My second trip to Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, was just as incredible as the first, if not better. This time, I stayed at Yos Dive Lembeh Resort, which, much to my surprise, was right next door to the resort I had visited during my first stay. It was completely by chance, not by design.

There were a few differences on this trip—most notably, I traveled solo. While Yos Dive Lembeh Resort wasn’t quite as luxurious as the first resort, I found it to be very charming with delicious meals. I was especially happy with the upgraded sea-view room they gave me, which offered a beautiful and peaceful atmosphere. Also, the food was spectacular. I felt I was spoiled by the ladies at Yos Dive Lembeh Resort.

Another best part of the trip was having a private dive guide. As a scuba diver with a camera, having someone dedicated to guiding me made all the difference, allowing me to capture the underwater world at my own pace while receiving expert insight along the way.

Mamang, my private dive guide, was used to working with professional underwater photographers. Since I’m far from being one of them, having me as his guest probably felt like a downgrade for him—hahaha! But hey, I was more than happy to take advantage of his experience assisting the pros.

The first thing he noticed was that I needed an external macro lens. Without missing a beat, he took the initiative to borrow one from the resort owner, Bapak Yos (yes, the resort is named after him), who also happens to be an underwater photographer. Certainly better than me.

The result? My photos improved drastically in quality. For example, I finally got a decent close-up shot of this sheep nudibranch. It was the first time I could capture it in such detail.

A marine biologist friend once told me that Shaun the Sheep is actually a sea slug. Interestingly, some of these slugs, including this one, are solar-powered, able to convert sunlight into usable energy. Reaching a maximum length of just 7 mm, these herbivorous slugs are often found in shallow reef areas, grazing on leaves and algae as they go.

Of course, we didn’t just find nudibranch. We came across a whole host of other critters that made my camera work overtime. One of the highlights for me was finally managing to capture a pink-eyed goby.

And, we couldn’t leave Lembeh without spotting an octopus or two. They showed up just when you least expect it, putting on a little show of camouflage before disappearing or hiding, just like this octopus. Every dive was a new surprise!

Lembeh never fails to surprise, the critters here are always worth chasing. I’m already looking forward to my next dive—because in Lembeh, the adventure never ends.

Please visit Instagram – indahs_travels for more underwater images by @indahs