Best macro site in Bali?

[Luko]

I'm familiar with the other sites you mention, can you help me where the dives in Seraya and Melasti are, please? (going back to Bali this September)

Seraya encompasses at least two spots it's a long stretch of black sand that starts from Scuba Seraya resort about 5 minutes drive east from Tulamben.
Melasti is closer than Seraya it's the next spot west of Seraya, you must turn left on a dirt trail before the one going to SEraya.
Closer than Melasti from Tulaben is also Segara which is also a pretty good spot for nudibranches.

Basically all these spots are black sand slopes, quite similar environment to the Liberty slope, without those underwater dunes that are typical to the Liberty.

Luko - wow. You're making me excited. I see you have dove Anilao also. If this is half as good I will be happy
...
I didn't know there were bumblebee shrimp in these parts!

If you're into nudibranches I think Bali is probably the place with the most variety, better than Anilao and read this, IMO better than Lembeh! The only downside is that I find the specmen are smaller in Bali, maybe an overpopulation syndrom.
As for bumblebee shrimps in Bali, I've only seen them in Amed (two places Japanese Wreck and Melasti Amed - not the one in Tulamben- ) never spotted any of those shrimps in Tulamben.

---------- Post added January 24th, 2015 at 07:20 PM ----------

Thanks all!

Will get over to Seraya tomorrow. Just did the Liberty again today. Got some nice pics of skeleton shrimp (2 colors) and the Dennis Pygmie Seahorses.

Im not sure if these qualify as decent or not, dirtfarmer but there were little (5mm or so) hairy shrimp all over the place today. Here are two:

View attachment 201918View attachment 201919

I like your first pic much. quite well isolated from the background. I believe you have a Subsee lens or something equivalent?

I had two dives with Hairy shrimps in Tulamben, a pink then a brownish one like yours, both carrying eggs. (Subsee+10 for me)


Hairy shrimp carrying eggs by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

 

[Mantra]

Yeah. Subsee +10 for me too. On an Olympus epl-3 with a 45mm lens. F22 and 1/160.

Yours have eggs! How cool!

 

[jake11]

Wow!!!!!!! Simply amazing shots with the eggs! So clear!!!! I have a sub see +10 as well but I just use it so I can see the macro stuff!!!works well!!

Seraya encompasses at least two spots it's a long stretch of black sand that starts from Scuba Seraya resort about 5 minutes drive east from Tulamben.
Melasti is closer than Seraya it's the next spot west of Seraya, you must turn left on a dirt trail before the one going to SEraya.
Closer than Melasti from Tulaben is also Segara which is also a pretty good spot for nudibranches.

Basically all these spots are black sand slopes, quite similar environment to the Liberty slope, without those underwater dunes that are typical to the Liberty.



If you're into nudibranches I think Bali is probably the place with the most variety, better than Anilao and read this, IMO better than Lembeh! The only downside is that I find the specmen are smaller in Bali, maybe an overpopulation syndrom.
As for bumblebee shrimps in Bali, I've only seen them in Amed (two places Japanese Wreck and Melasti Amed - not the one in Tulamben- ) never spotted any of those shrimps in Tulamben.

---------- Post added January 24th, 2015 at 07:20 PM ----------



I like your first pic much. quite well isolated from the background. I believe you have a Subsee lens or something equivalent?

I had two dives with Hairy shrimps in Tulamben, a pink then a brownish one like yours, both carrying eggs. (Subsee+10 for me)


Hairy shrimp carrying eggs by Luko Gecko, on Flickr

 

[dirtfarmer]

Mantra, Nice hairy shrimp! I was going to ask for one with eggs but then Luko upped the ante already.
With my s-95 I still have trouble shooting from the side getting it to focus on such a small area. I do have 2 Inon UCL 165 that I stack but getting good focus on the really tiny small stuff is mostly luck. The lady bug shrimp is from Komodo in November and I took about 20 shots to get a few decent ones.
Granted I was hovering along a mini wall, not making shooting very easy.

 

[jake11]

Great shot of the ladybug shrimp!

Mantra, Nice hairy shrimp! I was going to ask for one with eggs but then Luko upped the ante already.
With my s-95 I still have trouble shooting from the side getting it to focus on such a small area. I do have 2 Inon UCL 165 that I stack but getting good focus on the really tiny small stuff is mostly luck. The lady bug shrimp is from Komodo in November and I took about 20 shots to get a few decent ones.
Granted I was hovering along a mini wall, not making shooting very easy.
View attachment 201979

 

[AlMitch]

Our dive guide at Scuba Seraya reckoned that Pong-Pong was one of the more productive sites, and I would agree with him. PP is basically the next site down the beach (towards Tulamben) from Melasti. The specials that we found there were the donut doto and another kind of doto and beautiful coleman shrimp, although we had to drop down to 36m to find the Coleman. Along with skeleton shrimp, numerous other shrimps, nudi's and two kinds of snake eels.
Basically the whole of the beach along Seraya seems pretty critter friendly.







We were lucky to spot a rhinopias at a site which is around the headland (heading away from Tulamben).

 

[Mike Veitch]

Can't say there is a "Best" macro site in Bali, there are many very productive sites all over Bali! The macro photo opportunities are spectacular pretty much everywhere on the island and Bali really is an under appreciated destination for underwater photographers. Many people use Bali as a brief stopover before heading to Raja or Komodo or other destinations and they miss out on amazing photo ops by not spending a few days diving in Bali!

 

[jake11]

I have never heard of a doto before. Great shots!!!

Our dive guide at Scuba Seraya reckoned that Pong-Pong was one of the more productive sites, and I would agree with him. PP is basically the next site down the beach (towards Tulamben) from Melasti. The specials that we found there were the donut doto and another kind of doto and beautiful coleman shrimp, although we had to drop down to 36m to find the Coleman. Along with skeleton shrimp, numerous other shrimps, nudi's and two kinds of snake eels.
Basically the whole of the beach along Seraya seems pretty critter friendly.

View attachment 202062

View attachment 202061

View attachment 202063

We were lucky to spot a rhinopias at a site which is around the headland (heading away from Tulamben).

---------- Post added January 26th, 2015 at 04:54 PM ----------

So true!!!!

Can't say there is a "Best" macro site in Bali, there are many very productive sites all over Bali! The macro photo opportunities are spectacular pretty much everywhere on the island and Bali really is an under appreciated destination for underwater photographers. Many people use Bali as a brief stopover before heading to Raja or Komodo or other destinations and they miss out on amazing photo ops by not spending a few days diving in Bali!

 

[dirtfarmer]

Many people use Bali as a brief stopover before heading to Raja or Komodo or other destinations and they miss out on amazing photo ops by not spending a few days diving in Bali!

I was kicking myself for not extending my trip in November last year when I went to Lembeh/Komodo. At the time they were seeing up to 4 Rhinopias in Padang Bai.

I've spent a week the last two years in January in Tulamben and loved it and will definitely return.

 

[Mantra]

I have to say we are loving the diving here. Our first open water dives were in Tulamben and this is our first visit back. Saraya and Malasti are proving quite fruitful although some weird and strong currents today and crazy thermoclines. Did manage to see my first harlequin yesterday! Thanks all for the good suggestions and inspiration