The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Part I

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Part I

With a newly purchased film camera, I first visited Lembeh Strait in 1997 when the legendary Larry Smith promised me mandarin fish encounters. I soon discovered the Strait is more than just mandarin fish. I was mesmerized by its rich biodiversity, but my dives were all very short – interesting subjects were everywhere, and I ran out of film frames way before I ran out of air! Larry taught me the relationships between the critters, “this is the good guy, that is the bad guy” and “boy, isn’t he ugly!” Adding the few Damsels in distress within the coral rubble, all my visits to the Strait became exciting adventures to the Wild Wild West!

Lembeh Resort, critters at Lembeh Resort, North Sulawesi Indonesia , Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse , Labroides dimidiatus, William Tan

Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) are doctors in the ocean, this one was cleaning parasites off a little Maori Wrasse (Oxycheilinus bimaculatus)


Lembeh Resort, critters at Lembeh Resort, North Sulawesi Indonesia , Striped poison-fang blenny , Meiacanthus grammistes, William Tan

Striped poison-fang blenny (Meiacanthus grammistes) will not hesitate to use its fangs if threatened.

(shot with blue and green excitation lights)


Lembeh Resort, critters at Lembeh Resort, North Sulawesi Indonesia , Tassled Scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis oxycephala, William Tan

Tasseled Scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis oxycephala) in a territorial fight.


Lembeh Resort, critters at Lembeh Resort, North Sulawesi Indonesia , Yellowfin Demoiselle, Chrysiptera flavipinnis, William Tan

Yellowfin Demoiselle (Chrysiptera flavipinnis) can normally be found below 20m in Lembeh’s coral rubble.


Lembeh Resort, critters at Lembeh Resort, North Sulawesi Indonesia , Trumpetfish , Aulostomus maculatus, William Tan

Tuco: “I bet they didn’t even pay you a penny for your arm.” A Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) meets resistance from a crab it was trying to swallow.


Lembeh Resort, critters at Lembeh Resort, North Sulawesi Indonesia , Harlequin Crab, Lissocarcinus orbicularis, William Tan

Tuco: “you can feel the Devil bite your ass.” A harlequin Crab (Lissocarcinus orbicularis) seeks refuge inside the anus of a sea cucumber


 

William Tan hasWilliam_Tan_2013-02-24_166 been fascinated with the creatures of the sea since childhood. While studying at the Johns Hopkins University (USA), much of his spare time was spent gazing at the extensive marine collection of the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

A violinist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, William earned his scuba diving certification in 1994. Thereafter, without his prized antique Italian violin, he travels extensively between concert seasons throughout the Pacific region judging competitions and photographing marine life for scientific institutions, camera companies, underwater housing manufacturers, tourism organizations, dive magazines. See more of his work in his facebook