Issue 3, Year 1 - 3rd Quarter, July 2011

In This Issue:

WELCOME TO WONDERLAND Costa Rica's Selva Verde Nature ReserveTHE TWILIGHT ZONE Diving in Northern Sulawesi's Lembeh Strait

ITALIAN DELIGHTS A portfolio by Matteo Di NicolaSTING OF THE SCORPION A new flash bracket for macro

NIMA MUNDI

ANIMA MUNDI

AAdventures in Wildlife Photography

What a wonderful world indeed, as Louis “Satchmo”Armstrong used to sing a long, long time ago!Despite man’s incessant tampering with nature, despi-te colonization, overpopulation, deforestation, pollu-tion, the depleting of natural resources and generaldisregard of the human race towards the planethosting it, there are still many beautiful, peaceful,wild places left on Earth. And here we are, with issue3 of our free quarterly online magazine, to showthem to you once more. In this issue we start with an exhaustive look atSelva Verde Nature Reserve in Costa Rica – a rela-tively small private property with a very interestinghistory which is also a treasure trove for wildlifephotographers and for nature lovers worldwide.Selva Verde shines as a textbook example of whatthe vision and stubborness of a few - in this caseone - individuals can do to protect and preserve afragment of our wild world for all of us to enjoy.Kudos to Giovanna Holbrook, the indefatigablelady who fell in love with this stretch of untouchedtropical forest and devoted her life to its preserva-tion against all odds! So come with us and disco-ver toucans and trogons, basilisks and iguanas,sloths and howler monkeys, caimans and crocodi-les in a stunningly beautiful voyage across CostaRica’s wild and well-protected environment - in fact,our exploration of Selva Verde Nature Reserve, our“Trip to Wonderland”, was such a pleasant andfruitful one that we decided at the last minute tosplit our trip report in two parts, so don’t miss PartTwo in our next issue. After the sweltering heat of the Central American low-land rainforest, our second feature of this issue willprovide some welcome cooling off with a dive trip toIndonesia - our destination, the fabled (and murky)Strait of Lembeh in Northern Sulawesi, muck divingGrand Central and the undisputed realm of some ofthe underwater world’s most bizarre and fascinatingcreatures. A far cry from the unspoilt wilderness ofSelva Verde, the Strait of Lembeh is littered with man-made garbage and it is a generally rather oppressi-ve environment, but it also shows to a tee how cle-verly and readily some species will adapt to a very

specific and rather unique habitat. Be prepared – the-re’s some very weird stuff in there, and we bet you’llbe discovering some quite strange creatures new toyou in our article...The icing on this issue’s cake comes with the perso-nal portfolio by Matteo Di Nicola, a very youngand gifted nature and wildlife photographer whoshows us beyond any doubt how wild beauty andstunning subjects can be found even in one’sbackyard - in this case Italy, a heavily developedand industrialized Country which doesn’t readilycomes to mind when one talks about unspoilt natu-re and wildlife images. And yet - see for yourself!And there’s more: with a detailed feature on a veryinteresting flash bracket which is ideally suited formacro work we also have the first of our FieldEquipment and Techniques articles. So we truly believe ours is a wonderful worldindeed, as we repeat to all those who ask “But whyare you doing this?”. Well, many seem to find thisdifficult to believe, but we put together every sin-gle issue of ANIMA MUNDI – Adventures inWildlife Photography with the same passion andenthusiasm we put in our nature voyages and expe-ditions - we lovingly handcraft our magazine (takea look at our staff column - there’s very few of us!)because we love to do it and we like to share withothers everywhere what we know and what wehave seen. This is why ANIMA MUNDI is free foranybody, anywhere in the world, to download andenjoy, to save and share, and this is why it will stayso in the future. We explain it all in the interviewwe recently gave to the Hoopoe, NHBS’s influentialand much respected blog. And to those who lookat us in disbelief and shake their head when wereply to the other question, “But how do you makemoney out of it?”, the answer is equally simple andstraightforward – we don’t. We don’t make apenny out of it and we work for free, because that’swhat we like. It’s a wonderful world, remember?

Have a good trip!Andrea & Antonella Ferrariwww.animamundimag.com

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

2

NIMA MUNDIAAdventures in Wildlife Photography

When Giovanna Holbrook took on the challenge of leading two University of Florida science professors and a group of naturalists to the Galápagos Islands in 1971, she had no way of knowing the lasting impact that experience would have on her life and on the lives of those traveling with her. The group journeyed throughout the archipelago aboard a retired navy vessel, propelled by their spirit of adventure and thirst for knowledge. At that time, the Galápagos was just celebrating its twelfth year as a national park, conservation work at the Charles Darwin Research Station was still in its infancy, and tourism in the islands was virtually non-existent.

More than thirty years later, Holbrook Travel continues to serve the needs of teachers, students, academic institutions, and nature lovers. Although many changes have taken place over the years, Holbrook Travel has taken great care to remain true to its roots. As news of environmental concerns and world conflicts continue to fill the airwaves, it seems more important than ever to help people gain a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world and other cultures through firsthand experiences. In the words of Andrea Holbrook, president: “Our goal is to try to continue the great work my mother started.”

To Travel Is to LEarn.

HOLBROOKTRAV E L

explore hoLbrook's DIVErsE ranGE of proGrams on our websiTe »

3

4WELCOME TOWONDERLAND

Costa Rica’s Selva VerdeWITH EXTRA VIDEO CONTENT

49THE TWILIGHT ZONE

Muck diving in the Lembeh Strait

104ITALIAN DELIGHTSMatteo Di Nicola’spersonal portfolio

121STING OF THE SCORPIONTesting a new flash bracket

WITH EXTRA VIDEO CONTENT

124THE PARTING SHOT

Contents

We appreciate yourfeedback - constructive

criticism, useful suggestionsand interesting

contributions are mostwelcome.

Please drop us a line at

nautilus@reefwonders.net

ANIMA MUNDIAdventures in Wildlife

Photographyis a Free Quarterly Online Magazine

www.animamundimag.com

PublishersAndrea and Antonella

Ferrarinautilus@reefwonders.net

Editor-in-ChiefAndrea Ferrari

andy@reefwonders.net

Layout Design & ArtDirection

Laura GenoveseAnna Bortolini

VideographerAntonella Ferrari

anto@reefwonders.net

Video EditingLeon Joubert & Claudia

Pellarini-Joubertinfo@bittenbysharks.com

Distribution & TechnicalSupport

Peter Symeseditor@xray-mag.com

All rights reserved. Material inthis publication may not be reproduced, modified or

transferred electronically in anyform without written permission

from the copyright owners.

A Chestnut-mandibled ToucanRamphastos swainsonii emerges from its

nest cavity, a fruit in its beak for its progenyinside. This is a typical species of Selva

Verde Nature Reserve in Costa Rica.

Dear Anima Mundi Reader,

This month we are focusing on a

review of the Stealth Gear One Man

Chair Hide by TV naturalist Nick

Baker,

This is one of our favourite prod-

ucts at NHBS - we think it’s the

perfect value-for-money answer for

wildlife photographers who want to

keep hidden and dry while waiting

for that perfect shot!

We look forward to seeing you at

www.nhbs.com

The NHBS team

customer.services@nhbs.co.uk | Tel: +44(0)1803 865913 | Fax: +44(0)1803 865280 | 2-3 Wills Rd, Totnes, Devon, UK. TQ9 5XN ADVERTISEMENTwww.nhbs.com | Everything for wildlife, science & environment

“If, like me, you’ve spent time trying to conceal yourself from your wildlife subjects, then doubt-less you will have found yourself wrestling with scrim, and swearing and cursing as it gets caught on tripods, zippers and Velcro. The other extreme – and until now the only solution – would be to buy a ‘blind’ – a wildlife hide with many of the complexities associated with putting up a tent – a puzzle of poles and guy ropes. As well as often confounding the wildlife watcher/photographer, the whole set-up was both expensive and heavy.I’ve been aware of these Stealth Gear hides for a year or so now and judging by the high de-mand, they seem to have caught on – and for good reasons. It’s a robust camping chair de-sign with a fan of hoops that unfurl from be-hind and over the seat. This in turn drags with it the polyester fabric of the hide itself.

There is a little mesh pocket on one of the arms for your beer, which also can function as a lens holder – pity it doesn’t have two of them! The whole caboo-dle comes in a Camo-Tree design (photo-realistic leaves and bark, and wood-land scenes) which in my experience works, pretty much anywhere, to break up the outline of the unit – and, almost as importantly, hides the contraption and the watcher from the unwanted attentions of his own species! I found it best to sit in the chair with my gear in front of me and simply flip the hide over my head. Once inside it can be a little fiddly, and your personal organisation is tested a lit-tle, but so it is in any blind. If you have big elbows, lots of gear, a mate or in-tend to be waiting a long while, consider the two-seat option, otherwise you might find it a little too cosy for comfort. But the one-man works very well for me.There are five apertures through which you can peer or shove a telephoto lens, all of which can be opened or closed easily with Velcro attachments, either opening them fully or leaving a printed mesh panel in place which enables the hide user to see out, while nothing can see in. The five windows are adequate

The hide comes with a bag of ground pegs, also in a Camo-Tree de-sign. Come on guys, you put the bag down in the long grass because you are in a rush to set up, and of course the wind starts to blow and where are your pegs to secure the thing to the ground as it fills up like a balloon and its skirts start to ruffle uncontrollably in the breeze? In a camouflage bag! Which is where? Somewhere in the long grass, do-ing its best to be not to be seen… I’ve attached a piece of orange baler twine now I’ve recovered it, so hopefully this won’t happen again.Slight niggles: stitching holes let through pinpricks of daylight, and water does come spattering through in a torrential downpour. Leav-ing the hide is difficult – keeping your set-up and not totally blowing your cover requires agility and contortional abilities that are beyond most naturalists over 40! But having said that, all these problems can be applied to all but the most expensive hides and blinds I’ve used, so on balance I think this hide is great value for money.(Note: if you have children and are fed up with the gaudy pri-mary coloured plastic wendy house that jars with your aes-thetic sensibilities then there is a hidden bonus to this hide – 4 year olds love them! And being made of camouflage ma-terial, you can sit it in the corner near the shrubbery and bare-ly notice it’s there. It kept my daughter occupied for hours!)”

Stealth Gear Chair Hides

Nick Baker reviews the Stealth Gear One Man Chair Hide

Stealth Gear One Man Chair Hide £74.99

Stealth Gear Two Man Chair Hide£89.99

For all your outdoor photography adventures, NHBS stock a wide selection of top quality hides, and other accessories. Click here to see our range of the best camouflage gear.

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Why Buy from NHBS?

enough, but you can’t see behind – which would on occa-sion be useful. That said, it would be a bit challenging to turn around even if there were a rear-facing window, espe-cially with a hide full of gear. If full, all-round vision is what you require then this is available in the two-seat version.

4OntheTrail

COSTA RICA’S SELVA VERDE NATURE RESERVE

WELCOME TO WONDERLANDA stretch of carefully preserved Caribbean lowland rainforest proves

to be pure heaven for nature lovers and wildlife photographers

COSTA RICA’S SELVA VERDE NATURE RESERVE

WELCOME TO WONDERLAND

The Red-eyed Tree FrogAgalychnis callidryas isone of Costa Rica’s mosticonic species. This one is in its darker green,nocturnal livery.

HEREGOOGLE EARTH COORDINATES HERE

5

≠≠he suspension bridge we’restanding on - a somewhat flimsylooking affair of criss-crossing steelcables and planks spanning the widthof the Sarapiqui river at a ratherworrying height - swings and bounceslike a taut rubber band as we scan thesurrounding forest canopy, the first lightof dawn creeping on the undulating,endless tree tops with a pale goldensheen. Suddenly, without a word,Antonella grabs my arm and pointsstraight forward. Emerging from theshadows and starkly silhouetted againstthe pale blue-grey sky, a mother HowlerMonkey carrying her baby on her backis gingerly moving towards the end ofthe branch she’s standing on, clearlytoying with the idea of crossing acrossthe bridge’s width by jumping across

and grabbing the closest branch of theopposite tree. Fascinated, we watchhow carefully and gracefully she moveson all fours, at least a hand and a footalways in contact with the branch,using her thick, muscular, prehensiletail as a safety line. A few meters fromus, she pauses momentarily, giving usa cursory glance and briefly evaluatingthe distance separating her from hernext objective. She stretches forward,holding to her perch by her feet andtail, reaching for the branch facing her- as the flimsy twig she’s holding ongives treacherously way, bendingunder the combined weight of thefemale and her child. Horrified, wewatch her helplessly as she crashesnoisily down, missing the steel cablesby a few inches.

T TEXT BY ANDREA FERRARIPHOTOS BY ANDREA & ANTONELLA FERRARI

continued on page 6 ›

A large Green Iguana Iguana iguana displaying its bright

breeding colors as it basks on a sandybank of the Rio Sarapiqui, the region’s

most important watercourse.

6

A Green Leaf MantisChoeradodis rhombicollis

is all but invisible as itmimics the foliage of the

creepers growing on atree trunk. This is one of

Costa Rica’s mostfascinating insects, astunning example of

highly evolvedcamouflage.

Have they both fallen to their death onthe forest floor below? But we needn’tworry: Howler Monkeys - out ofnecessity - learn to be stupendousacrobats very soon, and our mommybreaks her fall a couple of meters below,a good thirty meters above the ground.Unfazed, she climbs back to her startingpoint - her baby still straddling her backlike a miniature furry jockey andapparently enjoying himself immensely -and pauses for several seconds,evaluating the situation, sitting at the tipof a perilously swinging, thin branch. Icould swear she’s scratching her headin frustration as she’s considering theproblem facing her. Abruptly, she turnsand unceremoniously dumps her baby,

which promptly grabs the branch witheverything he’s got. We stareincredulously at each other - is she goingto cross safely now, unencumbered bythe weight of the baby, and abandonher progeny behind? Once again, weare put to shame. The female holds tightto the branch tip with her feet and tailand launches herself throught the voidwith a somewhat purposeful abandon -there, she has grabbed the oppositebranch and now she’s spanning thevoid between the two tree canopies!Stretched between the two toweringtrees, she turns her leonine head, andwe can see her dark eyes glinting as shesilently looks at the baby behind.Without a moment’s hesitation, the

continued on page 8 ›

A living false leafpatiently waiting amonga million other real ones

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An earlymorning imageof Costa Rica’seastern lowlandrainforest - a rich, moistenvironmentwhich hidesamong itsluxuriantvegetation animmensenumber ofspecies. SelvaVerde’s forestreceives itshighest rainfallbetween Mayand September,but it remainshumid for therest of the year.

baby rises, stands on all fours - andcrosses the chasm on her mother’sback, using her a suspension bridge. Inless than a couple of seconds, it’s done.The baby straddles its mom’s backagain, the female lets go the old perch,grabbing with all fours (or fives?) thenew branch, and they both silentlyvanish in the canopy again. Ecstatic,Antonella and I look at each other,swinging in unison with rubber legs atthe suspension bridge’s bouncing, a bigsmile on our faces, as the roaringchorus of the Howler Monkeys troopheralds a new glorious day in SelvaVerde, Costa Rica.

HEAVEN ON EARTH FORWILDLIFE

PHOTOGRAPHERSDespite having been to Costa Ricatwice in the past, this has been our first“serious” wildlife photography trip tothe lovely Central American country,and we have to admit we’ve beenonce again deeply impressed - by thefriendliness of the people, the qualityof the infrastructures, the proficiency ofthe local naturalist guides and, aboveall, by the stunning richness, diversityand quantity of its wildlife. Pura Vida,as the locals ae fond of saying atevery possible occasion! Be i tincredibly colorful birds, shy forestmammals, dazzling amphibians andreptiles or stunning insects, Costa Ricais bound to leave the discerning visitortotally awed - and with a substantial

amount of very satisfyingphotographic trophies in the bag.Carefully geared and organizedtowards the eco-tourism industry (itsmain source of income at the moment),the country of Costa Rica is blessedwith a variety of diverse tropicalhabitats, environments and biotopes,all of which are easily visited andrapidly reached thanks to theCountry’s small size. A network ofcarefully maintained National Parksand Nature Reserves (often privatelyowned) offers unbeatable wildlifeviewing opportunities to visitors: fromthe nesting sea turtles at the aptlynamed Tortuguero NP to the stunningResplendent Quetzals of theMonteverde cloud forest, from the drydeciduous forest of Guanacaste on thePacific coast to the perennially moistlowland forests of the Caribe, CostaRica truly is a nature lover’swonderland. During the time of the year chosen forour visit (ie April), the Caribbeanrainforest habitat in particular seemedto offer good chances to see andhopefully photograph most of thespecies we were especially interestedin for an extensive ANIMA MUNDIarticle, and our search for a suitablelocation soon provided us with severalinteresting options, as the Sarapiquiregion (which takes its name from theriver crossing it) is dotted with anumber of National Parks and NatureReserves.

continued on page 10 ›

A Red-eyed Tree FrogAgalychnis callydrias

displays its pale greenday coloration and its

climbing prowess. This tree-dwelling species

can usually only beencountered when it

descends from the forestcanopy to breed, at the

start of the rainy season.

8

A few examplesof the Caribe’sextraordinarywildlife, which can easily beobserved inseveral protectedareas of CostaRica’s easternside. Left, a GreatKiskadee Pitangussulphuratus; right,a Mantled HowlerMonkey Alouattapalliata; bottomright, a Chestnut-mandibled ToucanRamphastosswainsonii; and bottom left, a Green Parrotsnake Leptophisahaetulla.

9

10

Among these, Selva Verde offers,hands-down, the best compromisebetween a very comfortable andperfectly managed tourist Lodge (withspacious and spotlessly cleanaccomodation and excellent food) anda surrounding pristine lowland foresthabitat, a 500-acre private NatureReserve crossed by the river Sarapiquiand mostly comprising undisturbedprimary forest habitat. Skilled guidesfrom the lodge are permanentlyavailable for day and night excursions

along the Reserve’s immaculatelymaintained trails (we were lucky tooften have with us in the forest oureagle-eyed friend Alejandro EsquivelGaitàn, who spotted several of thehighly camouflaged subjects of thephotos gracing these pages), whileseveral interesting trips can be easilyorganized to other nearby Reserves -notably La Selva Biological Station (aUniversity-founded facility mostly aimedat researchers, which however chargeshigh prices to visitors) and La Tirimbina.

An unidentifiedcicada-likespecies, possiblyrelated toFulgoridplanthoppers,displays a curiousprotuberance on its head.Neotropicalforests host animmense numberof species, mostof which are stillunnamed.

Strange and mysterious creatures still waiting for a name

continued on page 12 ›

11

A MantledHowler MonkeyAlouatta palliata

enjoys its earlymorning fruit

breakfast. Notice theclever use of the

muscular, prehensiletail - a veritable fifth

limb and a highlyfunctional adaptation

to an exclusivelyarboreal existence.The dawn chorus ofHowler Monkeys istruly unmistakable -

and deafening.

12

Comfortable boat trips along the rioSarapiqui also offer priceless chancesto view Collared peccaries,Spectacled caymans and - with someluck - uncommon, highly endangeredspecies such as Neotropical riverotters and American crocodiles.Within Selva Verde itself – be it in thegarden-like, carefully managed areasurrounding the Lodge cottages orinside the Nature Reserve properacross the Sarapiqui - one can expectto easily see most typical Costa Ricanlowland rainforest species such asChestnut-mandibled and Keel-billedtoucans, Violaceous, Black-throated andSlaty-tailed trogons, Montezuma

Oropendolas, hummingbirds belongingto several species, parrots, tanagers andBroad-billed motmots among birds, andKinkajous, Howler monkeys, Two-toedand Three-toed sloths, Tayras, squirrelsand armadillos among mammals;Plumed basilisks, ameivas, large Greeniguanas, river turtles and several speciesof snakes are also commonly observedamong Costa Rican reptilian species,while Strawberry poison dart frogs,Green and black poison dart frogs andRed-eyed tree frogs are some of themost spectacular, iconic and easilyobserved amphibians of Selva Verde,especially at the start of the rainyseason in April-May.

A leaf-mimickingPraying Mantiswaits on a stemfor its unwaryprey. Tropicalmantids oftenoffer some of the mostextraordinaryexamples in theart of disguise.

continued on page 16 ›

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Swooping in adazzling displayof aerobatics andaerial prowess,MontezumaOropendolasPsarocoliusmontezuma enterand exit theirbasket-like nests,which hang incolonies from thecanopy of thetallest treesavailable. Nestsare built at the tipof single, thin butrobust branches,and the birdscarefully selectonly straight-trunked, stand-alone trees onwhich no creepersor lianas grow.

A dazzlinghigh speedair ballet bythe masters ofthe forest sky

14

The forest atdawn, still

cloaked in mistand drippingwith moisture.Later on in theday, when thesun comes out,the Pale-billedWoodpeckerCampephilus

guatemalensis(far left) will lookfor grubs in oldor rotting trees.

Notice how this large birdholds firmly to

the trunk bysplaying its

clawed feet,using its stiff

wide tail for extrasupport.

15

A scenic vista of the RioSarapiqui at its lowest,

towards the end of the dryseason. With the coming of

rain this pebbled stream will rapidly transform itself

into an impassable, ragingmass of muddy water.

16

The Great Green Macaw Ara ambiguusis somewhat of a symbolic species forthe Sarapiqui region with its imposingsize and its greatly endangered status,and pairs can be occasionally heardsquawking loudly far away in the forestcanopy or sighted at dawn and justbefore sunset, as they fly high up and inclose formation to their feeding grounds,usually fruiting Almendro (Dipteryxpanamensis) trees. Insects are toonumerous to name, but they arerepresented by several imposing,exceptionally photogenic species -

including the Leaf Praying Mantis, Leafand Cone-headed katydids, Morphoand Owl butterflies and the stunningHercules and Harlequin LonghornBeetles. Even the huge tarantulas lurkingon the tree trunks are big and beautifulhere! The layout of the Lodge and itssurroundings greatly facilitate theviewing of wildlife, as the property iscriss-crossed by a somewhat initiallyconfusing maze of roofed concrete trails- which allow the unexpected luxury ofsafe, comfortable and perfectly drywalks at night or in the rain.

An extraordinary sightas a Neotropical RiverOtter Lontra longicaudisemerges briefly from the waters of the RioSarapiqui to munch on its fish prey. This is a rareand endangered species.

continued on page 19 ›

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The fairy-tale,dragon-like looks of theGreen BasiliskBasiliscusplumifrons beliethe peacefulnature of thissplendid reptile.This is a fullymature male in its blue-tingedbreeding livery.

18

A Bark Mantis (left), aLonghorn Beetle (right), aGround Anole Norops humilis(bottom right) and a Yellow-headed Gecko Gonatodesalbogularis (bottom left).

19

Nothing like the real deal in the primaryforest, of course – but a welcome extratouch for those who are understandinglyunwilling to walk at night, possibly in atorrential rain, in a virgin rainforestwhere a few seriously dangerous andperfectly camouflaged creatures mightactually lurk among the dead leaves. Totop it all, the Reserve is within easyreach from the capital, San Jose - just acouple of hours’ driving on good pavedroads crossing at length the famedBraulio Carrillo National Park, offeringstunning scenic vistas along the way. Ifwe had to find a minor fault in SelvaVerde, it would have to be just that – itsclose proximity to civilization and a hightraffic road, but that is close to beingunavoidable in a small and relativelydeveloped country like Costa Rica,where to find total isolation one wouldhave to stay further south, in the junglesof Corcovado National Park, close tothe border with Panama.

THE FASCINATING STORYOF SELVA VERDE

The story of Selva Verde Nature Reserveand Lodge is as fascinating and complexas its own tropical rainforest habitat, andit certainly makes for some goodreading. Rather than reiterating what hasalready been written, we’ll quote directlyfrom the Nature Reserve’s website: “Selva Verde exists today because of onewoman's desire to make a difference.

Burning bright among the forest’s shadows, asking to be seen by all to avoid being eaten by one

A spectacularGreen-and-BlackPoison Dart FrogDendrobates auratusadvertises its toxicitythanks to its stunningaposematic colors.4,5 cm long, this is a common species.

continued on page 21 ›

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Top left, a ChrysomelidaeTortoise Beetle with its eggs;top right, a Micrathena sp.Two-spined Spider; bottomright, two unidentifiedLeafhoppers, and bottom left a Red-throated Ant TanagerHabia fuscicauda.

21

As a pioneer in the business ofecotourism, Italian-born GiovannaHolbrook traveled the world creatingunique adventures for avid naturalists.In 1982, already based in the USA,Giovanna arranged an ornithologicalfield study in Costa Rica for theNational Aviary. At the last minute,accommodations for the explorers fellthrough and they found themselvesstranded in the middle of nowhere,without a place to stay. Giovannaraced to Costa Rica to rectify thesituation. A full day drive from San Jose,over barely passable dirt roads, foundher deep in the canton of Sarapiqui - aplace that would forever etch itself uponher heart. During her stay, Giovannadiscovered a large tract of old growthforest was up for sale and was ready tofall to the chainsaw. Never one to shyfrom a challenge, Giovanna bought theproperty on the spot and embarked onan adventure that continues to this day.Selva Verde's early days were full ofexcitement. Shortly after purchasing theproperty, Giovanna discoveredsquatters staking claim to her land. Sheenlisted her good friend Dr. Tom Emmeland with the help of a localconservationist, confronted thesquatters. After some intense andheated negotiations, a deal was struck.If the squatters agreed to vacate herproperty, they would be offered jobsonce the project was completed.

A Brown-throated Three-toedSloth Bradypus variegatushanging from its perch is hardlyvisible to the casual observer.Notice the greenish tinge of itsfur due to symbiont algal growth.

continued on page 24 ›

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Another lucky shot as aNeotropical River Otter emergesin a bend of the Rio Sarapiqui to feast on its Tilapia fish prey.Such sightings are extremelyrare in Central America today.

23

Looking like a proverbialbad-omen trio from a cowboy

movie, three Black VulturesCoragyps atratus scan the

forest floor, looking forcarrion and small living prey.

24

Over the next several years, Giovannacontinued to travel back and forthbetween the US and Costa Rica as thedream of Selva Verde began to takeshape. Soon the original house washosting visiting researchers and planswere underway to build additionalguest rooms and a dining hall. Aquarter of a century later, Selva Verdeis a world renowned eco-lodgecommitted to advancing the practice ofsustainable tourism. Selva Verde beganwith one woman's dream of preservingnearly 500 acres of endangeredtropical forest and the multitude ofspecies that call it home. Through herunwavering devotion, Selva Verde isnow a premier ecotourism destination,protecting the most accessible rainforestin Costa Rica, and attracting nature

enthusiasts from around the globe”.Despite its relatively small size, SelvaVerde offers exceptional if not downrightideal viewing opportunities to thoseinterested in the exhuberant CentralAmerican fauna and flora, with easy andpermanent access to large tracts ofuntouched primary forest andphotographer-friendly, more open plotssurrounding the Lodge itself. Therainforest surrounding Selva Verdeprovides habitat for over 300 birdspecies, 120 species of mammals, 48amphibian species, 89 reptile species,more than 10,000 species of insects,330 species of trees and countless plantspecies. Costa Rica itself, by the way, ishome to 5% of the world’s knownspecies. As such, it is often the destinationof choice for several highly regarded

professional wildlife photographers, whoregularly conduct group workshops there.But there is more – let us quote againSelva Verde’s informative website:“Thirty years ago, rainforest stretchedfrom Costa Rica’s Central Valley to theAtlantic coast. Today this area is apatchwork of small fincas, agriculturalplantations, and a handful of rainforestreserves. Selva Verde is one of thosereserves - protecting an importantremnant of the forests that once blanketedthe area. In order to maintain optimallevels of biodiversity within the reserve,Selva Verde is working with localconservation organizations such as theSarapiqui Conservation Learning Centerand the Great Green Macaw Project tocreate forested pathways between SelvaVerde and other preserves in the area.

continued on page 28 ›

A four-meter long adultAmerican Crocodile

Crocodylus acutus warilybasks on the river edge,

ready to slide into the waterat the first disturbance. This is

a mostly fish-eating species.

25

Small butnonethless somewhat

dangerous, a juvenile Hog-nosed

Pit Viper Porthidiumnasutum lies in waitfor a passing prey,

confiding in itscryptic coloration

and pattern. Notice the light-

colored tail tip, usedas a lure to attractlizards and mice.

Heat sensors silently and implacably scanning the darkness

A close-up of an adult Hog-nosed Pit Viper reveals itscharacteristic upturned rostral

scale and the heat-sensitive lorealpits - placed between the eye and

the nostril - which help thiscrotaline snake in detecting

warm-blooded prey at night.

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“Two-headedbutterflies”(left) refer to a number of speciesfeaturingantennae-likestreamers onthe posterioredge of theirwings, evolvedto distract apredator’sattention.Fulgoridplanthoppers(right) arerelated tocicadas andare oftenexceptionallycolorful butequally difficultto identifycorrectly. Bothcan be easilyobserved inSelva VerdeNatureReserve.

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These pathways, known as biologicalcorridors, will allow rainforest wildlife tomigrate more freely and ensure a brighterfuture for the area’s biodiversity. SelvaVerde’s Rainforest Reserve has beenidentified as a critical piece of a muchlarger corridor initiative known as theMesoamerican Biological Corridor(MBC). The MBC is an internationalinitiative that links critical habitats fromsouthern Mexico to Panama in an effort

to conserve biodiversity and promotesustainable development throughout thisecologically fragile region. Selva Verdesits in the middle of the San Juan - LaSelva section of the MBC and provideshabitat for one of the corridor’s mostendangered species - the Great GreenMacaw. Less than 200 of these birds canbe found in Costa Rica. The macaw’svery existence is tied to the Almendro tree- the bird’s preferred nesting and food

continued on page 32 ›

Roaring under atorrential rain, the

Rio Sarapiqui makesa fittingly dramatic

background to agigantic Megasoma

elephas Rhino beetle,one of the world’s

largest, heaviest andstrongest insects.

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A group ofcaterpillars(left) displayan apparentlyaposematic (ie warning)coloration,while anunidentifiedand possiblyundescribedlichen katydid(right) provesitself to be anindisputedmaster ofcamouflage.Less than 3cmlong, thisextraordinaryspecies wascompletelyinvisible to thenaked eyeonce itstoppedmoving.

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The VariegatedSquirrel Sciurus

variegatoides is thelargest and most

colorful of thesquirrels found in

Costa Rica: with itstail it can reach a

length of 60cm.

A whole existence whichunfolds on the vertical plane,from the lowest branches tothe loftiest forest canopies

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Colors and shapes from Selva Verde’srainforest: from left, a wild banana Musa sp.terminal stem with apical flower and fruits, aPaullinia sp. in flower - showing its unnerving

eye-like seeds - and a blooming Heliconia.

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source. The wood of the Almendro isalso a very desirable building materialand has been extensively loggedthroughout the Sarapiqui. Selva Verde’sreserve protects one of the largestAlmendro trees in the region andmacaws are frequently seen in andaround the preserve. Selva Verde iscommitted to working with local andregional conservation organizations tosave Great Green Macaws and theAlmendro trees - within our preserve andbeyond our boundaries. Protecting theGreat Green Macaw’s habitat alsoprotects habitat needed by many otherrainforest birds, mammals, reptiles,amphibians, and plants – ensuring afuture for rainforest biodiversity and forSelva Verde”.The images we have taken in SelvaVerde should hopefully speak forthemselves, and more (and even morespectacular ones!) will follow in ournext issue with the second and final partof our trip report. Until then - startthinking about your next photographictrip to Costa Rica, a wildlife and naturelover’s wonderland! .

DON’T MISS THE SECONDINSTALLMENT OF OUR SELVA VERDE

STORY – COMING IN OCTOBER2011 ON ISSUE 4 OF ANIMA

MUNDI – ADVENTURES IN WILDLIFEPHOTOGRAPHY!

The otherwordlyappearance of aCone-headedKatydid Copiphorarhinoceros, apredatory nocturnalgrasshopper quiteable to inflict painfulbites to thosecareless enough tohandle one. It feedson other insects andeven small reptilesand amphibians,which it grabs usingits spined forelegs.

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Left, a Saturnidmoth caterpillar withhighly urticatingbristles; right, a maleChestnut-mandibledToucan Ramphastosswainsonii in fulldisplay; bottom right,a Strawberry PoisonDart Frog Oophaga(ex Dendrobates)pumilio; bottom left,an Olive-backedEuphonia Euphoniagouldi feeding onripe berries. Asanywhere else,wildlife photographyin Costa Ricarequires a degree ofpatience and somespecific knowledge.

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Selva Verde’sforest canopy - asmost of Costa Rica’srainforests - is alivewith scores ofspectacularbromeliads, plantsthriving on airhumidity and rainfallwhich are host to amultitude of insects,amphibians andsmall reptiles.

Top left, a maleSlaty-tailed TrogonTrogon massena;top right, aMontezumaOropendolaPsarocoliusmontezuma; bottomright, a Keel-billedToucan Ramphastossulfuratus; bottom left,a Blue-gray TanagerThraupis episcopus.

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Unfazed by the rain, a pair of BlackRiver Turtles Rhinoclemmys funerea sit by the river bank. The male, in breedinglivery, is on the right and can be identifiedby its bright orange throat and front legs.

Large or small, thewild denizens ofCosta Rica’s lowlandrainforests can beoften exhilaratinglybeautiful. Left, anadult male GreenBasilisk Basiliscusplumifrons in its blue-throated breedinglivery; right, a jewel-like TurquoiseCicada Zammarasmaragdina, one ofCentral America’smost colorful insects.Despite theirapparent showiness,most rainforestanimal species arein fact rather difficultto spot in the field.

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Left, a male and his harem of ProboscisBats Rhynchonycteris naso, often seeroosting head-down on tree trunks by theriver side. Right, an unidentified andsplendidly camouflaged Bark Mantis.

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Top left, a swarm ofnewly-molted spiderhatchlings; top right,a PentatomidaeShield Bug. Bottomright, the amazinglycamouflaged DeadLeaf KatydidMimetica mortuifolia;bottom left, a youngHercules BeetleDynastes hercules -one of the world’slargest and strongestinsects, it can get17cm long and lift100 times its ownweight.

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Selva Verde Intro The Leaf Mantis The Almendro tree The Red-eyed Tree Frog The Hercules Beetle The Poison-dart FrogANIMA MUNDI

ON

Click on the imagesand watch six shortvideos about Selva

Verde Nature Reserveand its wildlife

More somberly coloredthan its close relatives, the

Striped Poison Dart FrogPhyllobates lugubris is also

the most toxic among CostaRica’s members of theDendrodatibae family.

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Left, a femaleBlack-throatedTrogon Trogonrufus - a colorfuland relativelycommon buteasily unnoticedspecies usuallyfound in the forestunderstory. Right,a close-up of afeeding MantledHowler MonkeyAlouatta palliata,a highly socialspecies whoseterritorial, deep-throated roaringat dawn and duskis one of the mostunmistakable (and occasionallystartling tonewcomers)sounds of thelowland forests ofCentral America.

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A large male adult Green Iguana Iguana iguana

basks high up in the forestcanopy. Selva Verde is hometo stunning specimens of this

common but neverthelessimposing, beautiful species.

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Far left, a Broad-billedMotmot Electronplatyrhynchum;center, a GreaterWhite-lined BatSaccopteryxbilineata; right, a maleBlack-throatedTrogon Trogonrufus.

Two Heliconius hecalezuleika Spotted Longwing

butterflies joined in mating.The arrival of the rainy

season in April-May triggersreproductive behavior in most

tropical species.

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Selva VerdeNature Reserveencompassesseveral differentlowland rainforestenvironments,often offeringopen landscapesand scenic vistas. Left, a view of theSarapiqui riverframed byhanging lianasand bromeliads;right, Antonella isdwarfed by a 50meter-tall, 600years-old giantAlmendro tree(Dipteryxpanamensis), an endangeredspecies which iscrucial to thesurvival in thewild of the GreatGreen MacawAra ambiguus.

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The highly textured, prehistoric-lookingprofile of a fully mature, adult Green Iguana

Iguana iguana male at his strapping best andin full breeding livery. This 2-meter long

species is diurnal and exclusively vegetarian.

Sun-loving, peaceful dinosaurs addicted to bananas

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USEFUL TIPS FOR YOUR EXPEDITIONSome simple, common sense, field-tested advice and information to make the best out of your trip and avoid hassles, worries and problems

ROUTE: Your flight will land at Juan SantamariaInternational Airport in San Jose, smack in themiddle of the Country. From the capital it’s a two-hour long car drive to Selva Verde – your driver willbe waiting at the passengers’ exit to pick you upwith the resort minibus. Keep your camera at hand -it’s a very scenic drive as the road passes throughthe beautiful forested hills and ravines of BraulioCarrillo National Park.

MEANS OF TRANSPORT: None since you won’tneed one. For excursions to nearby NatureReserves or the Sarapiqui river, the Lodge will

gladly organize some private transport or get a taxifor you - public buses are also available. Renting acar and driving around isn’t really a good idea atall - it might save you some money but truck driversin Costa Rica are a reckless, dangerous breed anddeadly road accidents are a daily occurrence.

CURRENCY: Trips are usually paid in advance, butextras and bills at Selva Verde Nature Reserve andLodge can be settled in Euros or US currency. Thelocal currency is the Costa Rican Colon or CRC. Alltrips and excursions can be paid to the Lodge togetherwith your bill at the end of your stay - very convenient.

ACCOMODATION: Selva Verde Lodge is abeautifully organized, spread-out compoundcomprising a main body with two restaurants, plusabout 40 double rooms and several bungalowsbroadly dispersed on a huge, semi-wild forestedand gardened area. All buildings are on stilts andare connected by long, paved and roofedwalkways, very useful for a short post-dinner strollif you’re not up for a night walk in the primaryforest (which can only be visited with a guide).There’s also a lovely and perfectly maintainedswimming pool, but you’ll probably be too busyphotographing animals to make much use of it.

At-a-glance travel guideCOUNTRY OF DESTINATION: COSTA RICA

FOOD: Excellent and abundant - you can choosebetween the Italian Restaurant on the ground floor, LaTerrazza, for a dinner à la carte (and the Italianrecipes are done properly for once!), or opt for a richbuffet in the self-service restaurant right above it.Food is healthy and absolutely safe - we consumedstaggering amounts of fresh salads and fantastic freshtropical fruit juices every day for four weeks andnever had the slightest problem. Don’t miss the typicalCosta Rican breakfast - Gallo Pinto, a rustic, country-style dish of fragrant rice steamed with chili, blackbeans and coriander and with fried eggs on the side.

LANGUAGE: English and Spanish.

WORRIES: Costa Rica is a safe country with a veryhigh rate of literacy and a reasonably high standardof living: “Ticos” (colloquial for Costa Ricans) areusually extremely friendly and pleasant and we love

them! However - as in most countries - it’s better notto walk around at night with an expensive cameradangling from your neck if you’re in some dubiousneighbourhood. Inside the Selva Verde compoundyou’ll be perfectly safe obviously as there’s securityround the clock. More dangerous might actually bethe silly habit of walking around barefoot at nightand without a torch - this is the home of the muchfeared (and rightly so) Terciopelo or Fer-de-LanceBothrops asper, a big, fast, very irritable andextremely dangerous venomous snake.

HEALTH: No worries. Botflies (1cm-long parasiticmaggots of the fly Dermatobia hominis whichdevelop in the living flesh of mammals beforepupating) are present, but cases of humaninfestation are rare in the Sarapiqui area.

CLIMATE: Warm, tropical, occasionally rather humid

- but not as stifling or hot as you might imagine in theearly mornings or at night (in fact it can be refreshinglycool at night, especially if it rains). The rainy seasonfrom April to September is the best for insects,amphibians and reptiles, but birdwatchers mightinstead want to visit from November to February.

BESIDES: Not much art or local culture, but anincredible amount of wildlife and wilderness whichwill daze even the most seasoned nature travellers -from beautiful beaches (both on the Pacific andCaribbean coasts) to mangroves, from cool montanecloud forests to warm lowland rainforests, fromseasonally dry biotopes to perennially humid ones,Costa Rica has it all. Nature travel destinations aremostly easily accessible, well organized and easilyexplored - just remember that prices honestly aren’tthe lowest in the world, so inquire carefully aboutoptions before choosing. .

A nation where “eco-tourism” is not just an empty word

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Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve Somewhere in the middle of a 500-

acre tropical rainforest reserve is a place where you can get away from the world and be surrounded by it at the same time. That place is Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve.

As one of Costa Rica’s legendary eco lodges, we are committed to a sustainable future — not only for Selva Verde, but for the people and wildlife that call the Sarapiquí home. We proudly carry and support Costa Rica’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism. We actively work with conservation partners, including the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center, to promote conservation and environmental education throughout the local community. Learn more about our efforts when you visit Selva Verde!

Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

www.selvaverde.com800-451-7111info@selvaverde.com

OntheTrail

HEREGOOGLE EARTH COORDINATES HERE

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WEIRD WONDERS OF THE LEMBEH STRAIT

THE TWILIGHT ZONEWEIRD WONDERS OF THE LEMBEH STRAIT

THE TWILIGHT ZONEDive with us to discover unexpected beauty

among the monstrous denizens of an unappealing murky underwater universe

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he Twilight Zone - a dark limbowhere dream and reality meet, ashadowy world suspended in aperennial dusk where stunning beautyand nightmarish horror uneasily share afoggy, horizonless netherworld.Suspended in a ghostly silence,mysterious, graceful shapes brieflyshimmer and rapidly vanish in the murkydistance. Others, horrid andperennially hungry,sit like motionlessdeformed gargoyleson the bare sand,patiently waiting topounce and feed onthe unsuspectingpasser-by. Dangerlurks everywhere forits inhabitants -especially at night,when darkness fallsand the weirdest,strangest and mostfantastic denizens ofthe Twilight Zone creep, crawl and dragthemselves out of their holes and theirmuddy, shadowy lairs to hunt and behunted in the cold gloom. Fangedmouths silently explode from the ground,jelly-soft transparent flowers injectparalizing acid in the soft bodies blindlybumping into them, strange shapesfrantically dance and twist in mid-air,trying to escape their destiny, only to be

instantly devoured. Night - the pitilesstime for the piercing sting, the slimytentacle, the poisoned barb, the gaping,gulping mouth spasmodicallyswallowing down armored and flaccidprey alike. Anything is possible here - forthis limbo of ravishing beauty andnightmarish sights is the fabled Strait ofLembeh. For the uninitiated, it just lookslike a dark, unappealing sea channel on

the eastern coast ofNorthern Sulawesi,less than forty metersat its deepest and lessthan three kilometersat its widest, walled inalong its black sandshores by steepvolcanic cliffs, its inkywaters leading fromthe dingy harbortown of Bitung to theopen sea and with abit too much garbageof very dubious origin

floating around. For muck divingconnoisseurs, however, i t ’s pureunadulterated heaven, a dreamdestination to be visited at least oncein a lifetime. Muck diving - the conceptof searching for rare, s trange,grotesque and usually very smallmarine tropical species in areas withlittle coral and in medium or downrightbad visibility - was in fact born right

TTEXT BY ANDREA FERRARI

PHOTOS BY ANDREA & ANTONELLA FERRARI

continued on page 52 ›

Close-up portrait of a Cockatoo WaspfishAblabys taenianotus.Facing page, a HairyFrogfish Antennariusstriatus. On the previouspage, a Painted FrogfishAntennarius pictusmasquerades as an orange sponge.

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A Hairy FrogfishAntennarius striatus isluring prey close to its

cavernous mouth bywaving its worm-shaped

esca (or lure), a fleshyappendage positioned at

the tip of its fishing-rodlike illicium. The shape ofthe esca - mimicking that

of a living creature - isoften the only clue to the

actual Frogfish speciesbeing observed.

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here, in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia,almost twenty years ago.

A TRULY UNIQUE HABITATWhat is so special about the place?Well…everything. Despite the atmo-spheric (and admittedly somewhatover-dramatized) description above,the setting is really idyllic. The topsidepanorama is truly enchanting - steeprocky slopes covered in thick tropicalgreenery, sea eagles soaring high inthe sky, colorful local fishing boats pas-sing by. But it’s the diving which makesLembeh so unique. Being close to avery deep underwater trench featuringdaily cold-water upwellings, the sandyand silty sea bottoms of the Strait ofLembeh host an enormous variety ofrare species which are common herebut almost unheard of anywhere else.Even several of the more common spe-cies found here display dazzling andoften unique color phases, this beingdue both to the dark volcanic sand theyare living on and some other undisco-vered factor. The weird, the grotesque,the rare and the downright absurd area daily occurrence on its dive sites. Thisis a destination where it’s not uncom-mon for the observant and experiencedunderwater photographer to encounter“holy grails” such as Weedy and Paddle-flap Rhinopias, Ambon Scorpionfish,Mimic Octopus and Wonderpus, Pygmyseahorses, Blue-ring octopus, Hairy octo-pus, Flamboyant cuttlefish, Boxer craband tiny orange-rimmed baby Batfish on

continued on page 54 ›

A 15 cm-long AmbonScorpionfish Pteroidichthysamboinensis sits in theopen, mimicking tostunning perfection a lumpof seaweed lying on thesilty substrate of theLembeh Strait.

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The demonic,sculpted features of

a Devil ScorpionfishInimicus didactylus

often remind one ofa Samurai mask.

Usually half-submerged in thesoft substrate, thisspecies features a

disarrayed clump ofhighly venomous

and very sharpdorsal spines.

It can beoccasionally

observed as it dragsitself on the bottom

using the freefinger-like rays of its

pectoral fins.

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a daily or weekly basis: a place whereafter a few days it is easy to become socomplacent that most divers just give apassing glance and nothing more toquite uncommon and strikingly beautifulspecies such as Painted and Clown rog-fish, Thorny seahorse, Cockatoo waspfi-sh or Mandarinfish. To underwater pho-tographers looking for unusual (andusually stunning) subjects, the LembehStrait offers unsurpassed opportunities.

EXPERIMENTS IN WIDE-MACROThe apparently contradictory choice ofadding teleconverters to fish-eye lensesin order to obtain arresting “wide-macro” images has long been adoptedby many rainforest and insect specialists- notably Frans Lanting, the grandmaster of them all - while severalJapanese authors have pioneered itsuse in underwater photography sincethe last two decades. This unusual com-bination allows an extremely closeapproach to small subjects, offering atthe same time the opportunity to keep a

A tiny Yellow PygmyGoby - Lubricogobiusexiguus - guarding theentrance of its lair, adiscarded glass bottle. The bottom of the LembehStrait abunds with suchman-made, colonizedartifacts, which offerrefuge to an exceptionalnumber of species.

continued on page 56 ›

55A Weedy Scorpionfish

Rhinopias frondosa in itsbright orange color phase- one of the most bizarreand sought-after species of Lembeh. Its richlyornamented livery makesit all but invisible amongthe coral rubble of thebottom.

A bizarre living tapestry of unusual colors andshapes defying imagination

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large area of surrounding environmentor background in the image frame - withlittle or no peripheral distortion and withthe added bonus of a spectacular depthof field. This technique allows the photo-grapher to obtain truly unique and verypersonal images which deeply conte-stualize the subject in its natural habitat- something most macro lenses rarelydo. We absolutely love the effect, andwe often use this combination wheneverthe opportunity arises in our topsidewildlife photography, especially withreptiles, amphibians and large insectsand arthropods. The same effect, or avery similar one, may be obtainedtoday - I hasten to add - with several ofthe new close-focusing wide anglezooms, such as the 10-20mm Sigmaand several others, which have becomewidely available today. I had long beenintrigued by this visionary techniquesince admiring many close-up and trulyarresting rainforest reptile and insectimages taken by Lanting more than fif-teen years ago, but the long years ofwork undertaken to put together all theimages necessary to publish our booksA Diver’s Guide to UnderwaterMalaysia Macrolife and A Diver’sGuide to Reef Life had restricted us todocumentary-style profile shots to bestrictly used for identification purposesby other divers and photographers - anenjoyable job which however preven-ted us experimenting with more creativeoptions. The right opportunity to try thistechnique underwater presented itself

continued on page 58 ›

The strange sight offeredby an Urchin CrabDorippe frascone,carrying on its back a FireUrchin Astropyga radiatato keep predators at bay.

57Close-up portrait of a

Fingered DragonetDactylopus dactylopus, a rather active bottomforager which is oftenspotted in pairs. Noticethe finger-like, free firstrays of the pectoral fins,used for locomotion.

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during our fourth visit to the LembehStrait. Having just completed our latestbook, A Diver’s Guide to the Art ofUnderwater Photography, I suddenlyfound myself strangely dissatisfied bymy 105mm, a lens which for manyyears past had been a “must” for me.Macro portraits seemed all of a suddento have lost visual power - creativeapathy had set in. Fiddling in frustra-tion, I suddenly realized that going“wide-macro” as I already had done onland could offer the solution to theimpasse - even if by definition this tech-nique might prove restrictive in the choi-ce of subjects and could create severebackscatter problems in the notoriouslymurky depths of the Lembeh Strait.

continued on page 60 ›

The LembehStrait abounds

with cephalopodspecies, some of

which are stillundescribed. The

small speciesillustrated -

perfectlycamouflaged onthe silty bottom -

probably belongsto the horridus

complex. At thefar right, a large

Ceratosomatrilobatum

nudibranchfeeding on a

sponge colony.

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Diving in Lembehoffers unparalleledopportunities to thelovers of the weird,the strange and thegrotesque, as thesetwo portraits show.Left, the boar-likesnout of a Paddle-flap ScorpionfishRhinopiaseschmeyeri in itsgaudy bright-pinkcolor phase; right,the ominous yawn of a small Dwarf LionfishDendrochyrusbrachypterus, a verycolorful but equallycryptic specieswhich is oftenobserved in smallaggregations. Bothspecies belong tothe Scorpaenidaefamily and aregifted with a highlyprotrusible mouth.

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Anyway, there seemed to be no realchoice - so I set up my Nikon 10.5mmplus a 1.5 Kenko teleconverter and hadit mounted on my D300 behind thesmallish polycarbonate fish-eye dome ofmy Sea & Sea housing.I find the results intriguing, and I likeusing this combination, as most speciesdo not associate the approaching,reflective dome with an impending dan-ger, and do not perceive it as thegaping mouth of a looming predator asit always happens instead with the105mm tubular port. A slight peripheraldistortion of the image becomes quitenoticeable at extremely short focusingdistances, so framing becomes anenjoyable challenge - a few degreesabove or under the horizontal will gene-rate dramatic differences in the finalcomposition. Since most subjects in theLembeh Strait are generally found lyingcamouflaged on the sand, silt or rubblebottom - and not perched on coralheads or walls as it would happen onpristine reefs elsewhere - one has to lite-rally dig the lower third of the dome inthe soft substrate to frame them more orless horizontally and not from above.This is where a smallish polycarbonatefish-eye or wide-angle dome proves tobe more practical than a bigger andmuch more expensive glass one - there’slittle risk of scratching it while rubbing itagainst the coarse sand (or even smallsharp pieces of coral rubble), and evenin this eventuality the optical effects arequite negligible since small surface

A Cerianthus sp. sea anemone displaysits Gorgon-like mass of floating, highlyurticating tentacles, waving in a mildcurrent. The actual body of the animal ishidden in a mucus-coated tube emergingfrom the silty substrate.

continued on page 62 ›

The Gorgon’s head, its deadly hair softlywaving in the current

61A tiny, less than 1 cm-

long Fingered DragonetDactylopus dactylopusjuvenile in its post-larvalstage. Notice the alreadyhighly developed flag-likefirst dorsal fin, typical ofthis very showy species.

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scratches can easily be erased later on(a glass dome would be ruined forgood). This technique however requestsa delicate hand and some nerve, sincesand, muck and grit rapidly collectaround the main O-ring grooves - a dan-gerous proposition. The remarkablyshort focusing distances involved alsopresent the very real risk of actuallybumping the dome into corals or rockswith serious risks of damage. My sugge-stion regarding the positioning of stro-bes while doing “wide-macro” is to usethem as they would be in normal fish-eye photography - widely spread andpositioned as far behind the actualdome as the length of the strobe armsallows. Even when burdened with a tele-converter, fish-eyes allow perfectly expo-sed images at low light levels, ensuringrazor-sharp focusing and exceptionaldepth of field. This is another wonderfulside effect of this technique - shooting inmacro mode without having to worrytoo much about losing sharpness andcorrect focus. If used correctly and crea-tively, the fish-eye + teleconverter combi-nation can successfully handle any sta-tionary subject ranging in size from acouple of inches to more than two feetin length, ie anything from a reasonablylarge nudibranch to a Crocodilefish. Itgives its most striking results in the midd-le range - permitting stunning shots offrogfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, seasnakes and octopus, all spectacularlycontestualized in a wide expanse oftheir natural habitat. Stationary or semi-

continued on page 66 ›

A Zebra Crab Zebridaadamsii sits well protectedamong the highly venomousspines of a Fire UrchinAstropyga radiata. The tinycrab is securely attached to its host by specially-evolvedhooks on its rear legs.

63An unidentified scorpionfish -

possibly Scorpaenopsis possiwith unusually developedfrontal “tendrils” - sits by a Goniopora coral head. In the barren expanse of theLembeh sea bottom all sorts of hide-outs and shelters are promptly exploited bypredator and prey alike.

Two moreexercises in thenightmarish and thegrotesque. Left, thesculptured, almostabstract features ofan unusually garishbut nonethelessperfectlycamouflaged ReefStonefish Synanceiaverrucosa, one ofthe most dangerousinhabitants of rubbleseabottoms. Itsdorsal spines caninflict exceptionallypainful wounds,injecting a venomwhich can provedeadly to humans.Right, the ghastly,skull-likecountenance of a WhitemarginStargazerUranoscopussulphureus, whosebox-like body liesburied in thesubstrate.

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Looking like aminiature creature of

ancient mythology, a smallCockatoo Waspfish

Ablabys taenianotus liescamouflaged among thedrably colored sponges

which have colonized thecoral rubble. Its long

dorsal fin rays can inflictvery painful wounds.

stationary subjects offer the best oppor-tunities obviously, but one is free toexperiment given the broad latitude inthe focused area. To be truly successfulwith this technique, however, the photo-grapher has to combine the “macroframe of mind” (visually focusing on themain subject) with the “fish-eye one” (iegiving much importance to the back-ground) - an interesting and engagingexercise in creative flexibility whichoften leads to compelling visual results.

A FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMThe Lembeh Strait is an almost uniqueecosystem, and as such it deserves allthe protection visitors and supporterscan give it. While most resorts aretoday enforcing a strict no-gloves divepolicy (something we actually do notagree with, as we believe fingertip con-trol can actually avoid damage by clum-sy divers - it also seems a rather ridicu-

continued on page 69 ›

A dark, cold realm whereonly the most cunningsurvive another night

Two of the mostunusual andstriking encountersone can make inthe dark waters ofLembeh - an eel-likeSnake BlennyXiphasia setifersurprised out of itsburrow and astriking ZebraBatfish Plataxbatavianusjuvenile, whosestriped livery helpsit camouflageamong crinoids.

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A study in flexible,boneless grace - a tiny,coin-sized WonderpusWonderpusphotogenicus strikes apose trying to intimidatethe observer. Lembeh isan excellent location to encounter andphotograph both thisspecies and the equallyinteresting MimicOctopus Thaumoctopusmimicus.

68A pair of Horned Flatheads

Thysanophrys carbunculus - strictly relatedto the more commonly observedCrocodilefish - sit side by side on the seabottom, half-submerged in the soft silt and perfectly camouflaged. These twoindividuals are probably courting, as this is normally a solitary species.

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lous request when in the Lembeh Straitone mostly dives in, well...garbage), itis a fact that the success of the placehas led to an esponential increase inthe numbers of resorts and consequen-tially visiting divers. Some dive sites -especially the most famous ones - cur-rently risk being severely overdived ona daily basis, provoking the disappea-rance of those same rare and oftentimid species people are coming to seefrom all over the world. The area is sup-posed to become a National Parksoon, but in the meantime it is impera-tive for all the dive operators in thearea to agree on common, strict rules:divers - especially photographers - mustlearn not to pester their guides withobsessive requests, and a firm rotationon the most frequently visited dive siteslike Hairball, Jahir or Nudi Falls mustbe enforced as soon as possible.Lembeh is a fragile masterpiece, andnone of us wants to see it hopelesslyshattered by uneducated divers or ove-renthusiastic, greedy dive operators.

TRAVEL TIPS Most dive resorts on the Lembeh Straitare just a couple of hours drive fromManado: your travel operator willarrange everything for you. Water tem-perature in the Lembeh Strait is appre-ciably lower than could be expected(think 24/27 C°), so a 5mm wetsuit ora vest under a 3mm wetsuit will behandy. A full hood will also help in avoi-ding head- and neck-aches in the cold

continued on page 72 ›

A Weedy ScorpionfishRhinopias frondosa sitsamong the rubble. Itsgaudy bright-orangelivery hides it well in thistextured environment, as red is one of the firstcolors of the spectrum todisappear at depth innatural light.

70A male Peacock

Flounder Bothus mancusdisplays its greatlyelongated pectoral finrays. In natural light itshighly ornamented livery makes it invisible on thetextured seabottom of the Lembeh Strait.

71A close-up of the eyes of

the common CrocodilefishCymbacephalus beauforticlearly show its complex,maze-like color patterns.The resulting camouflageis highly effective andhides the animal well.Notice the tiny branchedskin flaps effectivelydissimulating the pupil.

72

A commonsight on the mucky

sea bottoms ofLembeh, as aBlack-saddled

Snake EelOphichthus

cephalozonaemerges like a

miniatureperiscope from

the slime-coatedsubstrate. If

approached toorapidly thisspecies willimmediately

retreat into itsvertical burrow.

water. Stinging hydroids are also preva-lent on several dive sites, so be prepa-red to get stung and avoid touchinganything underwater. The diving is veryeasy, mostly taking place in shallowwater, with little or no currents and inthe company of experienced dive gui-des. In fact many dive guides - especial-ly the younger ones - are not only eagle-eyed and highly motivated, but alsomaybe a bit too eager to please theirclients in the hope of getting a good tip.Regardless of the resort one is stayingat, most dive sites are just a few minutesaway by speedboat - and after nightdives (not to be missed here!) one willusually find a warm, dry towel and amug of hot chocolate waiting back onthe boat. Most resorts normally offerthree dives a day - two in the morningand one in the early afternoon - plusnight dives and unlimited house reefdiving: groups are kept to a minimum,with no more than four divers for eachguide (in some resorts no more thanthree), allowing maximum freedom andoptimizing photo opportunities. Mostdive resorts also offer mosquito-scree-ned camera rooms by the dive center,where photographers and video-graphers can leave their equipmentovernight to dry and reload batteries:220 and 110 volts are both available.No visas are needed upon entry inIndonesia, but nationals of severalwestern countries have to pay an heftyfee in Manado Sam Ratulangi Airport’simmigration office both when enteringand exiting the country. .

73

Masters of disguise and deceit, frogfish live a life of lies

Two GiantFrogfish

Antennariuscommersoniindividuals,perching on

widely differentmicrohabitats,

demonstrate thegreat latitude in

coloration and theexceptional

camouflage thisrelatively large

species canachieve.

Coloration andpossibly pattern

on several frogfishspecies is

dependant on thechosen perch andhabitat, and it can

accordinglychange in the

course of severaldays or weeks.

74

This is how an angry Devil Scorpionfish Inimicusdidactylus looks when flushed from the substrateunder which it lied - its beautifully marked finsnow widely spread in warning and its erectdorsal spines ready to impale the disturber,injecting a large dose of very painful venom.One of the many good reasons never to lie or sit on the seabottom in the Lembeh Strait.

75

The unmistakable frontview offered by a Paddle-flap Scorpionfish Rhinopiaseschmeyeri - a veryuncommon and muchsought-after species.

76

Barren,stretching in all

directions, oftenmurky, the Lembeh

underwaterlandscapes

transform evenrelatively

mundane subjectslike this SpotfinLionfish Pterois

antennata inmagical

encounters.

Lembeh - by itsown murky, darknature - is anenvironment ideally suited tomacrophotography.Left, a partiallybacklit CockatooWaspfish Ablabystaenianotus; right, amore conventionalportrait of a Bicolorblenny Ecseniusbicolor emergingfrom its abandonedtubeworm lair.

77

78

An aptly-named White-eyedMoray eel Siderea thyrsoideaglares madly from its lairamong clumps of Gonioporacorals, their flower-like polypsfully expanded in the current.

79

Sudden flashes of brightcolors in a landscape

of utter drabness

For someunexplained reason- possibly its blackvolcanic sandbottoms - the Lembehenvironment seemsto intensify the colorsof its inhabitants, asthis normally blandlycolored species - the Zebra LionfishDendrochyrus zebra- clearly shows.

80In an underwater world of deceit

and illusion nothing is ever as it seems- can you spot the Painted FrogfishAntennarius pictus hiding in silentambush among the sponges, debrisand algal growth on the bottom?

81

A large Paddle-flapScorpionfish Rhinopias eschmeyeri

shows its unmistakable gargoyle-like profile. Notice the algal growth

on its body, which will be shed -together with its skin -

at the next molting.

82

Most adult Clown FrogfishAntennarius maculatus found in

Lembeh show a bright yellow liveryrather than the more customary

white observed elsewhere.

83A lonely Seahorse - probably Hippocampus

taeniopterus - hangs tenaciously to its little perch inthe endless, gloomy waste of the Lembeh seabottom.

84

A cornucopia ofpatterns and colors -clockwise, from lefttop: WeedyScorpionfishRhinopias frondosain a rare goldenphase; close-up of a WonderpusWonderpusphotogenicus in fulldisplay; close-up ofthe suction feet ofthe highly venomousFlower UrchinToxopneustespileolus; and the“tiled” bottom faceof a PincushionSeastar, Halityleregularis.

85

A stunningexample ofexceptional

camouflage isoffered by this

largeCrocodilefish

Cymbacephalusbeauforti,

brazenly sitting in the open. Its maze-likereticulations

create asurprisingly

effective disruptivepattern, disguising

completely itsbody shape. The marine

environment of theLembeh Strait isthe ultimate field

laboratory forthose interested in

camouflage,mimicry and

general survivalstrategies of

benthic marinespecies.

86More interesting patterns, colors and body shapes.

From left, a Harlequin Shrimp Hymenocera elegansfeeding on a seastar, the razor-thin front profile of aLeaf Fish Taenianotus triacanthus and lastly theflowing, indiscernible shape of a still undescribedHairy Octopus slinking among a clump of fire-redDendronephtya soft corals.

Anotheruncommon sightas a Napoleon

Snake eelOphychthys

bonapartiemerges from its

burrow in the silt,showing its

colorfully bandedbut usually hiddenbody. Snake eels

are nocturnalpredators which

feed on small fish,crustaceans and

cephalopods.

87

More Lembehfaces and profiles -sometimes elegant,often horrid, alwaysstunning. Clockwise,from left top: themad-doctor glare ofa White-eyed MoraySiderea thyrsoidea,the monstrous looks of a DevilScorpionfish Inimicusdidactylus hiding in the sand, thetechnicoloreddisplay offered by a Dwarf LionfishDendrochyrusbrachypterus andthe dead-leaf profileof a Cockatoo orSpiny WaspfishAblabys sp.

88

89

A large Tasselled ScorpionfishScorpaenopsis oxycephala lies in

ambush on a sea anemone,apparently unaffected by the

latter’s stinging cells.

A living laboratory to study and admire the

fine art of camouflage

90A face-on portrait of a rare

golden Weedy ScorpionfishRhinopias frondosa shows to good effect its grotesquefeatures - notice the upturnedsnout, the leaf-like tasselsabove the eyes and aroundthe mouth and the transparent“windows” in the huge lattice-like pectoral fins.

91

A coin-sizedFlying Gurnard

Dactyloptenaorientalis juvenile

flares its hugepectoral fins,which will be

the salient,unmistakable

feature of the 30cm-long adult.

The peacock-likecolors are atypical

for the speciesand are observedalmost exclusively

in the Lembehpopulations.

92Variations in

blue: clockwisefrom left top, amale Thorn-backCowfish Lactoriafornasini, aBubble ShellBullina lineataprowling at night,the snout of aBlue-spotted SandDiver Trichonotussetigerusemerging fromthe substrate andthe unmistakabledragon-likefeatures of anadult Blue RibbonEel Rhinomuraenaquaesita.

93The deadly elf

of the underwaterworld - a tiny Blue-ring OctopusHapalochlaenalunulata, whosefluorescent markingswarn of a deadlybite. Its neurotoxicvenom has provenfatal to humans inseveral instances -beware itsaposematic (iewarning) livery andnever try to handleit if you are luckyenough to find one.

94Benthic, static

and exquisitelycamouflaged sit-and-wait predatorsform the majority ofLembeh’s mostinteresting denizens- from a scientificbut also from aphotographic pointof view. The unusual“hairy” local morphof the StripedFrogfishAntennarius striatus(left) and the brightyellow and purpleClown FrogfishAntennariusmaculatus (right) areonly two of manyfascinating subjects.

95

When threatened the CockatooFlounder Samaris cristatus suddenlyspreads its greatly elongated, bright

white dorsal fin rays - in the hope of momentarily distracting or startling

its persecutor. We can attest the efficacy of its ruse!

96

A tiny, post-larval sized ZebraCrab Zebrida adamsii stands out

on the hellish, lava-hot redbackground of its protecting host, a

Fire Urchin Astropyga radiata.

97The purest essence of the

Lembeh Strait’s gloomyunderwater universe - the skull-like, bone-white stark features of aDevil Scorpionfish Inimicusdidactylus half-buried in the silt,silently ambushing its prey.

The art of disappearing - or looking like something else - is the essence of Lembeh

98

Northern Sulawesi encompasses alarge area of exceptional natural beauty,with breathtaking landscapes and uniquefauna. Divers have the despicable habit ofseldom looking around when on holiday, buton this occasion it would really be a pity notto engage in some hiking or car touring,especially since most dive resorts readilyoffer affordably-priced excursions with excel-lent English-speaking guides and extremelycomfortable transportation. Two destinationsthe discriminating traveller cannot afford tomiss while in the area are TangkokoNational Park and the MinahasanHighlands. The former can be reached frommost resorts in the Lembeh Strait with a sce-nic drive lasting from one to two hours andthen can easily be visited on foot – the coa-stal lowland deciduous forest is the home ofat least three large troops of the endangered,endemic and highly sociable Black orCrested Sulawesi macaque (Macaca nigra)and the haunt of several family groups of thefascinating Sulawesi Tarsier (Tarsium spec-trum), the smallest primate in the world,usually found nesting inside the hollow trunksof strangling figs and observed just beforetwilight at several locations inside the Park.Park Rangers have habituated several ofthem to accept the large grasshoppers beingoffered, so sightings are usually guaranteed.With Sulawesi macaques it’s a matter of luck,basically – sometimes they’re found on thebeach by the entrance gate, scavengingamong the trash and litter left by the locals,but on other occasions visitors have to walkfor hours to catch a glimpse of a troop.

National Park

The highly social Blackor Crested Sulawesimacaque Macaca nigrais a primarily terrestrialprimate which lives introops of 5 to 25 animals..

TangkokoTangkokoNational Park

continued on page 100 ›

The Black Ape:endemic,expressive,endangered

The Black Ape:endemic,expressive,endangered

99

A quick day trip to Tangkoko is clearly notenough to fullyexplore the photoopportunities offered by its lushenvironment, butwith some care andattention it’s quitepossible to bringhome some perfectlygood shots. Insects, arthropodsand interestingvegetation details -such as thoseillustrated in thispage - abound in every corner of the Park.

100Tangkoko is home to the largest

remaining population of the endangeredCrested Macaque in Sulawesi, where only 5000 individuals survive.Another interesting species of the Park is the Sulawesi Tarsier Tarsium spectrum (below), a strictly nocturnal and very nimble insectivore.

Longer (from three to five hours) hikes in theforest will also result in sightings of shy butspectacular hornbills, snakes, agamids andinsects. This is a reasonably pristine environ-ment, and long walks or night excursionscommonly deliver very interesting encounters– sadly however the Park facilities are woe-fully inadequate and underfunded, so it’salmost impossible spending the night on thepremises to take full advantage of the visit.Getting to Tangkoko from Lembeh is a ratherlengthy drive, and one isn’t able to spend asmuch as needed in the protected area in thecourse of a single day trip. Granted, thereare a couple of simple backpackers’ “lod-ges” (small private homes in fact) rentingrooms for the night just besides the Park’sentrance gate, but we’ve heard too manytales about lice-infested beds and ratsscurrying in the toilets about them to be wil-ling to try them out. The second trip lasts allday and will take you to the cool and beau-tiful Minahasan Highlands, rich in local cultu-re and scenic landscapes. One of the highli-ghts of the excursion is the midday visit to thecolorful and noisy local market at Tomohon,which offers many interesting opportunities tophotographers. Just make sure to avoid the“meat” section of the market, where unawarevisitors will be faced by the gruesome andheart-rending spectacle of desperately yel-ping dog puppies being slaughtered for thetable, together with roadside stands offeringkebabs of freshly grilled jungle rats and half-roasted, scorched fruit bats which have justbeen blow-torched alive. With all due respectto local culture, telling your guide in advancewill guarantee you’ll be spared most of theseshocking sights if you - like us - would ratheravoid facing them. Besides the market, you’llalso enjoy spectacular sights of rice paddies,terraced cultivations and jade-green volcaniclakes: the local Minahasans inhabiting thisverdant, fertile area are very active in far-ming, pottery making and woodworking.They are also quite good looking, exceptio-nally friendly and said by other Indonesiansto be of Cambodian origins. .

101

Jumping spiders of various species - all belonging to the FamilySalticidae but often very difficult to identify correctly - abound amongthe dead leaves littering the forest floor (above). Checking tree trunksand branches will often reveal the presence of exceptionally colorful -but equally problematic to identify - Fulgorid planthoppers (below).

The sheer number of Salticid Jumping spider species which can beobserved in Tangkoko - even in the course of the briefest of visits - can

be quite stunning. Particularly interesting are those featuring greatlyelongated jaws (above and below), mostly showing a stunning metallic

sheen and observed as they actively hunt on vertical tree trunks.

Checking carefully among the green leaves of the shrubbery will often provide

sightings of colorful grasshoppers (top) and, with a bit more luck, of graceful and very

well camouflaged Praying Mantids (above).

102

USEFUL TIPS FOR YOUR EXPEDITIONSome simple, common sense, field-tested advice and information to make the best out of your trip and avoid hassles, worries and problems

ROUTE: Your flight connection (presumably fromSingapore, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur) will land at SamRatulangi International Airport in Manado, NorthSulawesi. Visitors from several Western countries areexpected to pay a hefty entrance tax at Immigration.From Manado it’s a two-hour long car drive to theLembeh Strait, where you’ll find your dive lodge ofchoice – they’ll be waiting at the passengers’ exit topick you up with the resort minibus.

MEANS OF TRANSPORT: None since you won’tbe doing much except diving. If you want to visitTangkoko National Park or the MinahasanHighlands your dive resort concierge will be glad to

organize a car rental with driver/guide for you at avery reasonable price.

CURRENCY: Trips are usually paid in advance, butextras can usually be settled in Euros or US currency.The local currency is the Indonesian Rupiah.

ACCOMODATION: Since the old days - whenthe legendar y (and now rather run -down)Kungkungan Bay Resort was the only choice intown, amounting to an exclusive and expensivecountry club – things have changed radically. Nowthe Lembeh Strait is replete with a wide variety ofdive resorts, from rather expensive and relatively

luxurious ones to more affordable options. We cansafely recommend Jim and Cary Yanny’s EcoDivers as one of the most serious and dependableoperators, otherwise some dive Forum sleuthing onwww.wetpixel.com or www.divephotoguide.comwill help you in choosing the right one for yourneeds and pockets.

FOOD: Depends on where you are staying –despite the many wonders and mouth-wateringflavours of Indonesian traditional cuisine, most diveresorts in the Lembeh Strait opt to offer westernized,sanitized, unappetizing menus as the great majorityof US and European visitors seem totally unable to

At-a-glance travel guideCOUNTRY OF DESTINATION: INDONESIA

deal with the spicy, fiery condiments of Manadonesefood. Don’t worry however – you’ll have overcookedpasta, concrete-like burritos, flavorless nasi gorengand other watered-down, bastardized internationaldishes but at least you’ll be spared the roasted ratsand barbecued dog of the traditional local cuisine.

LANGUAGE: English and Bahasa Indonesia.

WORRIES: The waters of the Lembeh Straitcertainly aren’t the cleanest in the world (it’sbasically a filthy garbage dump in front of a bigdirty industrial harbour) so it’s better to avoid divingwith open cuts. More importantly, always refrainfrom touching marine species or kneeling on the seabottom – this is the preferred habitat of a great

number of highly venomous and per fect lycamouflaged species. Hydroids can also causesevere rashes, painful sores and maddening itchingin several dive sites (notably Nudie Falls). Be verycareful if walking barefoot or with flip-flops at nightand when sleeping in ground- level woodenbungalows – large tropical centipedes (Scolopendrasp.) are exceedingly common in rainy weather, andthey have the unpleasant habit of inf l ict inghorrendously painful bites when brushing againstnaked flesh at night. You have been warned!

HEALTH: Apart from the above, no worries worthmentioning even if dengue is present.

CLIMATE: Strictly tropical and exceedingly humid,

often stifling. Rain showers are an almost dailyoccurrence. The water of the Strait is surprisinglycold however – which explains the presence of somany unusual and uncommon species.

BESIDES: Besides its fascinating sealife andstunning natural landscapes, the area offersinterest ing tr ips to the color fu l MinahasanHighlands and Tangkoko National Park – bothoffering exceptional photo opportunities. Anevening stroll or dinner in nearby Manado – acolorful, noisy, smelly town - will also provideglimpses into the lives of the locals. Sadly, mostvisitors to the Lembeh Strait seem to be exclusivelyinterested in the diving – a trait shared by most ofthe scuba community worldwide. .

Unique diving, stunning natural landscapes and exotic wildlife

103

http://www.divephotoguide.com/underwater-photography-trips/

104

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HHeavily industralized and populated, Italy doesn’t readily spring to mind when one thinks about wildlife or untouched nature. And yet there is beauty to be seen for those who know how to look – as our Guest Photographer shows us with his stunning images

My name is Matteo Di Nicola. I live in Northern Italy,where I was born in 1986. I have a degree inNatural Sciences and I am still a student in scienceteaching and divulgation at the State University ofMilan. I have chosen this path following my passionfor nature and wildlife, being well aware it won’t beeasy finding a job in this field - at least in the nearfuture. Since when I was still very young, an all-consuming love for any kind of small creature hadme taking it home to care for it, and in the process I learned about its morphology, life habits and needs.Growing up, I soon learned animals would rather livefree and wild in their own environment: my love forphotography stems then from the desire to “collect”and classify the creatures I sighted during my hikeswithout bringing undue suffering upon them. Takinghome a good shot of an animal I had encounteredduring a walk in the wilderness was like having thatsame animal with me - forever. This - even today -allows me to take home animals, flowers, trees andeven full landscapes! Wishing to share with otherswhat I saw I gradually developed a better technique,trying to obtain images which are not only faithful to real life but are also pleasing to the eye. This is noteasy by all means - for the implicit difficulties posedby subjects and situations and by the high costs

of a professional camera equipment. It goes withoutsaying that in getting a good shot the photographerhimself is the most important element - but without a good set-up the matter gets even more complicated.I want to stress that I only shoot free specimens, found in the wild after long and occasionally difficultsearches, in the total respect of the animal or plant and its environment. Situations and placesvary a lot. Italy offers an enormous variety of close-byand easily reachable habitats, from its Mediterraneansea coasts to the alluvial plains and the tall Alpinemountain ranges, but it is densely populated and it is almost impossible finding areas untouchedby man’s activities. This means that finding andapproaching wild animals is exceptionally difficult. In fact, many Italian wildlife photographers have been forced to look for their subjects abroad as wild specimens here are frustratingly wary of man and close to unapproachable. In the future I shall certainly wish to visit other areas of bigger biodiversity where subjects are more easilyapproached. In the meantime, I’m doing my best to refine my technique and in looking for interestingsubjects in Italy, the country I live in and whosewildlife deserves to be known, pictured and protectedas much as that of any other place on Earth. .

Matteo Di Nicola: A Wildlife Photographer in his own words

Italian Delights

http://www.matteodinicola.com

Red Fox(Vulpes vulpes),March 2011, Aosta Valley, Italy.Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8, 24mm 1/640 f11iso200, handheld,flash SB600.One of thebeautiful foxesfound in the GranParadiso NationalPark. Somewhatused to thepresence oftrekkers and skiers,this individual –however alert –allowed a closerthan usual approach. Given the short distance, I chose to use a wide-angle, with the stunning meterological conditions of theday providing perfect lighting.

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Common Adder(Vipera berus),

September 2010,Lombardy, Italy.

Nikon D300, 300mmf4, 1/800 f4 iso500,

handheld, no flash. A stunning Common

Adder female with anuncommonly

contrasted pattern. This beautiful

specimen was encountered just

before the arrival of autumn in the

mountains close to thetown of Bergamo.

Wasp Spider and sunrise (Argiope bruennichi), August 2010, Lombardy,Italy. Nikon D300, 90mm f2.8 macro, 1/250 f4 iso320, flash R1, handheld.A relatively common but truly beautiful spider which I photographed at dawn in the River Ticino Park, with the early morning’s sun fiery ball in the background.

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Black-headed Gull(Chroicocephalus ridibundus), February 2009, Adda river, Lombardy, Italy.

Nikon D300, 300mm f4, 1/1600 f5 iso250, handheld, no flash.A winter afternoon’s encounter along the river Adda, where ducks

and gulls are often found, looking for scraps of food on the water surface.I tried to freeze the action choosing a high shutter speed.

European Robin(Erithacus rubecula),January 2010,Lombardy, Italy.Nikon D300, 300mm f4, 1/500 f4 iso500, tripod, no flash.Birds in Italy are invariably and exceptionally warydue to hunting pressure. The onlyway to get close tothem is by using ahide and baiting themfor several days -often in freezing cold as in this case. I love the soft lighting of thisimage, provided bythe overcast weather.

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Grass Snake in the water (Natrix natrix), July 2010, Sesia river, Piedmont, Italy. Nikon D300, 300mm f4, 1/320 f4 iso640, handheld, no flash. An uncommonly large and truly imposing specimen of this harmless snake, which I gently cornered in a shallow water bend of the river. Here I decided to use the 300mm lens to uniformly blur the background.

Late Spider-orchid (Ophrys fuciflora), May 2010, Lombardy, Italy.Nikon D300, 300 f4, 1/500 f5.6 iso200, tripod, no flash.

A stunning orchid – to blur the confusing vegetation in the background I usedmy 300mm on a tripod, filtering sunlight through a small white umbrella.

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Sticky Primrose and habitat(Primula glutinosa), July 2010, Aosta Valley, Italy. Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8, 17mm 1/250 f16 iso200,handheld, flash R1.A clump of colorful Primroses in the dramatic Aosta Valleyalpine environment. Some soft strobe lighting was used to avoid sharp shadows.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), January 2010, Lombardy, Italy.

Nikon D300, 300mm f4, 1/500 f4 iso640, tripod, no flash.Another shot taken in freezing cold and from a hide, baiting birds

with the food they cannot find in the wild at this time of the year.

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Common Toad (Bufo bufo), June2010, Piedmont,Italy. Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8,17mm 1/5 f14iso200, handheld,flash R1.A large CommonToad femalewhich I foundamong some dra-matic ruins justbefore sunset. I used Nikon R1macro strobes to light up the foregrounddetails.

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Ceramica pisiSeptember 2010,

Lombardy, Italy.Nikon D300,

90mm f2.8 macro,1/200 f22

iso200, handheld,flash R1.

A beautifully colored and

patterned caterpillar which

I found whilelooking for adders

in the mountainsaround Bergamo.

Cinquefoils and habitat (Potentilla sp.), July 2010, Aosta Valley, Italy. Nikon D300,

17-50mm f2.8, 17mm 1/160 f14 iso200, handheld, flash R1.The Aosta Valley is a splendid alpine region of Northern Italy.

Close to Rutor glacier, this clump of Cinquefoils offered a lovely subject with its scenic mountain lake in the background.

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Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata), September 2010, Lombardy, Italy. Nikon D300, 10-17mm f2.8, 13mm 1/100 f16 iso320, handheld, flash R1. I love the rocky, almost prehistoric environment in which I shot this elegant Green Lizard female.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea),

April 2009,Lombardy, Italy.

Nikon D300,300mm f4 +

converter 1,4X,1/1600 f5.6 iso500,

handheld, no flash. April is nesting time

for these birds, which group in large rookeries.

This low-flying individual was

shot in poor lightconditions with myhandheld 300mm

extended to 420mm.

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Fagusand starsSeptember2010,Piedmont,Italy.NikonD300,10-17mmf2.8, 10mm30sec f4iso800, tripod, no flash.I opted for a very longexposure toget both thestars in thewinter skyand the enor-mous, leaflessBeech risingtowardsthem.

WallLizard

(Podarcismuralis),

April 2009,Piedmont,

Italy.Nikon D300,

17-50mmf2.8, 17mm1/250 f18

iso320,handheld,

flash SB600.A common

Wall Lizardenjoys the

last minutesof warmth

before hiding for the night

among theruins of an

ancient fort.

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European Common Frog (Rana temporaria), March 2009, Lombardy, Italy.Nikon D300,17-50mm f2.8,17mm 1/250 f10 iso200, handheld, flash SB600.I had no rubber boots or waders with me – so I had to get in the water fullydressed to shoot this European Common Frog among its freshly laid egg clutch.

Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis), September 2010, Lombardy, Italy.

Nikon D300, 10-17mm f2.8, 14mm 1/100 f14 iso200, handheld, flash R1.Another very difficult species to shoot in macro-wide - as it moves incessantly - the

harmless Slow Worm is found in several hill and mountain habitats. This beautiful species is invariably mistaken for a snake (and often killed)

while it is in fact a limbless lizard.

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Spurge Hawk-moth(Hyles euphorbiae), September 2010, Lombardy, Italy.Nikon D300, 90mm f2.8 macro, 1/125 f6.3 iso200, tripod, no flash.I used a tripod to shoot this stunning Spurge Hawk-moth caterpillar.

Swallowtail(Papiliomachaon),September2010,Lombardy, Italy.Nikon D300,90mm f2.8macro, 1/200f6.3 iso200, tripod, no flash.A beautifulSwallowtailcaterpillar justbefore the arrival ofautumn.

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European Owl(Asio otus),

November 2010,Lombardy, Italy.

Nikon D300,300mm f4, 1/320

f4 iso200,handheld,

flash SB600.During winter time

European owlsgroup in roosts

– this was a verylucky andextremely

uncommon encounter.

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Common Toad (Bufo bufo), March 2009, Liguria, Italy.Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8, 17mm 1/80 f13 iso500, handheld, flash SB600.A Common Toad by a stream in a small wood – alas, light levels were too low for my liking.

Common Salamander (Salamandra salamandra), October 2010, Lombardy, Italy.

Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8, 24mm 1/200 f14 iso200, handheld,flash R1. Rainy days offer the best chances

to happen upon these colorful salamanders moving about among the leaf litter and along woodland streams.

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Asp Viper (Vipera aspis atra), September 2010, Canton Ticino, Switzerland.Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8, 24mm 1/100 f16 iso200, handheld, flash R1. A stunning Asp Viper specimen which I chose to portray in its exceptionally scenic habitat.

Crested Tit (Parus cristatus),

December2010, Engadin

Valley,Switzerland.

Nikon D300,300mm f4,

1/500 f4iso200,

handheld, flash SB600.

A truly delightfulCrested Tit

– possibly themost beautifulamong Tits in

my opinion.

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Louisiana Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), September 2010, Lombardy, Italy. Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8, 24mm 1/100 f14 iso400, handheld, flash R1. An alien and invasive species but also a very colorful one – this one is adopting its impressive defensive display. Louisiana Crayfish have adapted very easily to Italy’s environment.

European Common Frog (Rana temporaria), July 2010, Lombardy, Italy.Nikon D300, 17-50mm f2.8, 28mm 1/200 f20 iso200, handheld, flash R1.

In Italy, the European Common Frog is only found in hilly and mountain environments, often at high elevations and low temperatures.

Shooting in macro-wide, my favourite technique, requires speedy actions, as one’s subjects seldom stay still for more than a few seconds before fleeing.

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Red Squirrel(Sciurus vulgaris),March 2009,Engadin Valley,Switzerland.Nikon D300,300mm f4,1/200 f5.6iso200, handheld,no flash.I was in snow,freezing cold andwithout a tripod –but this delightfulRed Squirrelstopped longenough to allow me onesharp shot.

http://www.bittenbysharks.com

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STING OF THE SCORPION We love macro and we love photographingdangerous animals - small venomous insects,arthropods and snakes usually make highlyinteresting and often stunning subjects. Beingexceptionally cryptic or - on the opposite - brightlycolored (but always very hard to find), suchcreatures never fail to elicit our enthusiasm in thefield. However, small or smallish venomousspecies can also be rather pugnacious and quickto defend themselves from a real or perceivedthreat, and the last thing one wants to happenwhile in the field and far from medical attention is

being stung or bitten by a dangerous animal -even non-life threatening venoms can cause anacute degree of discomfort, painful infections andlocal necrosis. Just the same, one desperatelywants to get really close to such beautiful subjects,especially since several of them will not flee ordisplay signs of aggression if not actuallytouched. Finding oneself in very close proximityto many of these animals (we are talking aboutcentimeters/inches here) can however provedangerous. Pit vipers - usually treacherouslylethargic by day - are quick to lash out by night,

as they can detect body heat and minutetemperature variations via their loreal pits, whichare beautifully effective infrared detectors; manyboas and pythons have a nasty attitude and arequick to bite; large scorpions have thedisconcerting habit of actually running atbreakneck speed towards the camera (and thehands which are holding it); several huge bird-eating spiders can release their urticating hairsand bristles; and in general one simply doesn’treally want to put bare hands holding camerabodies or strobes within striking distance of such

Flexibility and protection are top priorities when shooting dangerous subjects in macro modeSTING OF THE SCORPION

Fieldequipment&techniques

Fieldequipment&techniques

Photographing a Green Leaf MantisChoeradodis rhombicollis and

a Sri Lankan Pit Viper Trimeresurustrigonocephalus (bottom left) with the

Scorpion strobe bracket inconjunction with our Nikon D300

and SB-R200 flashes set-up.

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nuisances. Bulky, heavy camera set-ups or the useof assistants can prove dangerous and counter-productive, as one wants to remain agile toquickly move out of harm’s way andsimultaneously intrude as little as possible in thesubject’s environment - clumsily bumping into abranch might easily scare it away or provoke adefensive reaction.After some thinking and a little research, we havesuccessfully solved the conundrum with theadoption of a very simple, light and highly flexiblesystem. We use two Nikon SB-R200 strobes -

extremely powerful, light and compact units,which work only in remote (being controlled bythe camera pop-up flash or by a separatecontroller as per Nikon’s Creative Lighting System)- mounting them however on the highly innovativeScorpion Medical Close-up bracket rather thanusing Nikon’s own cumbersome ring SX-1 mount.The Scorpion bracket was designed anddeveloped in Italy by a specialist company,Agnos, for indoor dental close-up photography,but it has in fact proven itself as a reliable strobemount which allows a high degree of flexibility in

difficult field conditions thanks to its robust alloycomponents, which can be almost limitlesslyarticulated. It is a light, easily dismantled metalstructure comprising an extendable sled (which isfixed by means of a screw to the camera bodybottom) and two modular arms which can bepositioned at will using friction joints - a simple,no-frills and highly effective design. We like it somuch that we now use it on all our flash-litmacrophotography field work, occasionallyadding a third, hand-held Nikon SB600 forbacklighting effects. Whenever a third strobe

(technically a fourth - we are not counting thecamera pop-up flash here) is not present, one caneasily and rapidly detach one of the SB-R200units from its mount - thanks to its quick-latchsystem - and use it for backlighting effects, sinceit’s remotely controlled by the camera. The wholecontraption, partially or completely dismantled,can easily be taken on-board when flying withone’s carry-on luggage, together with camerasand lenses. However, while the Scorpion bracketoffers a highly practical solution to multiple strobepositioning by the field photographer alone -

Above, a good example of what one is really trying toavoid when shooting wide-macro in the field! Manysnakes - such as this Reticulate Python Python reticulatus -have a long strike and an impressive array of sharp teeth,while venomous species are even riskier for obviousreasons. Left, the Scorpion strobe bracket system shownready for use (3) and with its disassembled components (1 and 2). While not perfect (what is?), this sturdy, lightand reasonably flexible bracket has shown its worth onseveral occasions in demanding field conditions.

1 2 3

The real trick is getting close to the subject while staying out of reach of its strike

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effectively doing away with assistants - its usealone obviously does not solve the safetyproblems inherent with small dangerous subjects.To deal with this we have come up with aridiculously simple gadget - a semi-foldable (orrather, semi-rigid) heavily rubberized cardboardshield with a hole in its middle. The shield fits inour LowePro backpack’s external pocket but oncemounted on the camera/bracket combo is largeenough to (barely) protect the photographer’sexposed fingers and knuckles (the most exposedparts), while the macro or wide-macro lens fits

neatly in the central opening, protruding ever soslightly beyond. The face of the photographer iseffectively protected/hidden by the camera body.After having been rubberized (using a tube ofsealing silicone), the cardboard shield has beenthen painted in a mildly disruptive camouflagepattern on the side facing the subject, hiding thecomplex, cumbersome array approaching it. Itworks! Concealed behind this admittedlyamateurish and cheap contraption we have beenable to approach within inches several snakespecies which would have otherwise reacted with

quick aggression and potentially dangerous bites.Obviously this is not something we would trustwhen getting really close to much larger species -to deal with those we have come up with our ownhome-made polecam, which will be described ina future issue - but our little contraption works likea charm with the great majority of dangerousspecies, as you can see watching our little videos.Having successfully tested the design of the shieldon several occasions, we have then developed abetter, sturdier version designed as twointerlocking plastic plates, which should protect a

broader area and withstand the strike of largerspecies. But we have to confess we are too lazyto proceed with the new version, and so we’llkeep on using the same old wrinkly cardboardone...at least until it won’t finally give up underone of those torrential tropical downpours! .Disclaimer: Do not try this if you are not seriously experienced in dealing

with venomous and/or dangerous animals! The authors of the article and

the publishers of ANIMA MUNDI – Adventures in Wildlife Photography

cannot accept responsibility for any accidents which might occur to those

trying to imitate the techniques described above.

STING OF THE SCORPION 1 STING OF THE SCORPION 2ANIMA MUNDI

ON

Above, shooting a wide-macro close-up of a venomousEyelash Pit Viper Bothriechis schlegelii while using ourrubberized cardboard home-made shield. Left, using theshield in conjunction with the Scorpion strobe bracketand a wide-macro lens set-up to shoot a venomousCameron Highlands Pit Viper Trimeresurus nebularis.

http://www.mahoora.lk/

The Orangutan Rehabilitation Center of the Sepilok-KabiliForest Reserve - sited at the outskirts of the bustling town ofSandakan, in Malaysian Borneo - offers visitors the chanceof seeing its young simian guests twice daily, as the semi-domesticated orphaned young apes, once stolen from theirhabitat and now saved but still unable to fend for themsel-ves, emerge from the rainforest to feed on a diet of milk andbananas. As they grow and mature, they will hopefullylearn to find their own food in the wild, and will graduallydisperse in the surrounding forest to live a free life. It is aspectacle which evokes mixed feelings in the detachedobserver - the beautiful, vine-draped gigantic trees, the small

birds singing up in the canopy, the dozen or so youngOrangutans punctually swinging down on lianas - as on cue- to sit around the Park Ranger bringing their daily fare...butalso the noisy crowd of gaudily-dressed tourists elbowingand pushing each other on the wooden observationplatform, pocket cameras frantically clicking, mobile phonesrelentlessly filming, the rubbery clapping of flip-flops, theincongrous loud laughs, the silly jokes. Granted, most ofthese people would never see an Orangutan in the wild,and the feeding show offers a precious if somewhat artifi-cial surrogate - but are they really interested in knowingmore? Rainforests are being felled round the clock, all crea-

tures large and small are being killed, stolen, displacedeverywhere - is there still room on this Earth for them? Onone occasion, as I was watching the noisy, out-of-place tou-rist crowd, I suddenly noticed this young female Orangutansitting quietly aside by herself on the wooden walkway,away from the others, silently, her soft brown eyes gazingdreamily somewhere in the distance and showing anunspeakable melancholy. Did she feel the sadness of hercondition, the loneliness of her being torn between twoworlds? Was she dreaming of her long-lost forest home?What was she thinking? I don’t know - but in her eyes I sawa soul, and I felt ashamed of being a human. .

124

ThePartingShotThePartingShot

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IN ANIMA MUNDI‘S NEXT ISSUENo.4, Fourth Quarter, October 2011

ANIMA MUNDI MAGAZINE IS FREELY AVAILABLE AS A SUPPLEMENT IN PDF TO X-RAY MAGAZINE

STILL IN WONDERLANDPart 2 of our extensive coverage of Costa Rica’s Selva Verde NatureReserve and its wildlife

ENCHANTING ECUADOR!Spectacular reptile and amphibian portraits in Alejandro Arteaga’s stunning portfolio

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STILL IN WONDERLANDPart 2 of our extensive coverage of Costa Rica’s Selva Verde NatureReserve and its wildlife

ON ARCTIC WINGSAn exclusive reportage fromChurchill, Manitoba, bycelebrated bird photographerDavid Hemmings

ENCHANTING ECUADOR!Spectacular reptile and amphibian portraits in Alejandro Arteaga’s stunning portfolio

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