Category

Underwater Sightings

Octopus sex at Atmosphere resort in Dauin, Dumaguete, PhilippinesMarinelifeScuba Divingunderwater photoUnderwater Sightings

Octopus Sex

Octopus are one of the most interesting critters a diver can encounter while underwater. Whether the fact that they can squeeze into any crevice that their beak will fit into or that they can change color and texture in an instant, one of the most interesting things about octopus is actually their sex life. Octopus will begin to metabolize their own muscles when they become sexually mature to make their…
Daniel Geary
15th January 2017
Mototi Blue Ringed Mimic Day Wonderpus Octopus. Octopus October at Atmosphere resort in the Philippines. Photos by Daniel GearyMarinelifeUnderwater Sightings

Octopus October in full swing!

Octopus October is officially in full swing. Every year we look forward to October because Cephalopods seem to infest the coast. This year they definitely got the message and have returned in full force! Although we found a Blue-ringed Octopus, Wonderpus, and five Flamboyant Cuttlefish on a dive in September, that was just a preview. Octopus October started on the first day of the month, with dive center manager Marco…
Daniel Geary
27th October 2016
MarinelifeUnderwater Sightings

Hairy Shrimp – Tiny Treasures in the Seagrass

Hairy Shrimp If you have been diving on the Atmosphere house reef, then you know that we like to spend a lot of time in the seagrass during the safety stop. Sometimes we find frogfish, nudis, pygmy squid, different species of pipefish, and even the occasional octopus. Not many of these, besides baby frogfish, are incredibly tiny, so you might be wondering - why is the dive guide inspecting every blade…
Daniel Geary
20th September 2016
Kids snorkeling with turtle at Apo island by Daniel GearyDive travelUnderwater Sightings

Why are there so many sea turtles in Apo Island?

Although Dauin is known around the world for its amazing muck diving, tourism here started for a completely different reason – reef diving and sea turtles. Situated about a 30 minute boat ride from Atmosphere, Apo Island was the original destination for tourists visiting Dauin and Dumaguete in Negros Oriental. It was only after this tourism started that the muck diving here was discovered. In 1985, Apo Island was declared…
Daniel Geary
1st September 2016
Dory - surgeonfish - blue tang - beloved child has many names. this one from Atmosphere Resort in the PhilippinesMarinelifeUnderwater Sightings

Finding Dory – but not in your aquarium!

  I don't know about all of you, but I was super excited when I found out that there was going to be a sequel to Finding Nemo. I was even more excited that it was going to be about Dory, everyone's favorite amnesia-ridden blue tang. Although there were a few bits and pieces that didn't mesh with some of the fish biology I learned about during my studies, overall…
Daniel Geary
25th July 2016