Rolling overboard, you follow the contours of a gently sloping coral plateau. There is no current, so you’re able to frog kick gently and hover close to the bottom, which at first looks rather uninteresting compared to the terrains of the past couple days. Then, as your eyes adjust, you begin to see things. Hermit and decorator crabs scuttle about, a cuttlefish cruises by, and then you spot a freckled frogfish lurking under cover. As your guide suggested, you take special note of your surroundings, as this makes for a great night dive, which could  be this evening’s choice.

A decorator crab sports a soft coral headdress as its skirts about on the bottom. Photo by Walt Stearns

Back aboard the Pelagian, you enjoy a warm shower and a fresh towel, followed by a savory breakfast. The chefs are already tempting you with comments about what is to come for lunch. Before the mid-morning dive, your guide provides you with a muck stick. You’ve seen photographers use these to position themselves close to the bottom, but your guide says it’s a great accessory for anyone diving a relatively soft-bottomed site. Using a muck stick allows you to get closer to marinelife without banging into the bottom or missing out on a view of one of the cool creatures that lie hidden in the “muck.”

Dive two takes place at Asphalt Pier, and the scenery below makes Cheeky Beach look like a garden spot. Discarded barrels and old tires litter the seabed. But, as you get closer, you find this detritus is teeming with life. Blue ribbon and garden eels poke their snouts into the sunlight; nudibranchs slither about and gobies stay on the watch as their roommate, the blind shrimp, pushes sand and debris out of the burrow they share. The muck stick is helpful as you are able to enjoy some up-close sightings without disturbing the bottom; having a private dive guide for a few days has proven its value time and time again.

At Asphalt Pier barrels, tires and abandoned fish traps litter the seabed. But, as you get closer, you find this detritus is teeming with life, such as blind shrimp and their watchful roommates, gobies. Photo by David Gray

A post-dive rinse and a quick snack leaves time for some late-afternoon relaxation in the lounge. Then as the sun sinks toward the horizon, it’s time for the third act. The site known as Magic Pier is famous for the mandarinfish courtship displays, and as you slip below the surface soon after the sun goes down, the show begins.

“This was mandarinfish utopia. I had waited so long to be here, and it was surpassing my expectations in spade loads,” says Nigel Wade.

A group of small, riotously-colored fish appear, their bodies covered in swirls and stripes of vivid blues, bright yellows, electric greens and rich purples. These are the males, and the subsequent arrival of several females has them jostling for position as they attempt to capture the attention of the ladies. One bachelor makes the connection, and his female counterpart nestles up to his extended pelvic fin, as if taking his arm. The pair then align themselves belly-to-belly and begin a slow, swirling dance that carries them upward a meter above the reef. At the apex of their ascent, they release simultaneous clouds of egg and sperm into the water.

At Magic Pier, pairs of mandarinfish will align themselves belly-to-belly and perform a slow, swirling dance that carries them upward to just a meter above the reef. Photo by Werner Thiele

“This was mandarinfish utopia. I had waited so long to be here, and it was surpassing my expectations in spade loads,” says Nigel Wade. Photo by Nigel Wade

The dance is done, but the evening show has just begun. Darkness brings out a menagerie of the stealthy and strange. The sweep of a dive light beam reveals dozens of glowing eyes, and indistinct shapes slither into the shadows. There is much to discover in the coming night, and by the time you are once more back aboard Pelagian, there will be plenty of notes to add to your dive log before falling asleep, thinking of what adventures may await tomorrow.

Don’t miss out on the incredible diving you can experience on a Pelagian cruise. Why not combine it with a trip to the resort? Contact us at office@wakatobi.com or complete a quick trip inquiry at wakatobi.com.

Learn more about Pelagian dive yacht here.

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