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Surface interval:1263 mins
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Specific gear used
- BCD: Cressi Sub - Ultralight
- Fins: Atomic Aquatics - Split Fins
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Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
Lepidochelys olivacea Eschscholtz 1829 (Olive Ridley Turtle)
Although they do also nest alone, olive ridleys are known for their remarkable mass nestings, when many thousands of females congregate on the same beach; the event is known as an 'arribada', which is Spanish for 'mass arr...
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Although they do also nest alone, olive ridleys are known for their remarkable mass nestings, when many thousands of females congregate on the same beach; the event is known as an 'arribada', which is Spanish for 'mass arrival' . Males and females migrate from the feeding grounds and mating occurs just offshore of the beach . Usually at night, and coinciding their nesting with the high tide, females haul out on their natal beach and lay clutches that typically contain around 110 to 120 eggs . These astonishing mass nestings can involve up to 150,000 females and there may be more than one arribada on a single beach; this overcrowding means that turtles are often crawling over each other to move up the beach and may even unearth other nests whilst digging their own . During one season a female may lay two to three clutches of eggs, returning to breed every few years . After around 50 to 60 days, the hatchlings emerge and make their chaotic dash to the sea . Predators such as jackals and crabs will feed on turtle eggs, whilst birds attack hatchlings on the beach and fish wait in the shallows . These arribadas probably function to increase hatchling survival by overwhelming predators with sheer numbers . Adult olive ridleys are carnivorous and feed on a wide variety of organisms including fish and molluscs ; sometimes diving up to 150 metres in search of prey . Very little is known about the first years of life but juveniles probably spend a number of years floating on the ocean currents and feeding on planktonic organisms .
Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Green Turtle)
Green turtles are long-lived and may take up to 59 years to reach sexual maturity Undertaking tremendous feats of navigation, adults return to the same beach to breed each season, part of the population in Brazil astonish...
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Green turtles are long-lived and may take up to 59 years to reach sexual maturity Undertaking tremendous feats of navigation, adults return to the same beach to breed each season, part of the population in Brazil astonishingly migrates around 2,250 kilometres across the open ocean to breed on the Ascension Islands . Mating tends to occur just offshore of the nesting beaches; using a curved claw on each front flipper and a flat nail at the end of the tail, males are able to grip their mates . Females haul out onto the beach at night and dig large nests with their back flippers beyond the high tide mark, they typically lay between 100 and 150 eggs in one nest and then proceed to cover the eggs with sand; the whole process takes around two hours . A single female returns to breed only once every two to five years but will lay up to nine nests in that one season . Incubation takes between 45 and 70 days, and temperature has been shown to determine of the sex of hatchlings; with females being produced at warmer temperatures . Breaking open their eggs with a special hooked 'egg tooth' that will subsequently be lost; hatchlings use their powerful front flippers to reach the surface, and then proceed to the sea . The soft-bodied juveniles are particularly vulnerable at this time from a variety of predators, such as ghost crabs and gulls on the beach to sharks and dolphins in the water . Unlike other marine turtles, adult green turtles are almost exclusively herbivorous, grazing on seagrasses and algae ; it is assumed that juveniles are more omnivorous although the exact composition of their diet is unknown
Triaenodon obesus (Rüppell, 1837) (Whitetip reef shark)
Despite its docile nature during the day this nocturnal shark can become aggressive when hunting at night, thrashing through coral reefs looking for potential prey. The whitetip reef shark usually hunts alone, but is non-t...
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Despite its docile nature during the day this nocturnal shark can become aggressive when hunting at night, thrashing through coral reefs looking for potential prey. The whitetip reef shark usually hunts alone, but is non-territorial and will occasionally work in cooperation with others in the pursuit of prey . Feeding primarily on bottom-dwelling octopus, lobsters, crabs and bony fish, it often chases its prey into a crevice before jamming its body in after it, sealing the exit . The extremely posterior location of the first dorsal fin compared to those of other sharks is an adaptation to this feeding habit, which allows them to get their heads and mouths much further into the gaps and holes in the coral . The whitetip reef shark's mating season varies with location . Reproduction is viviparous and after a gestation period of around a year the female will give birth to one to five live pups, which are completely independent at birth . Both sexes reach sexual maturity at approximately 5 years old, and it is estimated that this species can live to an age of 25 years .
Galaxea fascicularis (Linnaeus, 1767) (Octopus coral)
zooxanthellate
zooxanthellate
Sebastapistes cyanostigma (Bleeker, 1856) (Yellowspotted scorpionfish)
Found in reef crests with rich coral growth . Typically found among the branches of Pocillopora corals in surge areas of seaward reefs . Also observed between the branches of the fire coral Millepora and Styllophora (Eran Brokovich, pers. comm. 03/02).
Found in reef crests with rich coral growth . Typically found among the branches of Pocillopora corals in surge areas of seaward reefs . Also observed between the branches of the fire coral Millepora and Styllophora (Eran Brokovich, pers. comm. 03/02).
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David 'dibs' Bishop
Maldives
Date: 2021-10-15 - 08:59
Max Depth: 29.1m Duration: 45mins
Dive with Dive Oceanus Sun Island
Great dive but bad start as jumped off boat and had left weights (Tried to dive without but aborted to get weights as boat was still near. Followed after group and swam down next to large turtle, Caught up with group and spotted a Mobula/Devil ray and swam alongside and video taken. Found a baby/Juvenile shark in amongst rocks, likely a Whitetip reef shark. Multiple Whitetips on dive, as well as Octopus, Scorpionfish and another turtle prior to exit on plateau.
Return to boat was quite extreme with massive swells - storm front coming in with tail end of tropical storm so no diving for a couple of days.
Only one dive available as it was a holy day