As a newbie in scuba diving years ago, muck diving is like a pandora pox & has always kept me curios about. Lots of divers who I have met told me they prefer diving with the big fishes, pristine & colorful reefs. I kept wondering at some point is muck diving interesting at all ? What is that to see when in true muck diving there is no reef neither there is any corals around. Its just plain sandy bottom & in fact I could have just synonymously called it "Mud diving".

By looking at another perspective, big fish action is undoubtedly interesting & it comes with some challenging current & drift dive. However, for a change; I did try out muck diving & have since fell in-love with the vast variety of colorful little critters in our ocean. Now, in contrast to big fish action where your sightings could mostly base on your luck. If "they" happened to swim pass than you have an awesome dive. Muck diving depends much on your knowledge of the local reef, the habitat the critters are & those razor sharp eyes of yours to detect them. It's another type of challenge I would put it minus the strong currents (which is not always though). So, the next time; big fish action or little critters ??? both are equally interesting.

An ever graceful lionfish swimming pass a background of pinkish red anemone
providing a photography opportunity which would otherwise be just another ordinary shot.

Pontohi seahorse which was first sighted in Lembeh Straits. This tiny subject is one of several pygmy seahorses that is not specific host dependent, so it doesn't need a sea fan as a host.
To read more click on Pontohi Seahorse

Frogfish are rather common sightings for muck diving but a hairy frogfish is more than unique.

Mix of fortune for me in Jahir dive point, visibility was poor, lost my fellow divers. But buddied by my cam & this lonely Coleman shrimp hiding on his/her colorful playground

Mimic octopus shown to us by our guides. Usually nestling in the sandy bottom with only their eyes popping out looking for prey. A total of 6 mimic octopuses was sighted at Batu Sandar.

"Critter hunt" just as the dive point sounded. Undoubtedly this Blue ring octopus was totally amazed just as more than 20 divers who took turn looking at him/her.