Second Muck Diving Trip in Dauin

I put the picture of this Frogfish at the beginning of this article because it's the regret I left from the last diving trip in Dauin.

After only four months, I went to Dauin (Dumaguete, Negros, Philippines) for diving again. I hadn't gone for a diving trip to a same place within such a short time. The reason is the experience I had in Dauin was very wonderful and I couldn't wait to go there again. I shared the diving environment of Dauin in the previous article. You can check it first, and you will have more ideas about muck diving in Dauin. Mostly, I only share what interesting creatures I saw in this article. Except diving in Apo Island on the third day, I used Panasonic 45mm Macro lens to take these pictures.

Day 1 / Dive 1 / Site: Cars

The first one was a Pink-eared Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus latirostris) for warming up.

The next one is Robust Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus) which looks like a dried seaweed leaf. It's difficult to focus on them sometimes when they keep swinging left and right.

I made a critter bucket list and told my DM Rocky before we went diving. One of the critters in the list is Tiger Shrimp (Phyllognathia Ceratophthalmus). I didn't expect I can see it during my first dive, so I was very excited. I saw many pictures of Tiger Shrimp shared on the internet, and I thought the size of this shrimp was at least 5 cm. In fact, it's smaller than 2 cm. Even though I didn't take a good shoot, I was so happy of this first encounter.

And then, it's a nudibranch (Caloria indica).

This small cuttlefish is about 8 cm, and it showed white color when I pressed the shutter button. I called it Snow White.

While taking the pictures of the cuttlefish above, I saw another creature was "jumping" nearby. I  looked at Rocky, and he gestured circle on his arm. What!! It's a Blue-ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena spp.)!! It's so lucky for me to see blue-ring in the first dive. Although I also met blue-ring last time, however, that one was not willing to show its dark-blue rings like this one. It's so pretty!!

Day 1 / Dive 2 / Site: Cars

First, I saw a Rough Box Crab (Calappa gallus) half-burying in the sand. I took a closer look and found out it's trying to have a meal.

And then, it's a Cockatoo Waspfish (Ablabys taenianotus):

Another Robust Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus):

And then, it's a small cuttlefish around 5 cm.

Last time when I dove in Cabilao, I saw a Long Nose Rock Shrimp (Leander plumosus), but couldn't take a picture. So this kind of shrimp, nicknamed Donald Duck, was also in my list. I was happy that Rocky found me one during this dive. However, this one is kind of big which is about 5 cm I guess, so it's not so cute.

When I was taking the pictures of the shrimp above, there was something moving. Based on the movement, it might be a decorator crab.

Rocky showed me this frogfish which is smaller than a finger nail. Even though the color is very showy, I still admire people who can see these small stuffs underwater.

I took some pictures of another Pink-eared Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus latirostris). As long as you take a closer look, you can see many small Mantis Shrimp hiding in the holes on the sandy seabed. You can find one is not too aggressive and has a simpler background to take a portrait pictures more easily.

There are only few soft corals scattering on the seabed. Most of them have different kinds of cleaning shrimps living on them.

This cuttlefish is about 10 cm which can already show many changes of colors and patterns.

When we were about to finish the dive and swimming back to the shore, we met some fish look like dried leaf in the depth of 1.5 meter. It's juvenile circular spadefish (Platax orbicularis - Juvenile). It's also my first time to see spadefish in such a shallow area.

Day 2 / Dive 3 / Site: Masaplod North
The first critter I took pictures was Zanzibar Whip Coral Shrimp (Dasycaris zanzibarica). I admire many works of this kind of shrimp shared on the internet. I was so happy to see it with my real eyes, but I didn't take a good picture.

The size of this frogfish is around 3 cm wide. Finally I saw a "bigger" froggy.

And then, another orange frogfish which is smaller than 1 cm. It's really so tiny and so cute.

This Crinoid Crab (Harrovia albolineata) was always moving. I wasn't able to take a good shoot.

The length of this Short-tailed Pipefish (Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus) is around 20cm, so I only took some pictures of its head to record it.

Another tiny froggy:

This nudibanch (Gymnodoris sp.) is yellow color and half-transparent. It is very common on the seabed here.

This kind of nudibranch(Armina sp.) is also common here. This one is around 7 cm.

This Dragon Sea Moth (Eurypegasus draconis) kept turning around, so I had a hard time to take pictures.

Before finishing the dive, we saw juvenile circular spadefish again.

Day 2 / Dive 4 / Site: San Miguel

San Miguel was my favorite spot of last Dauin trip.

First, Rocky helped me take the pictures of a Crinoid Squat Lobster (Allogalathea elegans). Compared to coral reefs, there are fewer crinoid, however, many of them have squat lobsters, crabs, shrimps or cling fishes live with them. You can find a more cooperated one to take some pictures. Like the one below, it didn't duck into the crinoid too quickly.

I thought the fish below was a stonefish when I saw it. But I checked ID book afterwards, it appears to Lembeh Velvetfish(?) (Paraploactis sp.).

The next was Ornate Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus). It seems like not too difficult to spot ghost pipefishes in Dauin Coast. I can sense that based on the sound Rocky bangs his tank.

And then, it's a juvenile dragon sea moth (Eurypegasus draconis - Juvenile). Even though it's very small, it's also good at turning around. It's very difficult to take a clear shoot.

And then, and then, and then, no more!! I was surprised I only saw these special stuffs during this dive. What's wrong with my favorite dive site?

Day 2 / Dive 5 / Site: Bulak

I felt a little frustrated because of last dive, so I told myself to open my eyes more widely.

The first critter was Arrowhead Crab (Huenia heraldica). It has a big "hat", so I couldn't see its eyes at that time.

And then, we met a pair of Robust Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus). The brownish-green individual looks more obvious above the seabed, so the image is not that dull.

This one is Small Fire Worm (Chloeia parva) which is poisonous. However, no one will get hurt as long as we don't touch any creatures.

Another pair of Ornate Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus). The yellow one is female, and black one is male.

Rocky found Tiger Shrimp again, and it's a pair. But the smaller one is too shy to come out.

This nudibranch (Thecacera sp.) is very small. It seems like "Pikachu", my first encounter of this cute nudi, but I didn't take a good shoot.

I regained my good mood after this dive. The favorite picture of this dive is the picture below. It's a common frogfish which I had seen many times during the past few dives (I mean it's common here, not everywhere. haha~). When I check the picture on the laptop screen, I found out a pair of eyes were looking at the froggy. The image looks like they were playing "Hide and Seek" (just my imagination). The picture reminded me that I also wanted to take pictures of Skeleton Shrimp. I requested to Rocky and he said, "What?! You wanna see Skeleton Shrimp? There are a lot on the sandy seabed."  Really? Let's see~

That's all in Dauin? Of course not!! There are 8 more dives including 3 dives in Apo Island. I will share them later.

Special thanks to the members of Underwater Macro Photographers and The Global Diving Community for sharing the IDs.