It’s hard to believe that another quarter has passed since our last updates from Two Fish Divers Resorts around the Archipelago. Once again, it’s been a busy time and it’s been a pleasure to have seen so many familiar faces returning to our resorts, as well as welcoming new ones too.
The summer months have been a busy time in all locations and the Indonesian marine life has certainly been putting on a show for visiting divers! In our resorts, we’ve made some changes too, and we’ve even partnered with another stunning Indonesian dive resort in East Sumbawa! Read on to find out more…
Turtles, New flights and new Instructor in Bunaken
Our first ever Two Fish Divers resort on Bunaken Island continues to go from strength to strength. It’s been a busy three months of diver training and incredible marine life for our fun divers too. Turtles continue to thrive at Bunaken’s dive sites and we’ve even lost count of the number we’ve seen on a dive!
In July we welcomed our new PADI Instructor Maia to the team – and she has been busy with courses ever since! Our boats AND our Bunaken rooms have also been updated!
Garuda Indonesia (Indonesia’s flagship airline) surprised us earlier this month as they opened a new route for direct flights linking our local airport, Manado International, with Davao in the Philippines! If you have been trying to decide between Indonesia and the Philippines for this year’s annual dive vacation, now you can easily enjoy both of these Coral Triangle locations in one incredible trip!
During September our Bunaken team was busy taking part in Project AWARE week which involved daily beach cleanups, underwater cleanups and they even delved into the mangroves and cleaned up there too! Night diving has been phenomenal recently with a host of nocturnal critters making an appearance including the strange-looking sponge crab!
AC, Bobbits and new manager in Lembeh
Lush, green Lembeh has been flourishing on land, underwater and in resort too! Our latest Lembeh updates include the finishing touches being made to our new relaxing area, our standard rooms have all been fitted out with AC, we’ve been having some epic night dives with Bobbit worms and our day dives have been packed with critters including some of Lembeh’s most sought after species. Pygmy seahorses, rhinopias, hairy frogfish, Ambon scorpionfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, mimic octopus, coconut octopus, mandarin fish and a plethora of nudibranch species have all been spotted (to name but a few).
Also in Lembeh, our new Manager Dan Schofield has arrived and as you can see from the Bobbit worm image above – he is a keen underwater photographer too. Dan has been out in the STrait exploring and has already fallen in love with his new home! If you are an underwater photographer and you are planning to join us for diving in Indonesia, Dan is looking forward to meeting you and discussing the best critters for capturing on camera!
Molas, new manager and Great White Sharks in Lembongan
Wow, wow, wow! The dive sites around Nusa Penida are home to a resident population of manta rays which we see all year round and this time of year is also mola season – and what a mola season it has been with phenomenal sightings at all dive sites!
This season however it’s sharks that have taken the spotlight around Nusa Lembongan. White tips and bamboo sharks are regular sightings here but this season we have also had regular sightings of thresher sharks, wobbegong sharks and hammerheads – yes, hammerheads! But it doesn’t stop there as our divers were treated to a swim-by from a pregnant great white shark! While the water temperatures have dropped around Nusa Lembongan it seems the marine life sightings just keep hotting up!
Other news from the beautiful Balinese island of Nusa Lembongan includes the arrival of Thomas Witt who has joined us as a PADI Instructor – and it’s been a great season for courses on the island too, including two full PADI Instructor Develop Courses!
New rooms, bar & menu in Amed
Beautiful Amed is home to one of Bali’s most diverse marine ecosystems with everything from incredible coral reefs through to muck diving sites, and of course, the famous WWII shipwreck, the USAT Liberty is just around the corner in nearby Tulamben. This quarter we’ve had a busy time at Two Fish Divers Amed, which is a popular spot for PADI Divemaster Trainees and Instructor candidates due to its quiet seafront location and chilled out Balinese vibe.
Our resort team has been busy with renovating our accommodation, bar and restaurant which have been upgraded and our new rooms and new menu are proving to be very popular with our guests who want a tasty snack after diving.
Also in Amed over the high season we’ve been busy exploring the House Reef – did you know that we have a wreck right on our doorstep? The House Reef continues to be one of our favorite spots for underwater photography and for spotting macro life – especially nudibranch. This month we’ve found a spot where Shaun the Sheep can be found on almost every dive and we’ve been seeing Pikachu on a regular basis too!
Marine protection and new wreck in Gili Air
We are extremely proud of our team on Gili Air and for the local community on this incredible island. Together with Trash Hero and the Gili Eco Trust, the Gili Islands are at the forefront of marine protection and sustainability initiatives. September was PADI’s Project AWARE week and our team in Gili Air stepped up to the challenge with beach cleanups and numerous events taking place around the island.
It’s no wonder the marine life and reefs around Gili Air are thriving with such a dedicated team to take care of them! This month one of our Divemaster Trainees was treated to diving one of Gili Air’s lesser-known dive sites – a tugboat which was deliberately scuttled in 2016 and is now an incredible wreck dive wand home to a host of marine species!
For those of you who like exploring underwater after the sun has set, we’ve been having some great dives with the exquisite mandarin fish recently – as they put on an incredible mating display at sunset. Night dives also give us the chance to spot sleeping turtles, octopus and heaps of different crabs and shrimps – it’s amazing how the reef changes at night on Gili Air!
Hammerheads and a new manager in South Lombok
It’s hammerhead time of year in Belongas Bay and the famous “Magnet” dive site has not been disappointing us. Magnet is an open ocean pinnacle dive site that attracts marine life like… well, metal to a magnet! This year’s hammerhead sightings have been incredible with both great and scalloped hammerheads being spotted. Our other Belongas Bay dive sites have also delivered some incredible shark and mobula ray sightings too! If hammerheads are your reason for diving in Indonesia, the season is still on in Lombok.
For those who prefer more laid back dives, the coral reefs around Sekotong have been bursting with critters and an impressive array of reef fish sightings including Napoleon and bumphead parrotfish!
Our other news from South Lombok has been the arrival of our new Two Fish Manager Dom Revell. Dom arrived at the beginning of the high season and has been enjoying diving in both the Secret Gili’s and Belongas Bay. Dom has settled in and is enjoying life at Two Fish South Lombok which he has renamed the “Dive Farm” due to selection of random animals that occasionally come to visit us – all very friendly of course!
New dive destination of East Sumbawa
That’s right, we are delighted to be able to announce that we have teamed up with Kalimaya Dive Resort in East Sumbawa! Now you have another incredible option to consider when diving in Indonesia with Two Fish Divers. Find out more here…
Welcome to our New Divemasters & Instructors
Over the last quarter, we have had the privilege of being a part of so many peoples’ journeys into the world of professional diving. On behalf of all of us – a big congratulations to all of our newly certified PADI Divemasters and Instructors! We wish you all the very best of success in your new careers and we hope to see you again soon!
Another congratulations also goes to our amazing Course Director Restuning Sandini who is now the Two Fish Divers GoPro Manager, and is responsible for our Divemaster & Instructor programs!
Diving in Indonesia with Two Fish Divers
Are you planning to join us for diving in Indonesia? Are you trying to decide which location to visit? Did you know that you can combine two or more Two Fish Divers locations in one trip? Domestic travel in Indonesia is incredibly easy and we take care of the logistics so you don’t need to. Our resorts are all within a few hours apart (at the most) so why not explore even more of this amazing country while you are here! For more information about staying in any of our resorts, or combining them, fill in the contact form below and we will get right back to you!