Taking a closer look at a less celebrated anemone dweller: the porcelain crab. You don’t have to swim far to find sea anemones on the reefs around Wakatobi Resort. Just yards from the resort jetty, a colorful carpet of these stationary predators adorn the slopes of the House Reef, and similar colonies are found on […]

At Wakatobi, encounters with glowing, other-worldly creatures like cuttlefish happen every day With eight arms growing out of their heads, and three hearts pumping blue blood through their pliable, gelatinous bodies, cuttlefish may seem like creatures from another planet, but they actually thrive in abundant numbers on the colorful reefs of Wakatobi. They could be […]

Encounters with the comically clever coconut octopus Humans like to believe we are unique in the animal kingdom. We walk on two legs, use tools, and have the ability to learn and adapt to changing environments. A few of our primate relatives show rudimentary talents in these areas, but we certainly wouldn’t expect a small, […]

Nudibranchs add dazzling displays of color to our reefs Searching for sea slugs doesn’t sound like a glamorous activity. Unless the slugs in question are nudibranchs. That’s a whole different matter. Divers, and especially underwater photographers, take great delight in tracking down and identifying these colorful little critters, and the nudibranch’s bright hues and intricate […]

Wakatobi’s resident octopus can put on quite a show for those who know where to look Flailing tentacles capture unsuspecting prey with suction discs, then draw the victim towards a venomous beak. Three hearts pump blue blood through a shape-shifting body that seems to disappear by taking on the colors and patterns of its surroundings. […]

It could be lurking close by, blending in perfectly with the coral reef or a sea grass bed. But unless it chooses to reveal itself, you could swim right by this alien-like creature without even knowing it was there. Sometimes referred to as “the chameleon of the sea,” cuttlefish have a remarkable ability to rapidly […]

Wakatobi’s reefs are covered in a colorful carpet of corals, sponges and gorgonians that shelter a range of interesting creatures. To find one of the area’s most intriguing and bizarre animals of all, look beyond the growth to find a bare spot where coral rubble surrounds a small hole. The Mantis shrimp or Stomatopod is […]