Читать книгу Diving Indonesia Periplus Adventure Guid онлайн

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Our general assessment of diving off Bintan is quite positive in spite of the restricted visibility which ranged from a close to awful 3 meters (but still a lot better than Singapore) to a passable 7 meters. The water clarity was disturbed by fine sediment, and we are not sure if it is just a seasonal aberration. Currents are just about non-existent and the bottom is shallow, a perfect area for beginners.

There is plenty to keep the attention of more advanced divers. Nudibranchs and flatworms—unusual and colorful— are abundant, and we counted at least three dozen species, all competing for the prize in the "small-is beautiful" category.

We saw Tridacna clams—with their hallucinogenic patterns and colors—in the 25-60 centimeter range. Anemones and their spunky clownfish guests (at least three species) enliven most locations. We encountered two species of jellyfish—a large pinkish one, and a smaller-belled, cream-colored one with long, graceful tentacles. Both pulsated beautifully. A fine group of fishes—big, medium and small— also riveted our attention. Hard corals are abundant, in many areas in surprisingly good shape.