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Sport Diver's Top Night Diving Picks
SS Yongala, Australia
I've never seen this behavior anywhere but on the SS Yongala off Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The wreck is always washed with current and when you pop your head up from the lee of the wreck at night, you'll see anywhere from 5-20 rays stingrays, marbled rays and others - stacked on top of each other like pancakes facing into the current. Rays come and go from the stack, but they stay like that as long as I've even been able to stay and observe them. Truly unique and spectacular in the world of night diving. Ty Sawyer, Editor
Vertigo, St. Croix
One of the best dives not just night but ever that I remember is Vertigo, the site just in front of the Carambola Beach Resort on St. Croix. Along with two divemaster buddies, I suited up in the parking lot and then one of the resort's staff gave us a ride to the beach on his golf cart. From there, we swam out to the buoy in utter darkness. What made this site so great is that it's not dived often by the local shops because it is the farthest away and it's right near Hamm's Bluff, a rock outcropping atop which a lighthouse stands guard. Waves can get rough here and the currents are often strong, which attracts many sharks. And seeing the telltale fins is all the more exhilarating in the dark. Brooke Morton, Associate Editor
O'Keefe's, Yap
Living in Florida, I cave-dive a lot, and my favorite time to start is between midnight and three in the morning it's a great way to have the cave to yourself. But since the inside of a cave is always a "night dive," that probably doesn't qualify. That being the case, another favorite of mine is O'Keefe's, off O'Keefe's Island in Yap. This begins as more of a twilight dive than a night dive, and you're hovering in about four feet of water, scant inches above this big bench of antler coral. Slowly, as you lose the light, these amazing little multicolored fish called mandarin fish begin to emerge first the males, staking out territory, and then the females, who are doing the fishy equivalent of batting their eyelids. They begin to mate, and trying to photograph this is like shooting popcorn popping, so I contented myself with simply watching their ballet. Tom Morrisey, Editor-At-Large
Paradise Reef, Cozumel
A gentle drift dive this side of 40 feet means you can explore all night after diving all day. Scattered coral heads plus sandy bottom equals macro mania perfect for critter hunting with a tightly focused dive light. The final plus? It's just off shore, making the boat ride short and sweet. Daryl Carson, Gear Editor
Habitat Curaçao House Reef, Curaçao
I distinctly remember my first night dive it made me feel like an explorer in a way diving never had before. The site was Habitat Curaçao's House Reef and I was amazed at how the reef where I'd logged several daytime dives transformed into an eel-filled nighttime wonderland, complete with bioluminescence, giant crabs and cuttlefish only a few inches long. Laura Walker, Online Director
Blue Plunder, Nassau, Bahamas
The idea of dark water took a long time to appeal to me especially after spending my days in the same water in the Bahamas surrounded by sharks. From the boat that night, I shined my light into the water below and watched for a while, trying to get the courage to jump. Fish and other marine life that I had never seen before began to appear: transparent worms feeding at the surface, squid floating by and a giant school of what I thought was tarpon circling my beam. I finally took that unforgettable leap. After descending several yards, the little tugboat, Blue Plunder, appeared. Seeing a wreck in the daytime is magic enough, but night, it takes on a whole new presence. Michelle Makmann, Multimedia Producer
