Pash Baker reports on the growing popularity of blackwater diving : night diving over deep water to witness the world ’ s greatest migration
TRAVELSPECIAL
Blackwater creatures are often miniscule
Children of the night
Pash Baker reports on the growing popularity of blackwater diving : night diving over deep water to witness the world ’ s greatest migration
Larval anemone
You may have heard the term ‘ blackwater diving ’, but been puzzled as to what it actually means . Surely any dive at night is a blackwater dive ? Blackwater diving has become increasingly popular over the last few years with more and more people eager to venture out and give it a go . So what is it ?
Imagine floating around suspended in the water column in inky black water , with a torch . You can ’ t see the seabed or reef . Every so often something is illuminated in your torch beam . You investigate , and find a tiny strange looking creature . As your eyes adapt to your environment , you start to spot weirder and weirder creatures sharing the water with you . This is blackwater diving .
The terms blackwater and bonfire diving are often used interchangeably , but there are differences between the two . Bonfire dives occur in shallower water , on a reef or shallow dive site . As you have a reference point ( the reef or seabed ), bonfire diving can be a good starting point for divers new to this type of diving . In contrast , blackwater dives occur in open ocean above deep , often abyssal waters , with the sea floor being sometimes hundreds or thousands of metres below . The one thing these dives
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