It was last summer, in July 2018. I was back diving in the waters of the Alor archipelago in Indonesia, to explore its gorgeous coral reefs... often swept by crazy currents!
The flamboyant little mandarin-fish does not dare to come out of his coral den until dusk. I found it in Bangka (Sulawesi, Indonesia).
I can not resist the pleasure of showing you on video the dance of the mola-mola (and, of course, the mola-mola), after having (finally) met this big moon fish in the waters of Nusa Penida.
The drones are the new gadget fashionable travelers ... On the boat that takes me to Komodo, Indonesia, two of my little dive friends have one!
"So, did you go back to diving? "I am asked since my return ... Yes! I even realized a dream, combine in one trip two famous spots: Komodo and Raja Ampat.
It is a desert island in Indonesia near Borneo. In his mangrove necklace, Kakaban holds the water jade of a huge lake, filled with jellyfish ... which do not sting! The proof in video and in photos.
He's such a great guy. Opo, my dive guide in the waters of Central Sulawesi, became my hero. Because I can be a real burden sometimes...
Already my last day in Bunaken! I'm a little sad at the idea of leaving tomorrow ... I'm already starting to take my little habits here. To do with mosquitoes (nyamouk), the fresh and salty shower of mandi, grilled fish-rice of the evening, the fabulous lunch buffet at Froggies, the inexhaustible kindness of the locals.
Here, there are swarms of sparkling fish and a jumble of multicoloured corals... I take you diving in the waters of Misool, in the south of Raja Ampat.
The site is called Blue Magic. This is one of my favorite diving spots in Raja Ampat. This isolated reef in the middle of the sea is conducive to fabulous encounters.
At night, the reefs are not gray. A blue light and an orange mask reveal the fluorescence of corals and underwater creatures.
" So ? Tell! "Tell Raja Ampat, not so simple. I feel like coming back from the end of the world. I do not know where to start ...
Papua, Papua in Indonesian. Jungles and beaches, exuberant coral and giant fish. Another world ... which amazed me. Welcome to Raja Ampat!
I take you diving among the underwater volcanic bubbles of Pulau Weh (Sumatra, Indonesia). These hot springs are a real underwater jacuzzi!
Indonesia, sea of Celebes. Under the surface, life abounds! The proof in pictures, with this small underwater video, made around the island of Bangka, in the north of Sulawesi.
Indonesia and Komodo are far away. I rediscover my underwater photos with a new, astonished eye. I saw all that, me? It's crazy.
Ten days off. Ten days of freedom. From May 10 to May 20, 2014, I left. In Pulau Weh, Indonesia.
Fancy some exuberant coral and wriggling fish? A little corner of authentic Indonesia? Welcome to Kampanar, Sulawesi!
Manta Sandy is the most famous dive site of Raja Ampat. Normal, it's a real "spa" with manta rays! The proof in photos and video.
I had to show you this video, of a manta ray and his girlfriends, met while diving in the archipelago of Komodo, ultimate goal of my crossing of Flores ...
Otdima is a beautiful dive site, teeming with life, swept by a current of madness. One of my favorites in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Going to a tropical island far from everything is good. But to immerse yourself in a tropical sea is better ... For me, happiness is under water! This time, it's happening in Lombok, Indonesia, near Bali ...
March 2013. Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. My new home, for a few days, is called Coral Eye. What a beautiful name!
Did you like fish pedicure? You will love the manicure shrimp! A cleanser shrimp care for underwater travelers.
The more I dive, the better! I have never seen so many manta rays as last year. The proof, with this new video, brought back from Komodo National Park (Indonesia), where I was in July 2011.
I'm coming back from Borneo! Highlight of the trip: the dives in Sipadan, Malaysia ... Yes, for me, Borneo has more the color of the sea than the jungle.
Four days already, I'm in Nusa Lembongan, a small island southeast of Bali. Atmosphere very peaceful, as I like, not too crowded with tourists ...
Eh yes ! I am a little lucky. I saw a mola-mola today at Crystal Bay again. One time is not customary this morning: excellent visibility and little current, both for this beautiful first dive, and for the second, Toyah Pakeh Bay.
In Indonesia, the word "biodiversity" makes sense. Here in the Sea of Celebes, the underwater world teems with bizarre and fascinating creatures, often tiny.
Guilhem, my dive buddy in Derawan (Borneo), was kind enough to send me two underwater videos he made this summer in the sea of Celebes.
Back to Derawan ... under the surface. The reef of the island, even if it is not the most spectacular of the sites of the corner, deserves some dives. The little creatures that I adore abound. But watch out for diving safety ...
I'm reconciled with Lovina Beach! Thanks to two very nice dives, a traditional ceremony facing the sea and a splendid sunset.
This is one of the strangest dives I've done. Feel the earth tremble ... under water, it's really a funny thing. It was in Indonesia, in Sulawesi, in July 2007. In the Togian Islands, exactly.
I'm in a melancholy mood tonight. I leave Nusa Lembongan to return to Kuta, Bali. The return is approaching. I console myself with a beautiful sunset on the bay of Jungut Batu ...
From the Maluku Islands to Raja Ampat, I experienced a fabulous adventure in Indonesia, aboard a beautiful ship like a pirate princess ship: the Waow.
Here is a pretty "hairy frogfish" photographed in Lembeh to wait for the next ticket.
Fancy Indonesia? I will take you diving in the waters of Sali Kecil, a remote little island on the west coast of Halmahera. Magnificent!
Oh dear ! Not yet had the time to tell all my dives in Amed, that already, I attack those of Nusa Lembongan. And no half measure: I take you directly to Manta Point !!!
These tiny sea horses are a-do-ra-ble !!! But they are shy, who hate to be photographed ...
I often go back to Bali while traveling in Indonesia. The island always brings me back to her. The more I go back, the more I love it.
This shell is a monster. It is not for nothing that it is called "giant holy water". I have never seen one as big as Raja Ampat.
Take photos under water, I love it. But palmer, much less. I realized this well by diving in Alor, Indonesia.
Off Borneo, Indonesia, the island of Derawan and its archipelago are an incredible place to observe turtles.
At Pulau Weh, most divers come for the "big", the deep, the current. And I, who never do anything like the others, I'm having fun in a few meters of water on the beach, tracking down the little animals.
I'm not done with Raja Ampat! Let me introduce you to a bizarre monster, very common in these waters: bearded carpet shark or "wobbegong".
Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. I'm there !!! A real end of the world, still virgin, wild and beautiful, on land and under water.
Yes, I bring you (again) under the surface ... To finish with the wreck of the Liberty in Bali, I propose below a small series of underwater photos.
The picture under water, it's funny. I love it when the fish take suggestive poses. The coolest are not the ones we believe!
A new little film, for lovers of mantas rays ... I finally got down to editing my videos, brought back from Sangalaki! This small Indonesian island, located off Borneo, is part of the archipelago of Derawan, where I stayed for ten days last July.
It is called dugong or "sea cow". I was lucky enough to watch this fascinating animal in its natural environment, in Alor, Indonesia.
In Raja Ampat, we do not only find coral under water. There is also scrap of the Second World War. Fallen from the sky!
Diving at Raja Ampat... A dream. But beware, a trip to Raja Ampat requires that you behave as a responsible visitor. Tourism, which is booming in this archipelago, is threatening one of the most magnificent reservoirs of biodiversity on the planet.
Return to diving in Indonesia ... A haunting desire, which tormented me all winter! So, in mid-March, I flew to Halmahera and Weda Bay.
Through the porthole of the plane, I discover Sulawesi, and the island of Bunaken, where I will spend the first five days. Arriving a creepy hair: it is nice over the bay, but a big rainy cloud settled on the airport of Manado.
In the Lembeh Strait (Sulawesi, Indonesia), live underwater monsters that delight divers-photographers!
Near Bali, Indonesia, Sumbawa Island and its volcanoes offer a fantastic variety of dives. From manta rays to nudibranchs, the underwater world is full of wonders...
Another Indonesian island I love: the beautiful and peaceful Bangka. I take you first under the surface, among the fish, on video.
In Komodo, you can' t miss the majestic manta rays. They can be seen either by scuba diving or by snorkelling from the surface. A glorious show!
"Do not stay under the coconut trees," I am told when I arrive at Triton Bay. Yes, the biggest danger here is to get a coconut on your head!
Borneo is adventure! I saw again the Indonesian island of Kakaban and its mysterious jellyfish lake. I even went back to swim there. Video evidence.
There are dives that make the heart beat a little faster. I'm taking you to the south-west of Lombok, Indonesia, discovering The Magnet video and Gili Sarang, in Belongas Bay.
I take you underwater, in the east of Flores, Indonesia, for a special nudibranch sequence, in Maumere Bay.
Ah! I like the Liberty wreck in Bali. I go back regularly dive, never tired. She is so beautiful...
I arrived on Tuesday in Pemuteran, a village on the north coast, just west of Bali. In this area of arid mountains, bordered by black sand beaches, all the activity of the village is turned towards the protection of the coral reef.
The Liberty is Bali's best-known (and most popular) wreck. It is located in Tulamben, near Amed, on the northeastern coast of the island.
This tiny sea horse is hidden in the branches of the sea fans. In Pemuteran (Bali), we see each dive! I do not get tired of photographing them.
Last day in Lembeh. Time definitely goes too fast! With its rusty freighters and its black sand bottom littered with sediment and rubbish, this strait is really a singular dive spot, far from clichés.
I finally passed under the surface, with delight, in the waters of Pulau Weh. The underwater fauna is dense, varied. The two short weeks of my stay here will not be enough to explore everything!
I love the bright colors of coral on a subaquatic blue background. Small immersion, in images, on the splendid reef of the Kakaban island, near Borneo (Indonesia).
Sea slugs, called "nudibranchs", abound in Indonesia, and especially in Alor. Small gallery-photos.
Open your eyes: in the Lembeh Strait in Sulawesi (Indonesia), strange creatures populate the seabed. A treasure of biodiversity, which attracts divers from all over the world.
I have been in Pemuteran, a small village in western Bali, since Tuesday. I love it! Here, the entire population is focused on the conservation of the coral reef.
Among my most beautiful memories of Bali: the sunsets on the Agung volcano in Amed and the molas-molas, gigantic moon-fishes crossed off Nusa Penida ...
Here, cliffs covered with jungle strangling the sea. This is one of the mythical sites of Raja Ampat: The Passage.
In Indonesia, in the Papuan archipelago of Raja Ampat, coral grows at the foot of mangroves. Unpublished mixture of terrestrial and underwater life.
My stay in Amed, in north-east Bali, ends (sigh). I like this place !!! Here are two souvenir images: a sunset over the Agung volcano and a toad fish photographed in Tulamben.
Dive without getting wet in Batee Tokong (Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia), thanks to this little underwater film shot with my Canon Eos 7D.
In the Indonesian archipelago of Derawan in Borneo, the islands of Sangalaki and Maratua are no longer the fabulous diving spots they were in 2013.
It is one of the treasures of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, to discover underwater. The delicate beauty of nudibranchs, these small sea slugs with shimmering colors, is a delight!
The Togian dives seemed less spectacular than those of Bunaken or Lembeh, during this July 2007 trip: coral more damaged, life less abundant. Yet, taking his time, we discover a lot of treasures.
I'll take you back to Pulau Weh, under the surface, again. More than a month after my return from Indonesia, I continue to sort my photos: huge coral platters, delicate fans of gorgonians, multicolored clouds of fish in the blue ...
In Komodo, Indonesia, the dive site with the beautiful name of Castle Rock is infested with sharks. I just love it. I even made a video.
Diving in Komodo, I dreamed! The reality was beyond the dream ... First video preview, at the fabulous Batu Bolong site.
The Liberty wreck in Tulamben (about 15 km west of Amed) is Bali's most popular dive site in Indonesia. I returned with happiness ... Here are new pictures (photos and video).
That's it !!! Finally ! I met him! Today in Crystal Bay. I'm happy, happy, happy! My new friend is called mola-mola, or moon fish.
I left Derawan and its archipelago today. I realized this dream that I had since the beginning of this Indonesian trip to Borneo: swim with rays-mantas, in the waters of Sangalaki!
A new start, very soon ... Three years after my first trip to Sulawesi, I return. On the program: Bangka Island, Lembeh and the Toraja country.