Third Muck Diving Trip in Dauin, Dumaguete

It was my third time to dive with Liquid Dumaguete in Dauin, Philippines. Most of the things are the same as before. The updated one is the customers can access WiFi at the cottages. It's easier for us to connect the "modern" world. For more information of the dive resort and diving in Dauin, please check my previous posts:

Dive with Liquid Dumaguete
Second MuckDiving Trip in Dauin

Moreover, we changed a place to take ferry going to Dumaguete this time. We were supposed to take fast craft at Li-loan port heading for Sibulan, Dumaguete as usual. Due to the bad sea condition, the ferry was cancelled. Instead, we went to Bato to take the ship of Maayo Shipping going to Tampi, Dumaguete. This big ship, which even can carry vehicles, isn't affected by the weather too much, however, this route  takes about 40 minutes to reach Tampi and it's further going to Dauin.

I did 6 dives in two days. This post mainly share what I photographed during the dives:

1st / Dive Site: Sahara

Thorny Seahorse (Hippocampus histrix)

Ocellated Tozeuma (Tozeuma lanceolatum)

Ornate Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus)

Leaf Scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus)

Reptilian Snake Eel (Brachysomophis henshawi)

Orangutan Crab (Oncinopus sp.)

2nd / Dive Site: San Miguel (night dive)

Many-Lobed Ceratosoma (Ceratosoma tenue)

Haig's Porcelain Crab (Porcellanella haigae)

Tropical Bottletail Squid (Sepiadarium kochi)

Coconut Octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus)

Humpback Prawn (Metapenaeopsis lamellata)

Mating Tropical Bottletail Squid (Sepiadarium kochi)

Spiny Devilfish (Inimicus didactylus)

3rd / Dive Site: Bymid

Giant Frogfish (Antennarius commersoni)

Spotfin Frogfish (Antennatus nummifer)

Painted Frogfish (Antennarius pictus)

Orange-Banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus pessuliferus)

Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi)

4th / Dive Site: Bulak

Painted Frogfish (Antennarius pictus)

Rabbit Sapsucking Slug (Costasiella usagi)

Pacific Thecacera (Thecacera pacifica)

Thorny Seahorse (Hippocampus histrix)

Octopus

Nudi (Eubranchus sp.2)

Ornate Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus)

5th / Dive Site: Ginamaan

Kuro Sapsucking Slug (Costasiella kuroshimae)

Anker's Whip Coral Shrimp (Pontonides ankeri)

Leaf Scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus)

Painted Frogfish (Antennarius pictus)

Great Phyllodesmium (Phyllodesmium magnum)

Girdled Glossodoris laying eggs (Glossodoris cincta)

Thorny Seahorse (Hippocampus histrix)

6th / Dive Site: Cars (night dive)

Cowry (Erosaria beckii)

Elegant Crinoid Squat Lobster (Allogalathea elegans)

Spotted Porcelain (Neopetrolisthes maculatus)

Spotted Porcelain (Neopetrolisthes maculatus)

Painted Frogfish (Antennarius Pictus)

Reptilian Snake Eel (Brachysomophis henshawi)

Shrimp in Tunicate

The difficult part for me to photograph the shrimp(Odontonia katoi) in a purple tunicate is focus. The size of this kind of tunicate is around 5cm, and how much smaller the shrimp living inside is. Thus, I have to be very close to the tunicate since I use Panasonic 45mm lens plus FIT+10 and FIT+5 diopters underwater. The siphon of a tunicate closes easily when something approaches to it. The third picture below was taken before the siphon closed totally.

In order to take a clearer and more complete picture of the shrimp, I waited there and tried not to have too much movement of my camera. When the tunicate felt no more threat, the siphon opened again. I adjusted the focus and took some shots.

For lighting, I placed two strobes on the both sides of the tunicate. In addition, I set a FIT 2400 video torch in front of the tunicate.

(all pictures are cropped)

Octopus in Bottle

First of all, I would like to say thank you to underwater photography master, Yoshi Hirata, for leading me to this Coconut Octopus.

It's my first time to see an octopus staying in a glass bottle. At first, by instinct, I positioned my two strobes facing toward the bottle straightly. I was so naive thinking the light would only illuminate the octopus. In fact, the bottle lip was totally overexposed by this strobe positioning.

After few shots, I found out it didn't work out and then realized that the bottle is translucent. I stretched the strobe arms and placed two strobes on the both sides of the bottle to light up the octopus staying in the middle of the bottle. Even though the bottle lip is very dark by this setting, I like this kind of output compares to overexposure.

After this shooting experience, I always try this strobe positioning when I want to take pictures of creatures staying in translucent subjects, like below, the goby in the bottle and the shrimp in the tunicate.