Deep Blue Divers at Six Senses Laamu has introduced blackwater diving in the Maldives. Blackwater diving is gaining popularity across the globe among many dive enthusiasts.
The blackwater diving experience is different from a typical day or night dive. It takes place in the open ocean, with divers drifting with the current in mid-water. Divers are guided by a string of LED lights attached to a vertical rope tethered to a surface-floating buoy.
“We are very lucky to be some of the first divers to witness this in the Maldives. There is no specific area or special time of the night to do this dive. Ocean creatures we would never normally encounter are drawn from the depths and darkness to feed on zooplankton that are attracted to the lights,” Philippa Roe, one of the senior marine biologists working with the resort’s Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) explained.
Many of these critters, usually smaller than a human thumb, are ethereal reef fish in their juvenile phase, or invertebrates such as pygmy squids, fluorescent bristle worms and rainbow-pulsating comb jellies.
“No two blackwater dives are ever the same, even when going several nights in a row. And each dive yields unexpected new treasures for everyone from novices to the most experienced divers,” commented Sascha Janson, resident photo pro at Deep Blue Divers.
Deep Blue Divers is a PADI Five Star dive center, which is also Green Star awarded for its commitment to ocean conservation.
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