Category Archives: beach resort

Gili Air, Gili Islands, Lombok, Indonesia by Peet

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Kanapa Tidak.Why Not?

Yes! why not come to Gili Air, wonderful people, wonderful Island,Wonderful

Diving.

That is the reason we are back here in this friendly and safe environment.

For me ! my personal experience of Gili Air is full of the biggest and most

genuine smiles of friendship and curiosity Ive had the pleasure to witness

over many places i have traveled to.

What makes Gili Air special for me… hahahahaha many many things !

So this small island has been populated by local families for many years,

creating a lovely close knit family feel,giving much respect for each other and

for the many travelers who come to get away from the hustle and bustle of

Bali or the western world. Kanapa Tidak ? Why not?

A much slower pace is found here and if like me you are easily distracted

there is many things that will distract you, forgetting the time,forgetting where

you left things,forgetting where you were going,changing plans,meeting new

people, locals ,dive shop staff,Diver trainees etc,

UNTIL !

What ever it is you do, it will be a most memorable an unexpected time to be

had.

especially forgetting how you made it home last night.. oh dear !

Because of the wonderful feel ive seen many travelers extend there time here

from days to weeks to months! because its NICE here! tentu sajaa! of course!

My love for diving was the 1st reason I came here back in 2004 to become a dive master , a great course to do! and i fell in love with the place.

Sadly i returned to the uk and for the next 7 years or so i had a plan to return

one day and take my instructor course (IDC)

For sure ! during that 7 years i told many friends about my great time here and

how one day i must return to see the local people i had made good friends with.

And now after my second visit here! wey hey ! wye aye the magnetism has brought

us both back.

Egle my fiance who i told so much about diving to !she said “Naaa im not diving” !

Well i needed someone to teach after passing my padi instructors,so with a little persuasion and her self seeing many smiling faces as they arrive to the harbour at Oceans 5, returning back from there 1st dive, was all it took to get her kit on and take her 1st breath underwater, although i was thinking i would not get verbal abuse from her under water as we cant talk, how wrong was i ! hahahaaha, i had forgotten about body language and she has a pretty good punch.

But don’t be worry she is probably the most dangerous thing in these waters.

For sure, like some people they have a fear of diving, and for me its a lovely feeling to see a person overcome this fear and continue to be great divers.

So for both of is it was an easy decision to return to the Gili’s, but to leave Australia and the chance of a good job offer was a very hard decision,but here we are.;-) back to the Island of Smiles

Here at Oceans 5 you will probably arrive from the fast boat and be greeted by many smiling faces wanting only to give you help,from horse carts to looking for a room, maybe some instructors wanting to say hi and offer some friendly advice or tell you about diving, then! huplaaaa ! can often be heard as you look around and see a Dutch sting lookalike(Sander the owner) playing his air guitar with a huge smile on his face.

The vibe at Oceans 5 is often a good vibe! until someone leaves ;-( leaving parties are quite common and very entertaining, same like the dive master snorkel test party a vital part of completing the course.

Snorkel test you ask ? often a lot of beer and shots poured carefully into your snorkel while a very encouraging crowd will cheer you on your way to your final test. WARNING !wooop woooop WARNING! Simone partner of Sander has a reputation for making sure the correct amount of drink is applied, often a drop too much hahaha.

Don’t worry this will be in the safety of a local bar with many instructors and fellow divers to look after you, one big happy family!

Also often heard is our long time served instructor phillo the geeeeeza letting out a huge out cry of laughter often heard as far as gili meno the next island along.
This can be heard many times a day around the dive center.

So if your looking for fun and diving or just fun then this place is highly recommended for people of all ages,everyone is catered for and when it comes to diving yes we have fun for sure but all the instructors and dive shop staff take a very professional approach to teaching or for divers going out for fun dives,where we have very experienced local guides with a good eye for finding some of the smallest and unusual creatures while diving these waters.

For me! this dive center works well because all the staff do a great job,

from the guys in the bar, kitchen,laundry,compressor room,boat crew, instructors dive master trainees.

And a big thank you to sander and simone for letting us be a part of it.

So its a tidak choba tidak tou and a kanapa tidak from me!

never try never know ! why not ? is the question.

Gili Air the place to be!!!!!

Emergency First Response Instructor Course Gili Air

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The Emergency First Response Instructor Course provides qualified individuals with the additional training necessary to teach the Emergency First Response Primary Care (CPR), Secondary Care (First Aid) and Care for Children courses.

Oceans 5 dive resort conducts this course every month. This month Oceans 5 had 4 candidates, Riet, Ben, Lucie and Alycia. The candidates wanted to become a Padi dive instructor and to become one you should be a EFR instructor.

The course takes 2 days. And during these days you will have to follow some presentations of the instructor trainer and practice teaching skills. At the end there is a final exam.

Now Oceans 5 and the Gili Islands have 7 new Padi dive instructors and 4 new EFR instructors. Well Done.

Note: You don’t need to be a diver to attend this course!

Facts about Tiger Sharks

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Facts about Tiger Sharks

Tiger sharks are very large and so they require a considerable amount of wide open space. They enjoy warm water so they are found in the tropic areas of the world as well as some sub tropic locations. The Atlantic ocean is where most of them have been recognized. You can find many of them around the islands of Hawaii. They tend to hang out around the surface of the water so they are often spotted easily. In recent years they have also been spotted around the waters of both New Zealand and Japan.

Tiger sharks have been recorded with the most attacks on humans only behind the great white. They are very aggressive by nature and will stop at nothing to complete a hunt for food. They will attack when they feel they are in danger which is why they are known to attack humans.It is the second largest shark found in the world.

They are solitary sharks that tend to live alone. They have amazing eyesight which is why they tend to hunt at night. They can change their colors too from a blue to a green to help them blend in better with the surroundings in the water.

Eating Habits of Tiger Sharks

A tiger shark will eat any type of fish, shark, animal, and small entity it can find in the water. They are very curious by nature and will taste anything that comes their way. The stomachs of tiger sharks have been found with some very unique items inside of them. This includes pieces of boats and ships, jewelry, clothing, tires, books, and more. If it finds its way into the water there is a good chance a tiger shark is going to dine on it.
Tiger sharks tend to have a very big appetite but they will also eat when they aren’t hungry just because they see something around them that they enjoy. The variation in weight has to do with how much food is readily available in the area where they live.

Anatomy of a Tiger Shark

They can grow to be about 14 feet in length with an average of 12 feet. They can vary in weight from 850 pounds to approximately 2,000 pounds. It gets its name due to the stripes found on it that resemble those on a tiger. Each one of the tiger sharks will have stripes that are different in color, design, and size. You will also notice that their dorsal fins are very close to the tail.

Reproduction of Tiger Sharks

Female tiger sharks give birth to live young. The pups remain inside of their mother for up to 16 months with 14 months being the average. They can give birth to anywhere from 10 to 80 pups at a time. They will be on their own from the second they are born. Females are ready to reproduce when they are about 4 years of age. Males are ready when they are 5-6 years of age.

What the Future has in Store for Tiger Sharks

Since tiger sharks are known for attacking people they are often killed. Since they live in shallow water they are easy for hunters to spot. Others are killed by ships and boats as they may be residing in river areas since they don’t require deep waters. They are continually hunted in Hawaii in order to keep tourists from being afraid to enter the waters.They are also hunted to use for various types of products we consume. For example they are used to make Vitamin A. In some locations the flesh of the tiger shark is used for meat. They don’t seem to be in danger of a dwindling population though even in spite of such hunting efforts.

Facts about Hermit Crabs

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Hermit Crab

The hermit crab is a small sized crustacean, that is found in ocean waters worldwide.Despite its snail-like appearance the hermit crab is related to crabs, although they are not that closely related as the hermitcrab is not a true crab.

There are more than 500 different species of hermit crab found in marine habitats all around the world. Although hermit crabsdo venture into deeper waters,they are more commonly found in coastal waters where there is more food and places to hide.

The hermit crab has a soft under-body which it protects by carrying a shell on its back. The shell of the hermit crab is not its own, but one that belonged to another animal. As hermit crabs grow, they continue to find larger shells to accomodate their increasing size.

Hermit crabs are omnivorous animals that eat pretty much anything they can find in the surrounding water. Small fish and invertebrates including worms, are the most common prey for the hermit crab along with plankton and other food particles in the water.

Due to their small size, hermit crabs have numerous natural predators all around the world, which includes sharks, fish, cuttlefish, squid and octopuses. It is thought that hermit crabs often hide amongst other animals such as sea anemones as a form of natural protection.

After mating, the female hermit crab carries large numbers of eggs in a mass that is attached to her abdomen. The hermit crab larvae hatch into the open ocean in just a few weeks, where they quickly moult exposing the adult hermit crab body underneath.

 

Facts about the Spanish Dancer

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Facts about Spanish Dancers.

Despite the images its conjures up we are not talking about flamenco dancers from Spain.  The Spanish dancer, scientific name Hexabranchus sanguineus is a form of nudibranch or sea slug. Its scientific name Hexabranchus sanguineus literally translate into Six-gill blood colored, which describe its six Christmas tree like exposed gills, and its deep red blood-like body coloring. 

Spanish Dancers are found only in the Indo-Pacific Oceans and the Red Sea, and its color usually ranges from pink to a deep rich crimson with whitish markings during the daylight and more pinkish and blotchy at night. Like all nudies, the Dancer is carnivorous and feeds off sponges, and hydroids like the Portuguese man-o-war and is resilient to their toxins.

This amazing species can grow to a maximum size of about fifteen inches, and has been recorded in some rare instances to grow even larger. Unlike other nudibranchs that move by crawling, the Spanish Dancer gets its name from its ability to swim, in an undulating motion, using its red “skirt” which waves about and unfurls as it propels itself through the water. The motion looks very similar to an exotic flamboyant flamenco dancer.  While it mostly prefers to crawl along the reef like other nudies, the dancer will unfurl it “skirt” and propel itself into a swim usually when it feels threatened.

Most nudibrachs lay eggs in a ribbon shaped rose pattern on rocks and coral which are white or blue in color, however you can instantly recognize the eggs that belong to a Spanish dancer’s which will look like a red rose, lodged on a rocky outcrop. The eggs of this creature are crimson red and highly toxic, containing a greater concentration of poison than the adult.

It is easy to get obsessed with sighting a Spanish Dancer; many scuba divers or snorkelers will often go in search of these creatures, and underwater photographers simply can’t get enough of them. Watching the dancer perform is one of the great underwater experiences.

Facts about Stargazers

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Stargazers (Uranoscopidae)

Stargazers are named for their peculiar appearance with eyes positioned dorsally on the head, usually with protruding eyes that are directed upward. The body is moderately elongate and depressed anteriorly. The large head is almost entirely encased in sculptured bones and also flattened. The large, nearly vertical mouth is equipped with small teeth and there is a peculiar respiratory valve inside the lower jaw that functions as a lure for attracting fish prey. The lips are fringed with numerous papillae in most species. They are also numerous tiny cirri along the fleshy posterior margin of the operculum. The gill openings are very broad and equipped with dorsal, valve like openings, which aid respiration when partially buried. A stout cleithral spine situated just behind each dorsal gill opening. This spine is venomous in at least some species and serious injuries have been reported.

Stargazers are generally nocturnal predators of fish and benthic invertebrates.

They are found on sand, silt, or rubble bottoms and are often seen partially buried.

The upwards directed eyes are useful for detecting prey in this position. When approached by a small fish the stargazer uses its peculiar luring apparatus to attract the victim to its well disguised mouth. The worm like lure, which varies in shape according to species, is thrust from mouth and wiggled vigorously.

The family contains 8 genera and approximately 50 species. Most species occur commonly on offshore trawling grounds, well removed from coral reefs. You will find stargazers in Lombok, Teluk Nara and around the Gili Islands in the front of Oceans 5 dive resort, Oceans 5 house reef.

Facts about Triggerfish

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Triggerfish (Balistidae)

Triggerfish are characterised by latterally compressed, rugby ball shape, leathery skin, and small mouth with powerful crushing jaws. Their common name is derived from the peculiar mechanism by which the first dorsal spine can be locked into an erect position by the second dorsal spine. If the pressure is exerted on the trigger like second spine, the first spine can be unlocked and depressed. This device is used to good advantage at night when the fish wedge into a coral crevice and locks itself in.

They are usually solitary in habit. Swimming is slow and deliberate, usually accomplished by gentle undulations of the second dorsal and anal fins, but threatened they retreat quickly to a hole in the reef, by using their tail. In many species the same hole is used and serves as a nonturnal resting place. Some of the larger species are capable of producing grunt like sounds when disturbed.

Although the mouth is relatively small, ballistids possess powerful jaws and strong teeth, numbering eight in the outher row and six in the inner row, which serve to butterress the outer row teeth. These are used for crushing a variety of hard shelled prey including crabs, molluscs and echinoderms.

Triggerfish lay eggs on the bottom, which are aggressively guarded by the female.

Most of the 40 triggerfish species inhabit the tropical  Indo pacific region, like the oceans around the Gili Islands.

 

 

 

Facts about Rabbitfish

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Rabbitfish (Siganidae)

Rabbitfish are common inhabitants of Indo Pacific reefs, like the waters around the Gili Islands.

About 25 species are known, all belonging to the genus Siganus. The are simular to surgeonfish in general body shape, but have a characteristic mouth with an enlarged upper lip., lack caudel spinestypical of surgeonfish, and possess very smooth skin that appears scaleless but is actually covered with tiny cycliod scales. They differ from all other fish in having pelvic fins with a spine at each end and with three soft rays between. The teeth are small, incisiform, bicuspid or tricuspid and in one row.

Rabbitfish are mainly herbivorous, feeding on benthic algae and seagrasses.

Most of the reef dwelling species are seen in pairs. Others which frequent reef flats and seagrass areas often occur in large schools.

Facts about Goatfish

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Goatfish (Mullidae)

Goatfish are common in all tropical and warm temperate seas, like around the Gili Islands, Lombok, Indonesia, forming an integral component of the reef fish community throughout the Indo Pacific region. Their distincive appearance includes a slender shape, relatively elongate, pointed snout, a small. slightly ventral, protrusible mouth with maxilla partially hidden under the preorbital, finely ctenoid, moderately large scales, two well separated dorsal fins ans a pair of barbels or chin “whiskers”.

The latter feature is equipped with special chemosensory cells and is used for detecting food.

Goatfish are usually seen alone or in small groups except for species of Mulloidichthys, which sometimes form large schools with hundreds of individuals.

They are generally carnivorous feeding on a range of mostly benthic invertibrates, especially worms, crustaceans, brittlestars, heart urchins and small mollucs.

It uses its long barbels to frighten small fish from their hidden places in the reef and once exposed they become easy prey.

Although a few species are nocturnally active, most feed during daylight hours abs are commonly seen foraging over sand and rubble bottoms. Many, if not most species, exhibit a highly blotched colour pattern at night, which typically consists of red bars and blotches.

Facts about the Blue Ringed Octopus

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When we were diving the Biorock around Gili Trawangan, we found a little creature: a Blue Ringed Octopus.

What is a blue-ringed octopus?

The name octopus comes from the word Octopoda, which means ‘eight-footed’. All octopuses have eight arms. They are molluscs and, along with their close relatives the squid and cuttlefish, are the most highly developed invertebrates (animals without backbones), with a well developed brain and eye structure. There are several species of blue-ringed octopuses living around the WA coast including the southern blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa).

What do they look like?

These animals are rarely more than 12 centimetres long. They are normally well camouflaged, with yellow, brown and grey bodies. There are dark brown blotches and bands on the arms.

Where do they live?

Blue-ringed octopuses live in reef flats and tidal pools, where they may inhabit dead shells. They secrete themselves in rocks and other debris and in crevices, so be extremely cautious when handling dead shells or discarded cans and bottles and when turning over rocks in the shallows. Always wear gloves when diving or snorkelling. Blue-ringed octopuses are found in all WA marine parks but are hardly ever seen because they are so skilled at hiding and camouflage.

What they eat and how?

They feed mostly at night, on fish and crustaceans. Blue-ringed octopuses kill their prey with a potent toxin injected with their bite.

Threats?:

There are no known threats to blue-ringed octopuses.

Behaviour?

These remarkable and spectacular creatures deliver a warning before they bite. When irritated or disturbed they rapidly develop brilliant blue rings. In such cases, you should admire their extremely colourful appearance from a safe distance. They are extremely venomous and, although such cases are rare, can cause human death.

Breeding and caring for young

The female lays eggs and carries them under her arms for about six months until they hatch. Once this happens the female dies.