Octopus of all species are incredibly smart and they are extremely good at playing hide and seek on the walls of Bunaken. Most commonly we find day octopus (Octopus cyanea), also known as the reef octopus, and it is unlike other octopus because these ones hunt during the day time. They are able to dramatically change the texture and colours of their skin to look like a rock or seaweed. Usually, they are a darker red/orange/brown colour but can also change to resemble the colour of sand or coral rubble so that they blend in with the substrate.

Usually, when a reef octopus sees a diver they will make their way to the closest hiding hole. They can very quickly squeeze themselves into pretty small holes on the reef so you might only be able to see their eye, an arm or the siphon they use for breathing. If they can’t hide then they will stop and pretend they are part of the reef (hence the name) and they rely on their camouflage that you won’t notice where they went.

Other octopus species that have been seen on some of our dive sites, as well as the reef octopus include the blue ring octopus, hairy octopus, coconut octopus, wonderpus and mimic octopus but these aren’t as common on walls so we tend to find these on the sloping reefs close to the mainland. These special octopus can be found and seen much easier on Two Fish Divers Lembeh dive sites.

On our walls at night time we see other members of the cephalopod family, such as cuttlefish and squid. They are usually more active and out hunting for food after sunset. Sometimes you spot an octopus following your light using it to help them hunt. You need to be careful not to blind any animals underwater, especially at night as the nocturnal species are not used to seeing bright lights. Barracuda and stingrays have also been known to use this sneaky technique as well. They strike and the fish/crab/shrimp you were looking at under your light is gone

This week at Two Fish Divers Bunaken resort has been a bit quieter above water but definitely not underwater. We have Conny and Bastien doing their PADI Divemaster course and are enjoying being a buddy team and learning new skills together. Every day there is something to laugh about. You can follow their journey on our Bunaken Facebook as well as check out their blogs. Denis from Canada joined us originally two weeks but after a few days diving he extended to stay an extra week. There are too many fish to see in in just 14 days. Selina and Sandrine dived almost every day while they were here before continuing their travels. They loved how many turtles there were on each dive! Claudio did a pool refresher and returned to diving after almost 10 years not diving while his friend Robert joined for some amazing snorkeling. Hope it’s not too long before the next dive!

There were many games of hide and seek as the guides spotted many different critters and fish on the walls! Reef octopus are amazing to see on our walls even if you only get a glimpse before they hide again! Would you like to come and join us at Two Fish Divers Bunaken? For more information or to make a reservation, fill in the form below and we will get right back to you!