419 Dive Log Australasia AUGUST 2026

Blue Ribbon Eel

a random collection of animals. Each dive site had its own personality. Some were sculpted by current. Others seemed almost peaceful. Each invited exploration. One of my first photographic surprises waited almost literally on the resort’s doorstep. Only fifty feet from one of Matava’s permanent moorings lived a magnificent blue ribbon eel. It became an easy excuse to extend a dive. Blue ribbon eels have always fascinated me. Brilliant cobalt blue with a vivid yellow dorsal fin, they spend

most of their lives protruding from a single burrow, opening and closing their mouths rhythmically to move water across their gills. They appear almost artificial, as though someone had imagined a tropical eel while experimenting with neon paint. I visited this individual several times during the week. It never disappointed. Manta Ridge Then there was Manta Ridge. Every dive trip has one site that quietly becomes everyone’s favorite. For me, it was this one. The dive briefing always ended the same way. “Remember, manta sightings are never guaranteed.” It was a sensible disclaimer. Wild animals have little interest in dive schedules. Fortunately, the mantas apparently hadn’t read the briefing. The site consists of several long coral ridges running parallel to the main barrier reef. Between them lie broad channels, while the seaward side drops steeply into deep blue water. Along the tops of the ridges, rising to within about forty feet of the surface, lie several cleaning stations visited by a local population of reef mantas. Everything about the site seems designed for them.

Nocturnal Sea Spider

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Dive Log Australasia #419 August’26

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