TRAVELSPECIAL
Back-lit cockatoo waspfish
Coleman shrimp
Flamboyant cuttlefish , snooted
south and about 1.2km wide , yet in this narrow corridor there are close to 100 dive spots where you can see more macro subjects than you have ever dreamed possible . From the super small ‘ Shaun the sheep ’ nudibranch to the amazing , intelligent coconut octopus that builds it
Welcome to the weird
Eventually , the ‘ magic ’ had to end and our time on the west coast came to an end , so we headed over to the east side of North Sulawesi , to the realm of ‘ muck ’ and the weirdly wonderful creatures of the Lembeh Strait . The Strait is just 16km north-tohome with anything from coconut shells to discarded drink bottles .
My lovely home for the week was the relatively new resort , Dive into Lembeh . ‘ DiL ’, as it ’ s affectionately known , sits on the northern end of the strait , a spacious affair on a flat plot of land , its elegant bungalows set in lush tropical gardens . You can relax in your own private Japanese-style ‘ onsen ’, a sort of hot tub , and watch the world go by out on the Strait . The operation is run by dive industry veterans Miranda and Steve Coverdale , who are very much hands-on , making sure everything is run smoothly , from the super tasty meals to the perfect temperature in the hot tub on your own private deck as soon as you emerge from your night dive .
The southern end of the strait is home to the busy port of Bitung ; if you ’ ve ever visited any harbour in the world , you will know they ’ re not the cleanest places . This makes the southernmost sites particularly ‘ mucky ’ with lots of debris in the water and on the seabed . Hence the name , muck diving !
Moray eel in coconut home
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Admiring a whip coral goby