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The terrains at Derawan are varied-from walls and fringing reef to caverns. Big green turtles (chelonia mydas), whitetip, leopard and nurse sharks, schooling barracudas, napoleon wrasses, cuttle fish, spanish mackerel, jack and batfishes, and ornamental reef fishes hang out in record densities and diversity. Dr. Carden Wallace of the museum of tropical Queensland found over 50 species of Acropora hard coral on one reef. Not only it is possible to dive with turtles on every dive at Derawan, turtles are also found coming on land every night to procreate; hatchlings are often encountered just below the cottages and restaurant. |
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| My favorite site, however is
just on the door step-beneath the pylons of the 200 m long jetty. Here I
have found some of the most mind-boggling and bizarre critters I have
seen in years; luminous multi colored dumpling squids, pairs of 3 ft (1
m) crocodile fishes, finger-sized purple sea horses and unidentified species
of worms, tunicates and dwarf Scorpio fishes. The quality of
diving around Derawan is indeed what divers dream about I have been back
four times and I will be back again, again and again.
note from : Michael AW |
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