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Top 10 Critters You’ll Find When Diving at Magic Oceans in Anda, Bohol

From muck diving to steep walls to vibrant coral gardens, from the XXL-whale shark to the XXS Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse; Anda has it all and the experienced Dive Masters at Magic Oceans want to share it with you.

Below we’ve Listed the top 10 most special critters to find in Anda. Read on and discover why divers are traveling from all over the world to experience this little slice of heaven…

1. Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse

Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse. Photo Credit: Rob Wilson.
Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse. Photo Credit: Rob Wilson.

Is there anything more adorable than our top pick? So teeny tiny, and PINK! The beautiful Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse is very special indeed, unfortunately, they are also very fragile and need our help to survive. Please click here to find out how you can meet these little critters without hurting them.

2. Wunderpus

Wunderpus. Photo Credit: Karin Brussaard.
Wunderpus. Photo Credit: Karin Brussaard.

This critter is named after the German word “wunder”, meaning “marvel” or “wonder” and its not hard to see why; their long thin arms are covered in spectacular patterns, making them a truly exciting find even for the most novice of divers. The Wunderpus can be found, hiding in the sand, at several of Magic Oceans awesome muck diving sites.

3. Shaun the Sheep

Shaun the Sheep, Nudibranch. Photo Credit: Leendert.
Shaun the Sheep, Nudibranch. Photo Credit: Leendert.

Of course, we couldn’t leave Nudibranchs off our list, these nudibranchs are so exciting to find and Anda has such a huge variety of them, but Shaun the Sheep has to be a favorite! This very special nudibranch isn’t easy to spot, being smaller than a grain of rice, but the Dive Masters at Magic Oceans know where they are hiding. Who could ever have imagined that a slug could look so much like a cartoon sheep?!

4. Blue Ringed Octopus

Blueringed Octopus
Blueringed Octopus

Don’t be fooled by these critters cute and colorful appearance, the brighter they are, the more unhappy they are. The Blue Ring Octopi are one of the most poisonous animals in the sea, but of course, this is not a reason to fear them, like most marine life they are happy to mind their own business as long as you don’t harass them.

5. Flamboyant cuttlefish

Flamboyant cuttlefish. Photo Credit: Karin Brussaard.
Flamboyant cuttlefish. Photo Credit: Karin Brussaard.

This magnificent little critter is a favorite for underwater photographers and videographers. The Flamboyant Cuttlefish got its name for a very good reason, they display stunning changing colors and patterns on their skin to help with camouflage. They are also the only kind of Cuttlefish to actually "walk" along the bottom of the sea, such an amazing site to see.

6. Hairy frogfish

Hairy frogfish.
Hairy frogfish.

Who doesn’t love frogfish? These critters have such a long list of unique abilities it’s hard to know where to start… Their spines, or “hair”, are used for camouflage, helping them blend into rocks and corals. As if that didn’t help enough towards catching dinner, they are able to change color, they have a movable lure coming out of the top of their heads and they can open their mouths super wide to swallow prey whole! There are Frogfish hiding all throughout Anda, some as small as a pea, others as big as a basketball, and Magic Oceans Dive Maters are experts at spotting them.

7. Ghost Pipe Fish

Ghost Pipe Fish. Photo Credit: JP Bresser.
Ghost Pipe Fish. Photo Credit: JP Bresser.

Sometimes you may hear these critters being referred to as False Pipefish, rather than Ghost Pipefish, this is because in actual fact they are not Pipefish at all, they have a genus all of their own. In that genus, there are only five species, and you can find almost all of them at Magic Oceans’ dive sites, but perhaps you will need the help of their Dive Masters, the ‘ghost’ part of their name comes from the fact that they are especially hard to spot. But if you are lucky enough to find one, you are sure to be amazed, they really are so delicate and beautiful.

8. Peacock Mantis Shrimp

Mantis Shrimp. Photo Credit: Kaya Tan.
Mantis Shrimp. Photo Credit: Kaya Tan.

Unlike many of the other critters on this list, the Peacock Mantis Shrimp is not into camouflage. Usually, this vibrantly colored crustacean will hide in a hole or under rocks, but many around Anda have been stopped relaxing in the sand, posing for photographers, very unusual behavior.

9. Bobtail Squid

Bobtail Squid. Photo Credit: Wolfgang Laumann.
Bobtail Squid. Photo Credit: Wolfgang Laumann.

You wouldn’t guess, judging by their iridescent blue color, that these little critters are masters of camouflage, but they are. Bobtail Squids have a bioluminescent bacterium living in their skin that makes them invisible from underneath. Sounds like science-fiction, but with their tiny size, proportionately huge eyes and bright coloring, they are just oh so cute.

10. Seamoth

Seamoth.
Seamoth.

These critters are one of the main stars of Magic Oceans’ most popular muck diving site ‘Secret Place’. Because of by-catch and myths within Chinese medicine, sadly the Seamoth has become an endangered species, so witnessing them in their natural habitat is a real treat. When they spread their pectoral fins, they fan out like beautiful wings, making it easy to understand where they get their name.

Experience the all 10 critters at Magic Oceans for yourself, call our offices at 800-330-6611, request a quote now or send a note to sales@caradonna.com. We will arrange all the details of travel, diving, transfer and accommodations in one shot.

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