Pure Dive Resort

Why do manta rays circle the exact same reef formations for hours? In the coastal waters around Nusa Penida, prominent coral bommies serve as active cleaning stations where pelagic life and reef fish connect in a vital ecological partnership.
Hovering against the gentle oceanic surge, a reef manta ray slows its glide to a near standstill, suspended in the water. As it flares its pectoral fins, resident cleaner wrasses and butterflyfish rise from the coral below. These small reef fish feed on parasitic copepods, clean dead tissue, and clear debris from the manta ray’s gills, mouth, and skin.
For the cleaning station to function, mantas require open space and minimal disruption. When divers remain neutrally buoyant, keep low to the substrate, and preserve an open exit path, these gentle giants will loop continuously over the reef for entire tidal cycles. Watching a three-meter ray bank effortlessly through shafts of sunlight while tiny wrasses groom its wings is a wonder in marine symbiosis.

📷 Arkadiy Almendieiev

How exactly does a reef octopus become completely invisible against a coral reef in a fraction of a second? The Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea), commonly found thriving on the coastal shelves of Nusa Penida, achieves this near-invisibility using a specialized network of pigment-filled skin cells called chromatophores. Because these cells are directly wired to the animal’s nervous system, color and texture changes occur in milliseconds, making it one of the most advanced camouflage systems in the marine world.
As I hovered over a patch of limestone, scanning the crevices, what initially appeared to be a static piece of coral rubble suddenly breathed.
For a moment, we just watched each other. It was perfectly mottled, displaying fleshy spikes that rendered it virtually indistinguishable from the reef. Then, in the blink of an eye, the illusion dissolved. The creature’s skin smoothed out entirely, flushing to a brilliant, iridescent blue-green. It pushed off the substrate, extending its tentacles, and jetted gracefully over the coral heads before settling into a new hideout.

📷 Arkadiy Almendieiev

Face-to-face with a Broadclub cuttlefish on a sandy bottom of Crystal Bay dive site.
This cuttlefish was hovering over a sandy patch for quite some time and did not mind me filming at all.
The way the change their colours and texture of the skin - this is what has always been fascinating me.

📷 Arkadiy Almendieiev

The estuarine stonefish is the most venomous fish on Earth, blending so seamlessly into the seabed that most divers swim right past without ever noticing it.
Resting motionless along the sandy bottom in Nusa Penida, this camouflage expert looks identical to an ordinary patch of silt-covered coral rubble. Because stonefish lack a swim bladder, they do not naturally hover or drift upward. They stay firmly anchored to the substrate, waiting patiently in the cool current for unsuspecting prey.
When it is time to find a new ambush spot, the stonefish moves in a way unlike almost any other reef dweller. Rather than swimming through open water, it digs its modified, finger-like pectoral fins into the sand to crawl and shuffle awkwardly across the sea floor.
Seeing a predator like this relocate is a rare sight that underscores the value of buoyancy control and observational skills. When you dive slowly and respect the reef, the hidden world always comes alive in unexpected ways.

📷 Arkadiy Almendieiev

Cleaning stations at deeper reef sections around Nusa Penida provide one of the clearest examples of marine mutualism in the ocean.
Drifting down past 25 meters at the Labyrinth dive site, the topography opens into deep coral contours where the surge steadies and water temperatures drop. In this part of the reef, a manta ray hovered almost motionless above a large coral outcrop, suspended effortlessly against the subtle water flow.
A dedicated cleaning crew was already at work. A school of butterflyfish teamed up with agile cleaner wrasses, darting along the manta’s ventral side, cephalic fins, and gill slits to feed on parasites and dead tissue. The manta gently tilted its wings to signal cooperation, offering full access to the cleaners in exchange for vital health maintenance.
Watching this behavior requires patience and neutral buoyancy. When divers stay low and give the station space, pelagic rays remain relaxed, allowing this essential ecological interaction to unfold uninterrupted.

📷 Arkadiy Almendieiev