Exploring the Mysteries of the Deep - Active Divers Association

01 Aug

01Aug

Blackwater Drift Dive with South Florida Diving HQ - Boynton Beach

On a beautiful clear evening, nine Active Divers set out on a three mile trip out to the Gulf Stream to discover a mysterious underwater world. Blackwater drift diving is a experience like no other. Rather than gliding over a reef with a solid ocean floor, in these dark waters the bottom lies at 300 feet. A long rope of lights attached to a float was our marker and guide in the dark night. In addition to providing a reference for us and the boat, the lights attached to the line attracted a plethora of larval animals up from the depths to feed on the abundant plankton in this primordial soup. Tiny unusual creatures such as juvenile fish, crustaceans like crabs and shrimp, segmented larval eels and pulsating medusa jellyfish inhabit this dark realm. Everything was in motion, pulsating, spinning and darting through the darkness illuminated only by our flashlights. Divers only had to point their lights downward for a moment until the creatures emerged to put on a show for the amazed divers.

The seas were relatively calm at around two feet and the water a warm 83 degrees. The captain allowed us to stay down for 90 minutes on this one-tank dive. It made me thoughtfully aware of the incredible amount of life that's in the ocean, far beyond what we see when diving reefs. Capt. Ben said that in that 90-minute span we drifted 3-1/2 miles in a 3 knot current. And yet with our eyes trained on the rope and these incredible creatures we had the feeling that we were standing still.

I always look forward to this dive because the experience is very unique and unparalleled. It provides newfound respect for just how much life is present in one square inch of ocean. It's mind-bending to think of the abundance of life in the vastness and depth that covers two-thirds of our planet. Like gazing at the stars in the heavens, it makes me realize just how small we humans are in comparison.

--Active Divers President and Safety Officer Rachel Davis

This tiny crab sitting on my glove shows how small it is relative to my hand.

But when you zoom in you see that it has brought along a snack that it's holding in its claw.

Underwater photos by Rodolfo Lopez.

Blackwater drift divers leaving the dock at dusk. Back row (from left) Fabian Lago, Sam Bochenek, Jessica Bochenek, Angelica Cookson, Rachel Davis, Bruce Garber, Melissa Hanono. Front row: Roger Bach, Rudy Lopez.