Phu Quoc - Nail Island

Nail Island can be reached on foot at low tide. It is a very shallow dive site ideal for training purposes.  There are many large rocks spread round the site offering swimthroughs  as well as many hiding places for the local sea life.

Max Depth: 6.1 m

Time: 61 min

Temperature: 27 degrees C

White Sea Urchin

Giant barrel sponge

Phu Quoc - Turtle Island

Phu Quoc diving accommodates shallow diving , between 10-12m at best.  Due to the breezy weather conditions we dived in the north of the island which is more sheltered than the greater range of dive sites offered in the south.  When there is more wind the southern islands are more exposed and conditions can change drastically.  Diving there is more suited to advanced divers.  Amongst the divers on our groups were visitors trying scuba diving for the first time so we were unable to head south.

Diving in Phu Quoc will be appreciated more by divers interested in macro and muck diving, you won't see big sharks, turtles or rays (even though our first dive site was called turtle island!).

We saw lots of damselfish, angelfish, anemone fish, nudibranchs (jorunna funebris) puffer fish, hard coral, whip coral and giant barrel sponge.

Depth: 6.7m
Temperature: 27 degrees C
Time: 40min 
Visibility: 10m

jorunna funebris

 

Chromodoris kuniei - Hon Mun Nudibranch

Taken on the second dive near Hon Mun when we were diving from Debbie's Beach to Rainbow reef.  I particularly like the colouring on this  nudibranch.  Very attractive!

 

Christmas tree worms - Spirobranchus giganteus

These little Christmas trees decorate the coral reef.  They seem like plants but are actually worms. 

 

Seahorse

Seahorse - Vietnam, Whale Island

Seahorse - Indonesia, Lembeh Strait

Hypselodoris bullockii - Whale Island, Vietnam

Pale Hypselodoris bullockii nudibranchs.

Red Clown Fish - Nha Trang, Vietnam

Clownfish were brought to public consciousness the world over by Disney. They aren't particularly friendly fish and, unsurprisingly, are particularly aggressive towards strangers. They display erratic intimidating behaviour when approached, darting around hyperactively trying to scare potential invaders, predators or divers.

Like many sea creatures, clownfish exhibit interesting sexual characteristics.  They are all born male and later mature into females.  The largest most aggressive female is found at the top of the dominance hierarchy.  Once transformed this change is irreversible.  If a female clownfish is removed from the group, one of the larger male clownfish will move up the pecking order and become female.

Clownfish live in a symbiotic mutualistic relationship with anemone.  The clownfish are protected in the sea anemone from potential predators while the anemone benefits from regular preening of parasites and nutrients from fecal matter.  Clownfish are also extremely beneficial as they feed on small invertebrates that may harm the anemone.

By performing an elaborate dance with a chosen anemone, rubbing against its tentacles, the clownfish slowly acclimate themselves with their host.  A mucus layer on the skin of the clownfish confers immunity to the anemone's lethal sting.