Dive Into Your Imagination

Cuttlefish are cephalopods, related to octopus, squid and the chambered nautilus. They are only found in the South Pacific. With eight arms and two tentacles these masters of disguise are amazing to watch when you know their behaviors. Cuttlefish are territorial and can be found on the reef or mangroves.

In the video you observe both broadclub and flamboyant cuttlefish feeding. The video was shot on reefs in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The cuttlefish are shy and often so camouflaged that you can not even see them, but once your eyes get used to looking for shape shifters on the reef, you can train yourself to look for them, kind of like the games they test you with when you are a kid to see if you are color blind or not.

When scuba diving, we are bubble blowing monsters so it is important to approach animals from a non-invasive way very calmly. This is where neutral buoyancy plays an important role. Animals are great because all they do is feed and try not to get eaten. Broadclub cuttlefish tended to feed during dusk and at night, while flamboyant cuttlefish could be filmed at any part of the day feeding.

They were amazing as they each had their own techniques of flashing colors through their eight tentacles to confuse their prey and then their two tentacles would come out, aim and then BAM! The next thing you knew they were capturing fish, shrimp and other small animals.

BLUE OCEAN TIP: When we build along any coastline it is imperative to do underwater surveys and consider what will happen to the underwater world in the areas we want to expand. This is true whether we are building a resort, village or city. Visit eco-friendly resorts and dive operators when on holiday and always support the locals.

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