Travel

An amphipod, the size of a grain of rice, peers menacingly out from the insides of a purple tunicate
 

While Philippine destinations like Anilao or Dumaguete get most of the shine and glory, it would be a mistake to overlook humble Romblon. Located at the very tip of the Verde Island Passage, Romblon sits smack in the center of a hugely diverse region of the tropical Pacific and, as such, hosts a huge variety of marine life. For macro and supermacro lovers, especially those hooked on sea slugs and nudibranchs, Romblon ranks right up there among the best places on Earth to find such critters. 

Perhaps this small slice of the Philippines is harder to get to than some others, but for those intrepid travelers willing to put in the hours to reach it, Romblon will likely reward them. One of Romblon’s biggest claims to fame is the incredibly strange and highly sought after Melibe colemani, or “ghost slug,” featured in this article. This fantastic little beast draws photographers and slug enthusiasts from all over the globe to the waters around Romblon in the hopes of finding it. If you can tear yourself away from the ghost hunt, likely you won’t know where to point your lens, as the constant parade of macro critters is nearly overwhelming. For those looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination that can rival any macro location in the world, Romblon deserves serious consideration and will no doubt load up your log books and memory cards.
 

A supremely well camouflaged shrimp. There are so many crustaeans in Romblon that the vast majority are not yet identified
 

A well disguised Phyllodesmium briareum. Romblon is a hotspot for sea slugs and nudibranchs
 

In this portrait of Cyerce nigra, an incredibly tiny but beautiful sea slug, you can even see the eye spots!
 

Thecacera picta, a variation of the “Pikachu” nudibranch, is popular amongst underwater photographers
 

A larval flounder, trailing long filaments, appeared on a blackwater dive over deep water
 

A pair of squids eye each other up in the blackness of an open water night dive
 

A well-camouflaged cowrie makes its way across a patch of soft coral it calls home
 

Hypselodoris krakatoa strikes a pose at the end of a small piece of algae
 

A delicately patterned Elysia species hogs the spotlight
 

A portrait of Nembrotha kubaryana, a popular and widespread slug species in the tropical Pacific
 

A miniscule hairy shrimp variation perched on a cluster of small sea squirts
 

A beautiful and so far unidentified shrimp that lives in a commensal relationship with a single type of soft coral
 

A larval octopus hitches a ride on a jellyfish, whether for protection or just laziness, it is not known
 

A perfect head-on look at Cyerce nigra, one of the most beautiful sea slugs on the planet
 

Melibe colemani, one of the most sought after nudibranchs on Earth is not too rare a sight in Romblon
 

A long antennaed amphipod hitching a ride on a pelagic tunicate during a blackwater dive
 

To see more of Billy’s fantastic underwater work, please give him a follow on Instagram or even travel with Billy on one of his workshops.