Best Life Dive Adventures

Nudibranchs part 2. There are over 3000 of these creatures, showing off incredible patterns, neon colors, and wild shapes. But they’re more than just eye-catching — many use camouflage, toxins, or even stolen stinging cells from their prey as defense mechanisms. They have a varied diet and will even eat their own kind! Here are more of the ones we saw on our trip with Flatirons Scuba & Travel and Explorer Ventures in Indonesia.

Nudibranchs are some of the most colorful creatures under water and we saw A LOT of them in Indonesia. Their name comes from the Latin words nudus (“naked”) and brankhia (“gills”) — literally meaning “naked gills.” Look closely and you can find the gills on the backs of some species.

We are home and recovering from the 27+ hrs of travel it took to get here. There are so many memories to share that it is hard to know where to start. For now, here are some photos of the beautiful reefs we had the pleasure of diving with Flatirons Scuba & Travel and Explorer Ventures Blue Manta.

Great work by our friend Jim Dvorak with some of his photos from our trip to Australia last year. Come joined us in Cuba and/or the Philippines and see what inspires you 😎

Dvoted Imaging

"🌊✨ Lost in the currents of Clownfish City.
I'm introducing this piece that was born in my mind beneath the waves of the Great Barrier Reef, where a particular coral garden earned the playful nickname from the hundreds of clownfish dancing through the reef. I wanted to capture more than just a photo: the hypnotic pull of the water, the constant gentle motion that draws your eye across the scene, and the depiction of the Milky Way as it shines in the southern sky… only to keep returning to these bold little characters with their bright stripes and curious stares.
Rendered with influences from Aboriginal art, dot work textures, flowing movement, and a deep connection to the living reef, this composite invites your eye to wander, then anchors you right back to the heart of it: the clownfish.
One of nature’s greatest showmen, perfectly at home in their underwater metropolis.
Let me know what you think. 🐠💙

Once again, I would like to thank and for being such great hosts during the trip.

"

As

The incredible diving continues in Komodo on the Blue Manta with Flatirons Scuba & Travel and Explorer Ventures!!!

Here’s a couple of videos showing the famous Komodo currents on our dive at Siaba Kecil. The crew said this was a good current but no where near what it gets when there’s a new or full moon. It was a really fun ride 😎

We have had some incredible diving here in Komodo on the Blue Manta with Explorer Ventures and Flatirons Scuba & Travel. Here’s just a peek at some two photos of a stargazer that we saw on our night dive tonight.

We made it to Komodo!!! Check out dive to make sure everything was working was so exciting. We saw some really incredible small critters. Nudibranchs, shrimp, crabs and more.

Great start to a fantastic week with Flatirons Scuba & Travel and Explorer Ventures onboard the Blue Manta.

We spent the last two days on land exploring the incredible island of Bali. It truly is an incredible place to visit. The scenery and architecture is amazing. The people are so friendly and welcoming. Here’s a few highlights showing the places we’ve visited the last two days.

Garuda Wisne Kencada - Bali cultural center with giant statues made from copper and bronze sheets.

Uluwatu Temple on the Cliff - an ancient Hindu temple dating back to the 9th century. There are approximately 400 cynomologous macaques that live in the forest around the temple.

Tukad Cepung waterfalls - quite the hike up and down stairs, but well worth the effort.

Pura Kehen Temple - another ancient Hindu temple dating back to the 13th century that has the most incredibly intricate stone carvings.

Lunch overlooking Lake and Mount Batur, one of several active volcanoes on Bali.

Finished off with a tour of a coffee plantation where we were able to sample some delicious coffee and tea including the infamous Civet Cat coffee, which is brewed from coffee beans eaten by and passed through the Civet’s GI tract whole and then cleaned, roasted, and brewed.

Back in the water tomorrow 🤿🤿🤿

Thanks to Flatirons Scuba & Travel for planning such a wonderful experience exploring the land side of Bali.

How many of these are on your bucket list? Comment and let us know where you want to go!