I've always felt that that the stuff that interests us coral geeks the most is generally in the top 20' of reef anyhow, the most colourful stuff is up there. I've never really wanted to go much deeper myself. The stuff that scares me the most is structure dives like wrecks or whatever - Yikes!
I couldn't do it. Happy to stay near the surface but I like having a tank on my back so I don't have to go up every 30 seconds.
Neat shot of the carpet. Love the shot of the Banggai's too. Think I've read that they stick around anemones while juvenile but I think as they get older they move on. They don't really go "in" to the anemones like an anemonefish would but they still reap the benefit of protection.
My dad is from Indonesia (well, more technically "was born there and lived there for the first part of his life") and it's on my bucket list of places to visit ... although I can't realistically foresee a time in my life it will happen at this point.
Might have to say "screw it all", sell the house and buy a sailboat. Been working on my wife to accept this plan ever since we started dating some .. er .. never mind how many years ago that was. Another 20 years or so I'm sure I'll get her to buy into the idea!!!
Fantastic shots. Thanks for sharing. Seeing the real reefs brings it all home to me. I have to admit that I have a hard time reconciling keeping an aquarium at home, when I am somewhere warm and that has reefs, that the reason I am not there more often is probably BECAUSE of that aquarium. It's an odd dichotomy: I love the reefs but because I keep a small one at home I can't go see the real ones more often.