The Photo Wench’s New Camera–1st try at supermacro

Bubble coral with cleaner shrimp

Here’s a small bubble coral with a cleaner shrimp

 

Cleaner shrimp on bubble coral supermacro

Same shrimp with 10x adapter

On that first macro dive the other day, I also hoped to find a few subjects that would allow me to get close enough to use the Subsea 10x adapter. This shrimp and a couple of nudibranchs were cooperative as I tried to figure out just how close I needed to get to focus the lens (note–REAL close). I used this big lens on my previous camera system, but it was really awkward and inconvenient.  I had to take it out of my wetsuit pocket, screw it onto the port, shoot (assuming the subject was still there), and then stow it away again in my pocket when I was finished. My new system has the Nauticam flip adapter so I can just swing it into place when I want to use it–MUCH easier! I will definitely be using it a lot more in the future. Here are a few more comparisons:

Nudibranch (Phylidiella pustulosa)

Phylidiella nudibranch and tunicates

Phylidiella nudibranch supermacro

Same nudibranch with 10x adapter

 

Nudibranch (Glossodoris rufomarginata)

White-margined nudibranch crawling in the sand

Nudibranch (Glossodoris rufomarginata) supermacro

Same guy with 10X subsea adapter

 

I’ve been land-locked for the past few days with an annoyingly ill-timed head cold–Arrrrggggg!!! Hopefully I’ll be back in the water soon capturing memories of Sea Rovers Pirates and visiting Brethren enjoying their dives, as well as shooting images of the amazing undersea life from Menjangan and Pemuteran Bay. Stay tuned…

Brethren Gonzalo Dives Pemuteran

Gonzalo & Edi on the boat before Temple Garden

Gonzalo & Edi are all OK before diving Temple Garden

Brethren Gonzalo, visiting Bali from Ecuador, had only 1 day to dive in NW Bali. He really wanted to visit Temple Garden, so after a brief deep diver orientation, that’s where our crew took him. Conditions were great–good visibility with no current, and he enjoyed having Edi as a private guide.

Gonzalo & Edi posing for the camera

Gonzalo & Edi hovering in the shallows at Takat Jaran

 

Hope you can make it back to Pemuteran soon. Be sure to send us some of the photos you took.

Underwater Temple Garden Dive Site – FAQs

Buddha head statue at Temple Garden

Lots of soft coral and other life on this Buddha head statue

 

Statue at Temple Garden with soft coral and encrusting sponge

One of the many heads in Temple Garden Pemuteran

 

Constructed as one of the three BRF/Aus Aid funded projects, with the local divecentres. this spooky location consists of a small temple garden starting at 30m and works its way back to the dive site Temple Wall. Statues of Buddha, Ganesha, turtles and more abound behind an ornate Balinese gateway. Behind the central statue is an interesting little bommie with Buddha heads covered in cleaning shrimps. Up the wall and in the crevices behind you can find electric clams sparking away. Then at 15m you come to area of plinths and statue heads sitting in communion.

 

Is Temple Garden a snorkeling site?

No, not really. The statues are at a depth of 15-30 metres, and the visibility is often not the best due to its location in the bay. From the surface, you won’t be able to distinguish any real structural features because everything is covered with marine life. A better choice for snorkeling if you want to see statues and structures is Biorock.

NOTE; You may have seen pictures like these below on the internet showing statues and snorkelers. This is NOT the Temple Garden in Pemuteran.

Snorkeler & statues from the internet-not Temple Garden

NOT the Underwater Temple Garden in Pemuteran

Internet photo with snorkelers confused with Temple Garden

Also, NOT the UW Temple Garden in Pemuteran

 

 

Can I dive Temple Garden as part of an Introductory Dive Course or Discover Scuba Diving experience?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. If you complete the introductory dive course with us, you will have a temporary certificate that is valid for 14 days. This allows you to dive under the direct supervision of a divemaster or instructor to a maximum depth of 12 metres (Temple Garden is at 15-30 metres). But you CAN join us on any of our other normal trips.

 

I am an Open Water Diver. Can I go to Temple Garden?

If you have lots of diving experience, including deep dives (bring your logbook) and you’ve done a dive with one of our staff, then most certainly you can go.

If you want to get your Advanced Adventurer or Advanced Diver certifications or Deep Diver specialty, with a little bit of bookwork, we can take you there as your deep training dive.

Even if you don’t want to get a certification, you can sit down with one of our instructors, get a deep diver orientation and he will accompany you on the dive.

 

I have Advanced and/or Deep Diver certification, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been diving. What about me?

Yes, but not as your first/only dive with us. Consider taking a refresher course or a gentle refresher dive with one of our instructors/divemasters first. Get your feet wet on a slow and easy dive, sort out any equipment/buoyancy issues, and then you’ll be ready to go.

 

Temple Garden is one of the premier sites in Pemuteran, and we want to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for our brethren.

Save

Save

Save

Sea Rovers Message in e-bottle The pirates who dive
Send
Grab a Free copy of our Ebook on diving NW Bali

Grab a Free copy of our Ebook on diving NW Bali

Join our mailing list to keep updated with Sea Rovers and get your Free ebook full of tips and info to help make your time in NW Bali great!

Thank You - enjoy the ebook!