How lucky can you get? I just happen to be diving on this day, when a fellow diver—a rookie, no less—points out something she thinks looks unusual. I peer into the rubble, and it turns out we’re looking at a virtually unknown species of frogfish. Though I’m later told a dive guide first found this kind of frogfish 15 years ago, it hadn’t been seen since.

This one, unlike other frogfish, lacks a luring appendage normally used to entice prey close enough so it can quickly grab it. This frogfish also lacks pelvic fins and has a flat face with forward-facing eyes, meaning it has the same kind of depth perception as humans, also unusual for fish.

After the dive, we send photos to a number of fish experts, none of whom have ever seen this species. Finally, we send images to a renowned frogfish specialist at the University of Washington. The verdict? It’s not only a new species of frogfish, but also a new genus.

Divers from all over the world love to get down and dirty here in the Banda Islands, muck diving for elusive and even creepy macro critters. Diving season is March through April and mid-September to mid-December, and Laha is best dived from a live-aboard vessel. Seven-night live-aboard cruises, including accommodation, meals and diving, start from about $2,450 p.p., dbl. occ. To reach Ambon (AMQ), you’ll first fly to Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta (CGK) or Denpasar (DPS) on the island of Bali. Round-trip airfare between Los Angeles and Jakarta starts at $1,260 on Philippine Airlines, via Manila (MNL) and Singapore (SIN). A Los Angeles-Denpasar round-trip is about $1,650, on Malaysia Airlines, through Kuala Lumpur (KUL), or on EVA, via Taipei (TPE). A round-trip flight between Jakarta and Ambon on Batavia Airlines, via Surabaya (SUB) is $366, while a Denpasar-Ambon round-trip on Lion Air is $537. Flight schedules may require overnight stays in Jakarta or Denpasar en route to and from Ambon. A stopover or extension in Bali is far sexier than one in Jakarta, but the Jakarta option saves $561 on airfare.