Snorkeling with cephalopods in Komodo

Mollusks are one of the most prominent taxa found in Horseshoe Bay and they range from the simplest of limpets to complex and intelligent cephalopods. Horseshoe Bay is found along the southernmost edge of Pulau Rinja, and is far and away one of the most distinctive snorkeling areas found in the Lesser Sundas. Known primarily for its handful of world-class dive sites, the ancient caldera is also home to shallow reefs that inhabit cold, upwelling waters and harbor different marine communities compared with other parts of Komodo National Park. Orange cup corals adorn nearly ever square inch of space, and what isn’t covered by these brilliant tiny coral, is occupied by tunicates, sponges, hard corals, soft corals, and sea cucumbers.

For snorkelers, it’s the cephalopods that garner much of the attention. Cute Bobtail squid, timid reef squid, broadclub cuttlefish, well-camouflaged reef octopus, and nocturnal starry night octopus can all be spotted in just a few feet of water within the bay. On that note, it’s actually the night snorkels that

For snorkelers, who often get only brief glimpses of these creatures, Horseshoe Bay provides a set of underwater habitats that seem to relax these animals and allows exceptional encounters.