Diver’s bucket list: 6 rare marine creatures and where to see them

Photo: Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten

4. Mola Mola

The mola mola, or ocean sunfish, looks like a 2-meter serving platter with fins. They are shy, deepwater fishes, so it’s extremely rare to see them while diving (as opposed to seeing them from the dive boat in open water).

Bali, Indonesia (Crystal Bay at Nusa Penida, Mimpang, Nusa Lembogan)
When: July – October
Get there: The international airport on Bali is in Denpasar. AirAsia runs cheap flights from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and other Southeast Asian hubs.

Most dive trips to Nusas Penida and Lembogan leave from the coastal town of Sanur, which is a two-hour minivan ride from Denpasar.

Galapagos, Ecuador (Punta Vicente Roca)
When: Year round
Get there: See info above for the Galapagos.

5. Manta Ray

The largest of all rays at up to 6 meters, mantas are also the most popular. According to my careful observations, one in three dive shops uses a manta in its logo. Buyer beware: “Manta Point” is probably the most misleading dive site name in the world.

Bali, Indonesia (Manta Point at Nusa Penida)
When: Year round; best April – May
Get there: See info above for Nusa Penida.

Similan Islands, Thailand (Koh Bon)
When: November – April
Get there: Like Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon can only be reached by live-aboards out of Phuket, Khao Lak, or Ranong.

Photo: jon hanson

Yap, Micronesia
When: December – April
Get there: Micronesia is a federation of 607 islands a few hundred miles east of the Philippines. Continental flies from Guam to Yap at least once a week.

The Maldives
When: Year round
Get there: Another archipelago nation, the Maldives are located in the Indian Ocean off the southwest coast of India.

The international airport in the capital of Male is served by many operators from Southeast Asia, Dubai, and Europe. The diving improves, naturally, the farther you get from Male.

Sea of Cortez, Mexico
When: June – August
Get there: From San Diego, rent a car and drive down the Baja Peninsula via Tijuana to La Paz. Otherwise, fly to Los Cabos and bus from there.

6. Pygmy seahorse

At the other end of the size spectrum, the maximum dimension of a pygmy seahorse is about 2.4cm. They’re seen most often — usually only after your divemaster has found one for you — in the sprawling Indonesian archipelago. They are a vulnerable species.

Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia
When: Year round
Get there: If you’re not on a live-aboard out of Bali, fly into Sorong. Domestic airlines include Batavia Air, Lion Air, and Garuda Indonesia.

Sulawesi, Indonesia (Wakatobi, Lembeh Straights)
When: Year round
Get there: A remote group of islands in the remote Indonesian province of Sulawesi, Wakatobi can be reached by either a live-aboard or a charter flight from Bali.

Photo: prilfish

Pulau Weh, Aceh, Indonesia
When: Year round
Get there: Regular ferries run between Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, and the island of Pulau Weh.

Bali, Indonesia (Tulamben)
When: Year round
Get there: From Denpasar, rent a car or take a minivan to Amed. At one of the many local dive shops, ask to dive the Liberty Wreck at Tulamben.

Mabul, Sabah, Malaysia
When: Year round
Get there: AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines do cheap flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau, in the province of Sabah.

From there, take a shared taxi to Semporna, and then a speedboat to Mabul. All this can be arranged in advance by one of the local dive shops.

Community Connection

There are plenty more creatures in Photo Essay: The Matador Photographers’ Animal Kingdom.

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