The pygmy seahorse is well camouflaged and extremely difficult to spot amongst the gorgonian coral it inhabits. So effective is this camouflage that the species wasn’t actually discovered until its host gorgonian was being examined in a laboratory. In 1969, a New Caledonian scientist, Georges Bargibant, was collecting specimens of Muricella gorgonians for the Nouméa museum and whilst one of these was on his dissection table he happened to notice a pair of tiny seahorses.
The next year they were officially named by Whitley as “Bargibant’s pygmy seahorse.” Large, bulbous tubercles cover its body and match the colour and shape of the polyps of its host species of gorgonian coral, while its body matches the gorgonian stem. It is not known whether individuals can change colour if they change hosts, although the ability to change colour according to their surroundings does exist in some other seahorse species, such as Hippocampus whitei. Other distinctive pygmy seahorse characteristics include a fleshy head and body, a very short snout, and a long, prehensile tail. This is also one of the smallest seahorse species in the world, typically measuring less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in height.
Book your dream Philippines diving holiday with Blue Ribbon to see these, and many other amazing creatures!
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The Juvenile Wunderpus Photogenicus might make you remember the film Mars Attacks with the aliens with their brains showing through their helmets.
They are extremely slow-moving and gracefull, so a great subject to shoot, yet are only found on Bonfire or Blackwater dives. In this pre-settling phase of their life, they come up to feed during the night on the large amounts of plankton that have also been hiding in the day time, that come up to feed at night.
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We had a LOT of cancellations due to the Volcano, and understandably so, but it looks like everything is going back to normal now. Taal Volcano has been downgraded and looks like its slowly fizzling out, evacuees are allowed to move back home.
To celebrate,we are offering a post-apocalyptic discount!
20% off accommodation for the month of February (If you are diving with us), and 10% off Fun Dives!
Come and get wet, enjoy the critters, and don’t worry about the Volcano….its miles away from us anyway!
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While Taal volcano has been all over the news recently, it hasn’t affected the diving and our business operation one bit, as it is quite a distance from us. Visibility hasn’t been affected and there is no ashfall, there was a little when it first went but it was for a day only. Flights are all working at the moment, and there is no extra traffic to get to the resort.
Mabini and Batangas City are actually the safe zones, where a lot of people living by the Volcano were moved just in case there is another big eruption. Due to the nature of Taal, it is very dangerous for people living around the lake, hence the mass evacuation.
Blue Ribbon Staff and a lot of our guests have been donating to help the evacuees, while Becca, has been working 16 hour days helping the Emergency Response Teams with all of the evacuees.
How can you help?
We are doing our bit to help them as much as we can, but we also need help from our incoming guests… Dive operations are fine and the diving is good. Please do not worry and please do you not cancel your booking last minute. We are a small resort and have a lot of mouths to feed.
The dive community has been amazing here in supporting the locals, please support the diving businesses, by coming diving. You won’t regret it!
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