Counting sheep at Kids Sea CAMP
Shaun the Sheep, a tiny sea slug, has been discovered.
Meeting the Sheep:
Destination The Philippines with Sea Explorers, Amun ini, and Kids Sea Camp. Neither my wife nor I had ever been to the Philippines before. Margo and Tom Peyton, fellow dive industry friends, had invited us multiple times over the years. Tom talked about a strange alien life he found mesmerizing and how incredible it would be to experience. It’s just impossible to describe, he said, but mindblowing and life-changing, a world you will become obsessed with exploring.
My first muck dive in the Philippines: Marcio, another guest and fellow photographer and also an avid loyal Kids Sea Camp adventurer, spoke of a sheep. I was curious, he had my attention. The guides you see can show you almost anything you request, but who knows what to request in a land of aliens? Marcio named the critter focus of this trip for himself and perked my curiosity. Shaun the Sheep.
As I descended below the surface of the clear Philippino water, I was not fooled by the desolate grey bare sand. Tom Peyton said this is the home for some of the most incredible creatures I will ever lay my eyes on. With all the colors of the universe residing on the most minuscule of animals like the hundreds of nudibranchs found here or pygmy squid, and then there is the mesmerizing colors of the mandarin fish. Tom was so correct. The obsession began as I found the true master of camouflage, the pygmy seahorse. While the Philippines underwater is nothing short of experiencing a new plant, one critter in particular stole my heart even before we met: Shaun The Sheep. Marcio showed me a photo from his dive, and I was hooked.
Keep in mind my wife, Cristina Zenato, and I dive with sharks for a living, so it was pretty interesting to watch myself get so excited about a creature I could barely see with the naked eye. When you see how cute this little guy is, you will understand why.
A tiny leaf slug (Costasiella kuroshimae) that grows to a length of 7 millimeters. They graze on algae and suck its chloroplasts and retain it within their tissues, allowing them to supplement their diet through photosynthesis. This process is called kleptoplasty.
How could I not become obsessed with an animal the size of a grain of rice capable of using photosynthesis? To feed my obsession, I needed to acquire more knowledge. Shaun has multiple siblings, like the Bumble bee-looking (Costasiella Sp), and distant cousins living in the Caribbean.
But how do you find something so small in the vastness of the ocean?
In the same way, you find any small creature in the Philippines, you find their home. Shaun the sheep lives on a specific algae called Avrainvillea. Find the algae, find the sheep. Rest assured, my quest for Shaun the Sheep is not over.
I am looking forward to seeing and photographing its Caribbean cousin.
Kewin Lorenzen
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Herding Sheep at Kids Sea Camp. “Shaun the Sheep”
Since seeing Dr. Alex Mustard’s famous photograph, I’ve been obsessed with photographing sheep. I booked my Kids Sea Camp Philippines trip with Margo and Tom Peyton back in 2020. When I learned that “Shaun the Sheep” could easily be found on most dives, I started to get quite excited about shooting this little sea slug. The guides at Amunini are incredible and can find most anything you ask for, including the sheep! (Shout out to Reggie and Dave.) Finding the sheep underwater is not only fun, but it’s quite the challenge to capture a photo of one of the critters you could ever imagine.
They are one of the most complicated creatures to capture due to the fact that they live on a single green leaf that grows on the sandy bottom. Furthermore, they tend to blend in with their environment, namely, the leaf they’re trying to eat.
On the first dive, Reggie, my guide from Amuni Ini Divers, was excited because he found me one. Reggie was pointing to a leaf with a speck of green blob. I’m thinking to myself, is that it? That can’t be it? But it was!
After taking several shots, I finally saw the creature when I zoomed in on the viewfinder. Tiny, green, and cute. I kept taking photos, but it was time to move on. A few seahorses, pygmy squid, and nudibranchs are all nearby; if I have to give one piece of advice, It is to have patience and more patience! You really have to stop and spend your time to get a decent photo of a sheep.
On my second dive upon finding Shaun, I spent 30 minutes on one leaf! Kim, my lovely dive buddy and wife, was gone when I looked up. She finally decided to join another group and leave me with Dave, my excellent Amun ini guide. Finally, Dave wrote on his slate, “Have you had enough of Shaun the Sheep?” Onto the seahorses, we went. In the end, I ended up with some excellent photos. Nothing like Alex’s masterpiece. But it’s a work in progress.
I am looking forward to our next trip with Margo and Tom to Lembeh with Family Dive Adventures and Murex Divers in January.
I have been told that a “herd” of sheep lives there! I will become The Sheep Herder of Indonesia.
By Marcio Curvello
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Counting Sheep
By Margo Peyton
I have been to the Philippines many times. It is my most favorite place in the world to dive. For many reasons. One is that I have the world’s best dive buddy who can spot almost any alien! Tom has become the treasure hunter for sure, and at the end of most trips, everyone is following him. The Philippines is the #1 spot for finding Aliens. Another reason is my sister Biggsy lives there, and she introduced me to my very first muck dive and showed me my very first sheep. Lastly, in all my 35 years of diving and traveling the world, it’s the only place I have fallen asleep and dream about. Now I fall asleep counting sheep.
Last summer, we arrived at Amun ini, and Marcio was chatting up about this funny little sheep named Shaun. After the first day, Kewin seemed to be all over that topic as well. “Sheep,” I said, What are sheep? Tom’s ears perked up, too. Biggsy and I buddied up on my first sheep dive, and she quickly waived me over. She pointed out a green leaf the size of a rose pedal. Was that the sheep? She pointed to the leaf. I could see nothing with my naked eye it looked like sand stuck to the leaf. I peered through my 60mm Macro lens, and then I saw it. Shaun the Sheep. It was so tiny that if you did not remain perfectly still, it was gone, and you had to reset again. The size of a single grain of rice was adult size. What’s so special about that? I mean, really, a flea is the same size, but this little guy was adorable. It had rosy cheeks and funny wobbly ears, and it was green or white with pink, and Kewin found one that is yellow and blue. This was incredible! We were all counting and herding sheep. I did find the same leaf in Roatan in August, and I found the cousin. I am so excited about the Critter Capture at Lembeh this January. I am looking forward to my panda finding me some sheep.