Rhinopias Fever: Phil’s Baby Weedy Scorpionfish (Rhinopias Frondosa)

Yes, we are fully aware that we have been in a state of Rhinopias rapture on Facebook and Twitter in the last few weeks. But, let us ask you, who’s ever sick of Rhinopias, let alone baby Rhinopias?

Take out your fish books, check out the pictures on internet, how often do you actually see a picture of a juvenile Rhinopias? It’s not very often, that’s for sure, which is why our dedicated guides were in a state of euphoria as they reported this week’s treat for you Rhinopias lovers. One of Maluku Divers’ senior dive guides, Soleman (we call him “Soulman” but as yet he won’t wear the huge afro wig or the large glasses) has a record of having found four (4) individual Rhinopias in Ambon bay, including a juvenile yellow Weedy Scorpionfish (Rhinopias frondosa) since he joined us five months ago. We thought this was pretty impressive and usually guides would be happy with such achievements, but not Mr Soleman, he kept on searching and now he has one more to add under his weightbelt: a juvenile Weedy Scorpionfish!

Coming all the way from the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, Phil Hetherington is a self confessed ‘happy snapper’ underwater. Although we’ve joked about Phil bringing the rain from Scotland when he first arrived in Ambon, the assurance we give to all our guests is, come rain or shine, our dedicated staff at Maluku Divers will never let the weather stop us from providing the best dive experience possible in Ambon. Phil’s week so far (with four more days remaining) is proof of that. Owing to the excellent critter-hunting skills of our dive guides, he was rewarded by many ‘first sightings’ for his eyes and his camera (watch out for next week’s report) in the last week, including this baby Weedy Scorpionfish measuring only 4 cm in length. We think this particular specimen is so young, it has yet to develop pigmentation.

Maluku Divers welcomes photographers of all kinds at our resort: serious professionals, aspiring amateurs and happy snappers. We have a dedicated camera room with individual stations for every diver, with a plethora of charging sockets for all the equipment in the photographer’s arsenal. The walls of the camera room are decorated with images contributed by many world renown photographers, inspiring divers to try new techniques and carry on searching for the rarest critters and behaviours. At each workstation, a convenient adjustable desk light can be used to pick out the smallest speck of dust or hair-strand that might put your camera at risk (check out our underwater photography facilities). From our experience since the resort opened it’s doors in 2009, given the wide range of marine biodiversity in Ambon, it’s going to be hard for anyone to resist taking pictures during their stay here.

In Phil’s own words, “Expect the unexpected, for every dive surprises you. It’s a place for many ‘firsts’!”

So pack your camera and housing, and we look forward to welcoming you in Ambon for an amazing dive and photography experience with Maluku Divers and our dedicated team.