BEST OF THE BEST: DIVE IN BATU BOLONG

Dive spot yang satu ini selalu jadi favorit semua orang. Satu kali dive lebih dari 50 menit rasanya tidak cukup untuk menikmati titik penyelaman di Taman Nasional Komodo, Flores ini. WHY? Oh well, here are some of the reasons:

This one dive spot is always a favorite of everyone. One dive more than 50 minutes is never enough to enjoy this dive spot which is located in the Komodo National Park, Flores. WHY? Oh well, here are some of the reasons:

THE AMAZING CORAL REEFS

Sejak pertama turun di Batu Bolong, kita sudah dapat menikmati wall dengan batu karang yang memukau. Bebatuan, hard coral, soft coral, sponge menghiasi kontur dive spot yang satu ini. Menyelami Batu Bolong, mata kita selalu dimanjakan warna-warni karang yang indah.

When first getting down at Batu Bolong, we can enjoy a wall with dazzling coral reefs. Rocks, hard coral, soft coral, sponges decorate the contour of this dive spot. Dipping into Batu Bolong, our eyes are always pampered with colorful beautiful coral.

ANTHIAS EVERYWHERE!

Ikan kecil jenis anthias berwarna merah adalah penghuni mayoritas di Batu Bolong. Warna merah menyala membuat Batu Bolong semakin "menyala." Namun bukan hanya anthias, kita juga dapat dengan mudah bertemu dengan sekumpulan moorish idol yang sedang mencari makan, vlaming's unicornfish wandering around between the anthias, parrotfish dan boxfish yang menggemaskan!

Small red anthias fish are the major occupants in Batu Bolong. Its bright red color makes Batu Bolong more "flaming." But not only anthias, we can easily meet with a bunch of moorish idol who was looking for food, Vlaming's unicornfish wandering around between the anthias, parrotfish and boxfish are also adorable!

  

BABY SHARK'S SLEEPING SPOT

It's a neighborhood and mama sharks got babies on board! Sebelum safety stop (berhenti sejenak di kedalaman tertentu untuk menetralisir nitrogen dalam darah), kita akan menemukan karang di mana dua baby sharks tidur dengan nyaman (walaupun bertumpuk) dan tampak tidak perduli saat kami mendekat. Remember to only take photos, jangan iseng menarik buntut mereka, menyodok dan mengganggu untuk membuat mereka keluar dari sarang ya! :)

It's a neighborhood and mama sharks got babies on board! Before the safety stop (pause at a certain depth to neutralize the nitrogen in the blood), we will find the reef where two baby sharks sleep soundly (although overlapping with each other) and seemed undistracted as we approached. Remember to only take photos, do not idly pull their tails, poking and annoy them to get them out of the nest, please! :)

THE AMAZING ALLEY

We got golden moment saat menuju pergantian arus dan sejenak area yang biasanya diliputi down current yang berbahaya menjadi sangat tenang. Spot ini biasanya tidak dapat diakses karena berbahaya, namun saat tenang kita dapat memperhatikan "gang" di antara dua "tebing" bebatuan yang diliputi gugusan karang yang indah, plus ikan-ikan yang tinggal di area ini, totally stunning!!

We got the golden moment when the current changes and for a while this area that is usually filled with dangerous down current is very quiet. This spot is usually inaccessible because it is dangerous, yet quiet when we can pay attention to the "alley" between the two "cliffs" rocks covered with clusters of beautiful corals, plus the fish that live in this area, totally stunning!!

NEVER ENOUGH

Waktu satu jam serasa berlalu sangat cepat di spot ini, kami memperlama waktu safety spot karena masih ingin menikmati Batu Bolong. I know next time I dive in Komodo, this spot is a must dive spot

An hour seemed to pass very quickly in this spot, we increase the time to safety spot because we still want to enjoy Batu Bolong. I know next time I dive in Komodo, this spot is a must dive spot

  

@marischkaprue - happy go lucky diver

NOTES

BATU BOLONG

Dive spot in Komodo National Park, Flores

TO KNOW

Penyelaman di Komodo sebagian besar berarus kencang sehingga diperlukan kemampuan tertentu, jika log anda masih sedikit, sebaiknya menunda menyelam di Komodo, sambil menambah log. Sertifikasi yang dibutuhkan: Advance Scuba Diver. Sediakan hook (gunakan hanya jika diperlukan) dan  peluit (untuk emergency jika kita terpisah dan mesti naik ke atas sendiri). Selalu perhatikan instruksi dive master/ guide/ instructor, safety is number one, guys!

Diving in Komodo is mostly with strong currents so it requires a certain ability, if you still have only a few logs, you should postpone diving in Komodo, while adding logs. Certification required: Advance Scuba Diver. Provide hook (use only if necessary) and whistle (for emergency if we are separate and must ascending alone). Always pay attention to instructions dive master / guide / instructor, safety is number one, guys!

 

BUDGET
Spot-spot terbaik Komodo dapat diakses dengan menginap di kapal, LOB (Living On Board), ikuti jadwal penyelaman grup yang disediakan masing-masing operator dive dan liveaboard.

Komodo best spots can be accessed by staying on board, LOB (Living On Board), follow the schedule provided by the dive groups that are available on each dive and liveaboard operators.

Favorite sun deck during our trip with ID Dive Safaris

Budget bervariasi tergantung tipe kapal, cek ID Dive Safaris yang menyediakan berbagai trip LOB ke Komodo (ada beberapa jadwal untuk Komodo LOB), cek di Instagram ID Dive Safari di sini. Budget sekitar Rp. 7,7 juta untuk 4D/3N (exclude tiket pesawat). Tiket pesawat Denpasar - Labuan Bajo sekitar Rp. 3 juta PP (Garuda) atau Rp. 1,6 juta PP (WingsAir, note: bagasi hanya disediakan 10kg saja, biaya kelebihan bagasi WingsAir Denpasar - Labuan Bajo Rp. 13.200,- per kg)

Budget varies depending on the type of boat, check ID Dive Safaris which provide various LOB trip to Komodo (there are several schedules for Komodo LOB), checks on Instagram ID Dive Safari here. Budget around Rp. 7.7 million for 4D / 3N (exclude air tickets). Flight tickets Denpasar - Labuan Bajo approximately Rp. 3 million PP (Garuda) or Rp. 1.6 million PP (WingsAir, note: only supplied 10kg baggage only, excess baggage charges WingsAir Denpasar - Labuan Bajo Rp. 13.200, - per kg)

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Night Dive in Siaba Besar

Diving malam hari selalu menyenangkan. Berbeda dengan anggapan menakutkan, dingin dan sebagainya, night dive justru lebih banyak terasa fun dan rileks

Night dive is always fun. Different with the common assumption that night dive is cold and scary, actually diving in the night is fun and more relaxed.

Ada beberapa alasan, pertama biasanya malam hari suhu air justru lebih hangat, selain itu untuk mengambil foto atau video di malam hari saya tidak perlu repot mensiasati kamera agar gambar tidak bluish, cukup dengan lighting yang ada maka warna sudah sesuai aslinya

There are several reasons for that, first: the water usually warmer at the night. Beside that, taking photos or videos at night is easier. I don't have to anticipate bluish images, only with the lighting and voila I got the original color mostly.

Flash light and you're ready to explore during night

Selain itu diving di malam hari dilakukan di area yang tidak berarus tentunya, kalaupun ada arus hanya sedikit dan tentunya ini untuk alasan keamanan. Dengan kondisi air yang cenderung tenang, lighting yang cukup maka saya dapat melihat sekeliling dan tentunya ada keseruan tersendiri melihat di batas yang cahaya senter dapat naungi sementara area lain pitch black.

Besides that, the location for night dive is carefully chosen, no currents for safety reason. With that kind of water conditions and sufficient lighting then we can look around and enjoy the excitement. Also you'll find a sensation when looking with a limited vision, there are some area which is pitch black since it doesn't covered with lights.

Saat menyelam malam haripun biasanya kita akan menemukan makhluk makhluk unik yang jarang keluar di siang hari, atau melihat ikan ikan yang aktif berseliweran di saat siang, kini tertidur nyenyak dengan mata terbuka di saat malam.

Also, during night dive we'll see unique creatures which you cannot find at the daylight. You'll also see fishes sleeping with its eyes open.

 

Saw cuttlefish attack brushtail tang during night dive Minahasa, see this video above

Jika beruntung, andapun dapat melihat moment binatang binatang laut ini memangsa binatang lain karena sebagian makhluk laut berburu di malam hari, dan jangan khawatir, anda tidak ada dalam daftar menu makanan mereka sama sekali.

If you're lucky, you might see moments when these creatures hunt since some sea animals hunting at night. Don't worry, you're not on their menu at all.

Corals in Siaba Besar

Salah satu spot penyelaman malam hari saat saya mengunjungi area Komodo di Flores adalah Siaba Besar. Ini adalah area yang ideal untuk penyelaman malam karena kondisi arus tenang dan kedalaman sekitar 15 meter dengan topografi bawah pasir putih yang cenderung rata.

One of our night dive spot during my trip to Komodo in Flores is Siaba Besar. This is an ideal location for night dive because of the calm water and 15 meters depth with flat white sandy bottom.

Stingray

Star puffer fish

Horned sea star

Selama sekitar 50 menit penyelaman kami menemukan ikan pari, bintang laut jenis horned yang ada cukup banyak dan terlihat jelas di pasir putih serta puffer fish jenis star dan bristly.

For about 50 minutes we found stingray, horned sea star which is easily found in this sandy bottom and also star puffer and bristly pufferfish.

The smooth flutemouth pipefish keeps on following us

His flat face :D

Yang menarik ada pipefish jenis smotth flutemouth yang terus menerus mengikuti cahaya senter kami. Saya menyaksikan saat pipefish ini berburu ikan kecil, rupanya ia memanfaatkan cahaya untuk memudahkan perburuannya.

One of the interesting part is when a smooth flutemouth pipefish is following us for quite some time. I watch when this pipefish attack small fish and apparently it uses the light from my flashlight to help the hunting.

Weird looking scrawled filefish

Bonus dari diving malam ini yaitu menemukan scrawled filefish yang jarang ditemui, saya hanya pernah sekali melihat "saudara"nya di Lembeh, Sulawesi Utara. Filefish ini cenderung tenang bahkan saat saya mendekat untuk mengambil close up. Selain itu bonus terakhir adalah bertemu penyu, ini pertama kalinya saya bertemu penyu di malam hari. So it is fun, dark is not always bad, you'll find fun in dark at the sea.

Then, the bonus from this night dive is finding scrawled filefish which is not often to be found. I only see its "brother" in Lembeh, North Sulawesi. This filefish is calm and even when I got so close to get the detail image, its not moving much. The additional bonus is finding a sea turtle, that was my first encounter with sea turtle at night. So it is fun, dark is not always bad, you'll find fun in dark at the sea.

@marischkaprue - sleep better with pitch black environment

See the video from our night dive in Siaba Besar, here:

NOTES:

• I dive with Komodo Cruise, cek info harga untuk paket live aboard (LOB) dan diving di info@komodocruises.com
• I dive with Komodo Cruise, for live aboard (LOB) and dive in Komodo, contact info@komodocruises.com

RELATED STORIES:

Diving in Komodo:

• Shark "Hunt" in Crystal Rock & Castle Rock 
• Falling Fishes in Batu Bolong

More about DIVING, see here

Planning to get a diving license? See the price and where to go, here

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Falling Fishes in Batu Bolong

Menyelam itu selalu menyenangkan bagi saya, bahkan berada di tengah tengah ikan yang "biasa" pun tetap menyenangkan meski sudah berkali kali menyelam. Sensasi ikan yang berseliweran begitu banyak dan terkadang mereka bergerak serempak selalu membuat saya kesenangan, bahkan disini ikan ikan berwarna warni ini bagaikan hujan yang turun.

Diving is always fun for me, even being in the middle of the fish which is usually found is still enjoyable despite how many dives I've been. The sensation of fishes milling about and sometimes they move together in a perfect direction always give me pleasure. And here, this colorful fishes are "falling" like rainfalls.

Batu Bolong adalah salah satu spot menyelam di area Taman Nasional Komodo, tepatnya di antara Pulau Komodo dan Pulau Tatawa Kecil. Area ini merupakan persimpangan arus dari laut Pasifik dan laut Hindia sehingga terkadang arus cukup kencang disini.

Batu Bolong is a diving spot in the area of ​​Komodo National Park, precisely in between the Komodo Island and Small Tatawa Island. This area is the intersection of ocean currents from the Pacific and the Indian ocean which sometimes flows quite fast here.

Busy day underwater

Namun arus jugalah yang membuat area ini ditumbuhi berbagai koral dan menjadi lokasi tempat tinggal yang padat bagi makhluk makhluk laut. Menyelam di Batu Bolong, anda akan merasa dikelilingi ikan ikan, terutama jenis anthias dan damselfish yang seakan akan ada dimana mana.

But the currents is also that make this area overgrown with corals and became a shelter for various sea creatures. Diving in Batu Bolong, you'll feel surrounded by fish, especially the variety of anthias and damselfishes which seemingly everywhere. 

Loggerhead sea turtle

Tidak hanya itu, ada pula penyu jenis loggerhead yang paruhnya lancip, serta penyu hijau yang bekeliaran di area ini. Sedangkan ikan jacks, threadfin butterflyfish dan six banded angelfish juga dapat ditemukan dengan mudah.

Not only that, here you can find a loggerhead and green sea turtles milling about in this area. While other sea animals such as jack fish, threadfin butterflyfish and six banded angelfish can also found easily.

Untuk merasakan sensasi ikan berjatuhan seperti "hujan ikan," see this video, because pictures speaks more than words, and video speaks even more:

To feel the sensation of falling fish which looks like "raining fish," see this video, Because pictures speaks more than words, and the video speaks even more: 

@marischkaprue - falling in love with undersea experience over and over again

 RELATED STORIES:

DIVING IN KOMODO, DIVE SPOTS:

• Crystal Rock and Castle Rock (Sharks)

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Shark "Hunt" in Crystal Rock & Castle Rock

Bagi divers, bertemu hiu adalah suatu kesenangan. Binatang yang terancam karena maraknya pemburuan sirip hiu ini tidak mudah ditemui di sebagian besar perairan Indonesia. Bertemu satu ataupun dua hiu sudah merupakan keberuntungan dan kesenangan bagi saya selama ini. Namun disini saya bisa bertemu sekitar selusin hiu yang berseliweran seakan tidak perduli dengan kami, para divers. This sharks encounter is a wonderful feeling here, in Komodo.

For divers, seeing shark during diving is a pleasure. This animal are threatened due to rampant shark fin hunting, and now seeing shark isn't that easy anymore since the population is decreasing a lot. Seeing one or two sharks consider a fortune and big pleasure for me so far. But in here I saw about a dozen sharks milling about as, also these sharks seems not care at all. This shark encounter is a wonderful feeling here, in Komodo.

Beautiful Flores sea

Crystal Rock dan Castle Rock adalah dua spot diving di area perairan Flores dimana hingga saat ini bertemu hiu adalah jaminan 100% saat menyelam. Kedua spot menyelam ini letaknya berdekatan, yaitu di area timur laut pulau Komodo, Flores, dekat dengan Gili Lawa Laut dan Gili Lawa Darat.

Crystal Rock and Castle Rock are two diving spots in the Flores sea where guarantee 100% that you will meet sharks during diving. This two diving spots located not far away to each other, and lies in the northeast area of the Komodo island in Flores, close to Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Lawa Darat. 

White tip reef shark

Schools of longfin bannerfish

Kedua spot ini cukup berarus sehingga entry dilakukan dengan cara negative entry (masuk ke laut dan langsung turun tanpa berkumpul di permukaan terlebih dahulu), tidak lama menyusuri coral slope maka kita sudah dapat melihat white tip reef shark berseliweran di area arus, bahkan saat di Castle Rock kami langsung menemukan hiu saat turun.

Both spots have strong currents so we have to do the negative entry by emptying the air in our BCD (Buoyancy Control Device). Miling down the coral slope we can already see white tip reef sharks around. Also even in the Castle Rock, we immediately found the shark when we first descend.

Giant Trevally

Netfin Grouper

This Napoleon wrasse is about 1,3 meters long

Selain white tip reef shark yang ditandai dengan warna putih di bagian sirip atasnya, di kedua spot ini juga banyak terdapat ikan besar lainnya, mulai dari Napoleon wrasse, Grouper berbagai jenis dan Giant Trevally. 

Beside white tip reef shark which is marked with white on the top of the fin, in both diving spot there are also many other large fish, ranging from Napoleon wrasse, different types of Grouper and Giant Trevally.

Schools of blackspot snapper

Di Castle Rock saya menemukan rombongan ikan Blackspot snapper dengan hiu white tip yang mondar mandir di dekat schooling tersebut, pemandangan yang sangat seru.

In Castle Rock I found the group of Blackspot snapper with white tip sharks back and forth near the schooling, incredibly exciting.

Spotted sweetlips with a group of Lattice soldierfish

Kedalaman maksimum untuk penyelaman di dua area ini sekitar 20 hingga 25 meter, di area 20 meter biasanya hiu sudah dapat dengan mudah ditemui. Saya bertemu hiu terus menerus hingga saya sudah berhenti menghitung saat lebih dari sepuluh hiu yang saya temui.

The maximum depth for diving in these two areas about 20 to 25 meters, in the depth of 20 meters usually sharks can be found easily. I met sharks continuously until I've stopped counting when more than ten sharks that came across.

Jauh dari kesan akibat film "Jaws," hiu bukanlah binatang yang agresif terhadap manusia. Hiu yang kami temui di area ini bahkan tampak cuek dan beberapa kali menjauh saat saya dekati untuk mengambil foto. Kali ini saya yang jauh lebih bersemangat dari si hiu dalam segi berburu foto. So this is a fun shark photo hunt! :)

Far from its bad reputation due to "Jaws" movie, sharks are not aggressive to humans. Those sharks we encountered in this area even seems ignorant to us and some time swam away as I approached to take photos of them. This time I was much more excited than the shark in terms of hunting photos. So this is a fun shark hunt photo! :)

@marischkaprue - wish to swim like dolphin, but friends with sharks

NOTES:

• Area penyelaman Crystal Rock dan Castle Rock cukup berarus, lebih disarankan bagi advance divers namun pemegang sertifikasi Open Water pun dapat menikmati area ini dengan pengawasan instruktur. Ikuti arahan dive master/ instruktur dan jangan melewati area penyelaman yang disarankan.
• Crystal Rock and Castle Rock are fast-current area, more recommended for advanced divers but Open Water certification divers can also enjoy this area with the supervision of an instructor. Follow the direction of the dive master / instructor and do not pass the recommended diving area.
• Saat bertemu hiu dekati dengan santai, biasanya hiu akan menjauh tapi akan berbalik arah dan berputar putar di area yang sama. It's fun seeing them! 
• When seeing sharks, relax and approach them if you want. The shark will usually swim away but will reverse its direction and turning in the same area. It's fun seeing them! 
• Selalu cek sisa udara di tabung. Penyelaman berarus cenderung lebih membuat kita boros konsumsi udara di tabung.
• Always check the remaining oxygen. Dive in the strong current make you consume more air.
• I dive with Komodo Cruise, cek info harga untuk paket live aboard (LOB) dan diving di info@komodocruises.com
• I dive with Komodo Cruise, for live aboard (LOB) and dive in Komodo, contact info@komodocruises.com

RELATED STORIES:

DIVING IN KOMODO, DIVE SPOTS:

•  Batu Bolong
  

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