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Juan | Underwater Filmmaker

@juanderwater

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Still the Juan, only underwater
Filmmaker | Diver | Conservationist
AIDA | CMAS | PADI | Molchanovs
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🔵 5 things you probably didn’t know about the Oriental Bluespotted Maskray!

1️⃣ It’s a relatively new species.  The Oriental Bluespotted Maskray (Neotrygon orientalis) was only formally described in 2016!

2️⃣ They have distinct blue spots and a mask. Its striking blue spots and distinctive dark “mask” around the eyes help scientists tell it apart from closely related maskrays.

3️⃣ It’s tiny for a stingray! Adults grow to only around 38 cm across—small enough to easily hide in the sandy patches around reefs.

4️⃣ They don’t have big families.  Females have been documented carrying just one pup, which is about 12 cm wide at birth.

5️⃣ You might have seen one in the Philippines. 🇵🇭 They’re found in Philippine waters, often hanging out on shallow sandy bottoms near reefs.

So next time you spot those blue dots peeking out of the sand, take a closer look—you might be looking at Neotrygon orientalis, the Oriental Bluespotted Maskray.

🎥 @juanderwater
🤿 @akuana_bohol

📍 Mabini, Batangas

Shot using @sonyphinc FX3 with 16-35mm G PZ in a @seafrogs.ph underwater housing!

#DivePH #ScubaDivingPhilippines #OceanStories #MarineConservation #SonyUnderwater by @juanderwater

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2 months ago

No cages. No bait. Pure existence.

The ocean doesn’t perform for us.
It simply exists. Wild. Silent. Beautiful.

The more time I spend underwater, the more I’m convinced that the greatest stories are the ones nature tells on its own.

🎥 @juanderwater
🎨 @marben.p
🤿 @akuana_bohol
⛴️ @divenationmalapascua

📍 Malapascua, Philippines

Shot using @sonyphinc FX3 with 16-35mm G PZ in a @seafrogs.ph underwater housing!

#Malapascua #ThresherShark #DivePH #OceanStories #MarineConservation taken in Malapascua Island, Philippines by @juanderwater

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3 months ago

“The eyes, Chico, they never lie.” 🦈 👀

Big eyes, smooth vibes. Combined with their seemingly ever-worried face, thresher sharks’ big puppy eyes contribute to one of the most eye-conic look underwater.

🎥 @juanderwater
🎨 @marben.p
⛴️ @divenationmalapascua

Shot using @sonyphinc FX3 in a @seafrogs.ph underwater housing!

#Malapascua #ThresherShark #DivePH #OceanStories #UnderwaterWorld taken in Malapascua Island, Philippines by @juanderwater

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4 months ago

Quiet, elusive, almost unreal. 🦈

Gliding through blue water like the ocean wrote poetry in motion, the thresher sharks of Malapascua are a sight to behold. Some encounters do stay with you long after you surface.

Shot using @sonyphinc FX3 in a @seafrogs.ph underwater housing!

#Malapascua #ThresherShark #DivePH #OceanStories #UnderwaterWorld taken in Malapascua Island by @juanderwater

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4 months ago

Hypselodoris bullockii

📷 Sony RX100IV

#Nudibranch #Anilao #ReefLife #MarineConservation taken in Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort by @juanderwater

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8 months ago

Electric blue moving at the speed of… well, patience.

One of the many wart slugs in the Nudibranch Capital of the World — Anilao.

📷 Sony RX100IV

#Nudibranch #ReefLife #DivePH #MarineConservation taken in Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort by @juanderwater

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8 months ago

Respect the locals! 🐢

📷 Sony RX100IV

#MarineConservation #ReefLife #OceanChill #DivePH taken in Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort by @juanderwater

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8 months ago

Slow breath, steady heart 🐢

I’m preaching to self what this turtle reminds us — calm is a choice.

🎥 Sony RX100IV taken in Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort by @juanderwater

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8 months ago

Home is where the anemone is!

🎥 Sony RX100IV taken in Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort by @juanderwater

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8 months ago

When your subject is not-so-micro so your non-macro point-and-shoot can actually focus on it.

🎥 Sony RX100IV taken in Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort by @juanderwater

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8 months ago

Peek-a-boo 👀

Morays look intimidating but most of the time they’re just observing — curious, cautious, and tucked safely inside some corals/crevices. Respect their space and move slowly.

#UnderwaterWorld #DivePhilippines #RespectTheLocals #NoPlanetB #ScubaLife taken in Mabini, Batangas by @juanderwater

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9 months ago

A quiet drift across the sand 💙

The blue-spotted ray glides like a brushstroke, followed closely by its little escort fish — a calm moment in the middle of the muck.

Even in the simplest landscapes, the ocean finds a way to surprise you.

#BlueSpottedRay #UnderwaterPhotography #DivePH #MarineLifeMagic #ScubaDivingPhilippines taken in Mabini, Batangas by @juanderwater

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10 months ago