Mabul Macro Fest!

MABUL and KAPALAI well known as famous muck diving site in the world. Most of the diving site in Mabul and Kapalai is shallow with depth from 10 feet to 60 feet. Macro life here variable from fishes to invertebrate which makes photographers crazy. Come and dive with us in the "macro heaven on earth"!

Its very rare to see Ribbon Eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita) swimming

with beutiful body just like ribbon.

Nudibranch (Nembrotha kubaryana)



Solar Nudibranch (Phyllodesmium longicirrum) by Poosak who own a

dive shop in Thailand. (www.mrdumnam.com)

Beautiful Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi).

Nudibranch (Discodoris sp.) - Maichoko umiushi

Sweet couple - Yamada Koji and Yamada Satoko

Thank you so much for the photo of hana ika and umiushi!

See you again soon!

Last week's recap!

Greetings to all Paradise Loggers! A quick recap on what's been happening to the dive center last week.

It has been an exciting week for us here. Diving was great with sighting of a baby whale shark by Jay's group.



And two sightings of blue ring octopus by Nina's group and Ron's group.



Other than that, we said goodbye to DM Nick and Sam Scubazoo. Nick will pursuing a new career back in KK and Sam will be transferred to Layang-Layang Island. We here at the dive center wishing all the best to both of them!!

Guess what we saw ???

On the 5 May 2007, afternoon dive only one boat from SWV Resort went to Sipadan with 4 divers and 2 snorkellers. On the way back to Mabul, with the flat sea surface, can clearly see there are one flaoting things on the sea surface........ wonder what is the flaoting creature? Whale shark? Manta? Get closser...........

Its a fish with very big body size and big eyes...........its SUNFISH (Mola mola)!! Unbelieveable!

Then everyone jumped into the open ocean snorkeling to see the most rare creature that can be see here compare to whale shark or dolphin. The body length of the Ocean Sunfish its about 3 m. Its known as the largest bony fish in the world (whale sharks are cartilaginous) in the family of Molidae belongs to the order of Tetraodoniformes. Sunfishes found in all ocean in tropical and temperate water, but prefer open ocean.

The charecteristic of the body is unique, large and flattened body with scaleless but tough and leathery thick skin. They seem like no caudal fin at all, but with a long anal and doral fin look like paddles. Body color silvery to brownish grey.

The behaviour of the Sunfish surface its known to clean the parasite on the body. They often drift on the surface while lying on side or swimming upright close to the surface. Then we can see them at the shallow water, because after that they will swim down to deep water more than 300 m.

There are many names for sunfish (English), Mondfisch (German for moonfish) Manbow or Manbo (Japan), Poisson lune (France), Putol (Philippines - Visaya for "cut off"), Toppled car fish (Taiwan), Bezador or Pez luna (Spain), Makua (Hawaii).

Who is the super lucky Divemaster saw the Mola mola ? ? ? ?

After 12 years working in Mabul this is the 1st time saw Sunfish.

No mistaken.......must be him................

Lets me introduce to you.....

ALLAN SAN

Japanese Golden Week 2007 (29 Apr - 6 May)

Hokkaeri nasai! Welcome back to all Japanese repeaters to SWV Resort. And warm welcome to all first time comer to diving with us especially in this busy golden week. We have 60 Japanese divers and 20 divers from others country diving with us during this Golden week.

Group of repeaters : Saito Toyoko, Shitou Fujiko, Fujiki Yuichi, Onoe Takeshi, Nishino Hirotaka, Miura Ayaka, Ikeda Chie.

Another group of repeaters: Nakashima Michiharu, Nakashima Yukiko, Iwasaki Takeshi, Sakamoto Koji, Sasaki Noriko, Sasaki Satoshi.

Congratulation to Tokura Yuki (50 dives), Yaguchi Nobuyuki (100 dives), Kadowaki Takeshi (150 dives) and Matsutani Masahiro (400 dives) in SWV Resort !!! Ometedoo gozaimashita!! Gambate kudasai!!

Diving in Sipadan and Mabul have a lots of fun with big fishes and macro life here.......
Dawn dive to see the Bumphead Parrotfish wake up from deep sleep and sweet dream....
School of Barracuda and Jack fish, friendly turtles and amazing number of sharks.

Bumphead Parrotfish (Bulbometopon muricatum)

The Japanese favorite nudibranchs and gobies are the highlights of this week, and also the Flambuoyant Cuttlefish ( HANA IKA).

False Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Yellow Boxfish Juvenile (Ostracion cubicus)

Decorated Reticulidia (Reticuludia halgerda)

Yellow Shrimp Goby (Cryptocentrus sp.)



Flambouyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi)

Lets go diving !!

We never know what we will see next dive..........!!!

HAPPY DIVING!!