attended any course before, so it is all self-learned... Happy NY to you too...

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  19. Happy New Year!
    You have captured some fantastic shots! Lovely!
    Best wishes to you and your wife for a wonderful 2013!

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    1. Am glad you enjoyed the shots... Happy NY to you and Happy cooking...

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  20. Looks like an excellent spot to dive. Was it expensive?

    Here's to wishing you and your missus a garden full of bountiful harvests for the year 2013!

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    1. Pretty good spot to dive... package rates are not too expensive and similar to Mabul's... wishing you and your loved ones a healthy and fruitful new year...

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  21. Beautiful sea creatures, It's like you want to hold them. The main building of the resort looks stunning at night..

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    1. Welcome to my blog... woooh, no matter how pretty the creatures are, it is only for our eyes... and indeed, the main building is stunning... too stunning...

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