Pictures
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Temp: Surf 30°C Bottom 30°C
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Dive type : Recreational, Deep dive, Drift, Reef, Photo
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Visibility: Excellent
Water: Salt
Specific gear used
- BCD: Cressi Sub - Ultralight
- Fins: Atomic Aquatics - Split Fins
- Weights: 4 kg
Recent Divers in Meeru Island
Dive Profile
- 1. Nitrox 32
- 12L Steel
200 → 50 bar
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- Average depth: 16.2m
Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
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 .
Aetomylaeus nichofii (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Banded eagle ray)
Occurs inshore and offshore, from the intertidal to at least 70 m depth . May enter brackish water. Feeds on worms, crustaceans, snails, and bony fishes . Ovoviviparous . With litters of up to 4 young. Size at birth a...
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Occurs inshore and offshore, from the intertidal to at least 70 m depth . May enter brackish water. Feeds on worms, crustaceans, snails, and bony fishes . Ovoviviparous . With litters of up to 4 young. Size at birth about 17 cm WD . Caught frequently but in lower numbers, by bottom trawl and inshore gillnet fisheries in some areas. Utilized for its meat, but of limited value due to its small size .
Eretmochelys imbricata (LINNAEUS) 1766 (Hawksbill Turtle)
Hawksbills may take decades to mature and it could be between 20 to 40 years before they are ready to breed . Upon reaching sexual maturity, a female will typically lay up to five clutches of around 100 to 140 eggs in one ...
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Hawksbills may take decades to mature and it could be between 20 to 40 years before they are ready to breed . Upon reaching sexual maturity, a female will typically lay up to five clutches of around 100 to 140 eggs in one breeding season, and then wait a few years before nesting again . Nesting is much more dispersed than in other marine turtles, but individuals do tend to return to a particular beach season after season . Having survived the dash to the sea, hatchlings are believed to spend their first few years in the open ocean before returning to more sheltered coastal waters. Recent studies indicate that the oceanic phase may be shorter for hawksbills, or even omitted in certain regions, as hatchlings swim less vigorously than those of other species . Probably less than one out of 1000 eggs will survive and reach adulthood . Adults are opportunistic predators, using their sharp beak to prize invertebrate prey from crevices within the reef. Unusually amongst marine animals , sponges make up the majority of the hawksbill's diet .
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
Gymnothorax pictus (Ahl, 1789) (Moray)
Adults inhabit reef flats and rocky intertidal shorelines. Feed on small fishes and crustaceans, sometimes leaving the water in pursuit of prey . Benthic . Simultaneous hermaphroditism is confirmed for this species . Caught with various nets .
Adults inhabit reef flats and rocky intertidal shorelines. Feed on small fishes and crustaceans, sometimes leaving the water in pursuit of prey . Benthic . Simultaneous hermaphroditism is confirmed for this species . Caught with various nets .
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David 'dibs' Bishop
Maldives
Date: 2019-10-01 - 09:11
Max Depth: 30m Duration: 53mins
Dive with Dive Bandos
Nitrox dive
Dropped weight pocket during dive but recovered it (while adjusting camera lens before ascent)
Several white tip reef sharks at 30m, 25m and 18m one with a bite mark from possibly a larger shark or during mating.
Green Sea Turtle, 2 x Hawksbills that were happy to be photographed up close
Eagle Ray and several Nudibranchs
Snapped fin strap before dive so had to use Leahs fins