The marine life around M’Pai Bay, Koh Rong Sanloem is very diverse, and we are extremely proud of this. The reefs are healthy and of course we want to keep it that way. When we are diving we see many fish species, crustaceans, nudibranchs, snails, corals, sponges, anemones, octopuses, rays, seahorses, starfish and more.
We can guarantee that we, at Bubbles Up! Dive center, will always do our best to show you these amazing creatures while scuba diving. What we see depends on a bit of luck, water conditions, and our own eyes. Some animals are excellent at hiding and are great in blending in with the rocks and corals.
Healthy Coral Reefs
What defines a healthy coral reef? It is true that 70% of the coral reefs are under threat and a lot of marine species are declining. This is something to worry about as coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
To determine if a reef is healthy, there are certain factors that play a role. This includes the percentage of coral cover, the diversity and density of reef fish, and invertebrates, and no coral bleaching.
If we take a look at the reefs around Koh Rong Sanloem, we see that the rocks are mostly covered by corals, and there are many species of fish, sponges, algae, and invertebrates in large quantities. Luckily, we also see hardly any bleached corals and lots of small corals and sponges.
Species
We have multiple dive sites, with different bottom types and each comes with their own inhabitants.
At coral reefs, we see several types of soft and hard corals, sponges, colorful reef fish, hermit crabs, nudibranch, star fish, snails and many more.
The crevices and cracks between the rocks and the corals are perfect hiding spots, as not every animal likes to be in the spotlight. Fish like squirrel fish and puffer fish like to hide under coral, while barracuda and trevally prefer mid-water. Fusiliers like to hang around the reef, and needle fish can be found just under the surface. Sharks hide under boulders during the day and moray eels like to sit in their tight dark spot and are on the lookout for prey. Butterfly and angel fish show their colors and are easily spotted cruising around.
Nudibranchs and snails like to move on the top or on the side of corals and rocks while grazing on algae and sponges. Starfish, crabs and other critters just crawl around in search for food or for a place to hide.
There are also sandy areas with a bit of seagrass where we typically find seahorses, octopuses, Indian walkers, scorpionfish, goby’s, saddleback anemone fish, cleaning shrimp, chocolate chip starfish and flatworms. Stingrays like to play hide and seek in the sand and when disturbed take off in a flash.
Protect The Reefs
As the sea is our work place, we would like to show people the healthy reefs. So we want to protect the reefs and keep the beaches clean. In order to do so, we minimize single use plastic, clean reefs and beaches, tell our customers not to touch and/or handle wildlife, and teach the boat captain not to anchor the boat on the reef and so on.
Good dive practice is very important to preserve the beautiful and precious underwater world, so we teach our students perfect buoyancy and skill and give tips to already certified divers. This means that people who are interested in diving and in the health of the underwater environment have a greater understanding of a world that we don’t live in but should strive to maintain.
