Aladdin snorkelling at Nusa Penida, Bali

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

Monday 16 ^th of January 2017 and I woke up to a gloomy and grey day. They knocked on my door and my alarm went off a little later. They brought my breakfast just after 7 and they were here to pick me up at 07:45. We drove down the same beach we had been on the very first day.

But today I had my own boat and the spirit was high. We loaded the stuff in to the small feeder boat and we were soon on our way to Blue Seasons Bali's boat that will take us to Nusa Penida. We will start at a site that is not good for snorkelling as it is too deep. The only reason for going there is the Manta ray. If we see any Mantra Rays we will stay there to swim with them.

Manta ray

Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus Manta. The larger species, M. birostris, reaches 7 m in width while the smaller, M. alfredi, reaches 5.5 m. Both have triangular pectoral fins, horn-shaped cephalic fins and large, forward-facing mouths. They are classified among the Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) and are placed in the family Myliobatidae (eagle rays).

Mantas are found in temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. Both species are pelagic; M. birostris migrates across open oceans, singly or in groups, while M. alfredi tends to be resident and coastal. They are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton, which they swallow with their open mouths as they swim. Gestation lasts over a year, producing live pups. Mantas may visit cleaning stations for the removal of parasites. Like whales, they breach, for unknown reasons.

Both species are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Anthropogenic threats include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and direct harvesting for their gill rakers for use in Chinese medicine. Their slow reproductive rate exacerbates these threats. They are protected in international waters by the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, but are more vulnerable closer to shore. Areas where mantas congregate are popular with tourists. Only a few aquariums are large enough to house them. In general, these large fish are seldom seen and difficult to study.

Range map

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the small boat ready to leave

Leaving the beach behind

We're on our way to Nusa Penida

Passing an island

Ready for action

We took off and my Guide told me that it was looking good for the Mantra Rays as there were no waves and swell. It looked like a wind mill pond when we left Sanur Beach behind. But we were soon running in to choppier water, not bad but it was swell

We passed an islet with a hole through it on the way and we could see that it was pretty heavy swell hitting the islet. My Guide told me that it was getting heavier, but he still had good hopes for the Mantra Ray site. We started to prepare and I donned my wet suit

Mask and snorkel stand-by and my camera was ready for action. And today I had brought my wide angle wet lens so it will be exciting to try this one for the first time. We arrived to the Mantra Ray site and it was kind of deep here. But there was a rock and this was the area where the Mantra Rays used to come for food.

The only known site on Bali for Mantra Rays. Well, let's hope we're getting lucky. I threw myself in to the water and the Guide was soon coming after me.

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Mantra Ray

Swimming back to our boat over the divers

Swimming back to our boat over the divers

Swimming back to our boat over the divers

Leaving the Mantra Ray site behind bound for the second snorkelling site

Leaving the Mantra Ray site behind bound for the second snorkelling site

We had been in the water for 2 minutes when we saw the Mantra Ray. The fish swam towards us and the rock, turned around and swam back over the rock and disappeared. The Mantra Ray was back 2 minutes later and did the same route. The Mantra Ray did this for a couple of times and we had plenty time to swim with the fish.

Boat with divers from Sanur started to arrive and when the first divers got in to the water the Mantra Ray disappeared. Well, same as when I'm on safari. If we see something we always say nowhen someone asking if we see any lions etc. As I told my Guide, this was our fish and they could go look for their own Mantra Ray.

Now they went in to the water and what we came here for, the Mantra Ray disappeared. We got back to our boat and we were soon on our way to the next snorkelling site.

Next site is a real snorkelling site, shallow water and plenty fish, but no Mantra Rays as they like deeper water. But I was very happy to have seen the Mantra Ray and I was in a good mood. And no need to book any Mantra Ray swim on Fiji, enough with the shark swim. And I might spend the extra time on Matava Island on Fiji doing some bird watching instead.

Anyway, we were on our way and as soon as we had left the South side of Nusa Penida the swell disappeared and we were soon in a very small bay with a beach. My and my Guide was in to the water double quick. FISHES! HERE WE COME!

Plenty new friends by the help of a little bread

OPPS! This is not what we wanted to see

We had fun with the fishes at the second snorkelling site, but suddenly, we had a very strong current and it was not possible to swim anymore. We just got dragged away by the current and we had to call the boat. And we took off to the third snorkelling site, very close to a beach and there was many diving and snorkelling boats.

So there was plenty people in the water but I managed to find my own spot. It was a beautiful place, well, there was garbage floating around in the water. The bottom was full of old fishinggear. Old nets, now covered in whatever it is that is growing under water. Stilts and other stuff so it was a wee bit of old SAIL SHIP snorkelling around.

I explored the area but after a while the current sat in here as well. Me and my guide justfollowed the current and it was impossible to stop to take any pictures so we just float along.

And it was a very strong current so we were soon far away from where we started. The boat came our way to pick us up. We were soon on our way to a fourth snorkelling site, the last session before we return to Sanur.

We arrive to the third snorkelling site

I was getting hungry and I had some of the bagged lunch they had brought for me. We passed two kayaks in the middle of the straits between Bali and Nusa Penida while I was enjoying mylunch. I could not help but thinking how stupid some people could be. Alone in a small plastic kayak with a very strong current.

The current was so strong so there were white water and whirlpools in the strait.

We approached the last snorkelling site and I thought that we had ended up at Disney land. There were boats for as long as I could see. The boat delivers divers and snorkelers to the site. So I expected many people when we will get in to the water.

And when we came closer there was a lot of screaming on the boats. And my Guide had warned me about this place. Well, as we are here we can as well get in to the water to see if we can find something interesting. And it is not like here is anything else fun to do around here.

Boats for as long as I can see

Here we go again

Squid

Squid

Swimming back to get on board the boat

We got in to the water and there was a lot of people snorkelling and it was a bit of a bother with the crowd. It was very foggy water when we got in to the water but we were soon having clear water. I was both lucky and unlucky, I saw squids and they were beautiful.

Blueish and reddish but the water was very foggy. And on top of that the squids were very shy. And when the water cleared up the squids were gone.

I had decided to make my last snorkelling without my wet suit and it was soon getting very cold. So I suggested to my Guide that we should get on the boat and return to Sanur. We called the boat and we were soon on our way back to Sanur.

It is quite a distance to go with the boat and it was a wee bit choppy when we came out on open water. But it got calmer when we approached Sanur and the Captain increased the speed. We were soon at the beach and the boat that was going to take us ashore was waiting for us.

The boat had a few 25 l drums with gasoline for our boat so we could not get off until they had taken on board the drums. As soon as the drums were on board we got on the small boat and we were soon on the beach and the car back to the hotel.

Taking on board gasoline

I spent the evening on Kuta Beach and I had my dinner at Tony Roma's. I saw the restaurant yesterday when I was on my way back to my hotel in Sanur. I went inside and I ordered the same thing I order at the rest of the Tony Roma's I go to around the world.

Well, I added a chocolate brownie with EXTRA whipped cream, and they put extra whipped cream. So when I leave Bali I will have to get my diet up and running again. Fruit only from the time I land at Suvarnabhumi on Wednesday.

Back in my room and I took my last snus, I had brought three cans with me from Sweden. Tomorrow and I will go for my last snorkelling in Amed. So it will be about 3 hours in the car again, click HERE to find out if I see anything exciting.

And this is what I'm training and practicing for, the great Humpback whale adventure

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