DivingPrincessE
Contributor
I'm looking for opinions on which Caribbean islands have great night diving.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Best Caribbean island for night dives
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robint
Contributor
Bonaire...........hands down. In fact, the "Town Pier" dive at night is listed by most experts and magazines as one of the BEST dives, day or night, in the world.
But, all shore dives in Bonaire are fabulous. Especially at your own resort, it is so easy to just grab your tank and get in the water. The lights on the piers attract lots of cool stuff in close, especially the tarpon that like to follow you around and let your lights find critters for them to eat. It is very scary though when a huge silver missile comes shooting over your shoulder to snag a fish or octopus you just found. :11: I must say, one tarpon scared the crap out of me several times on one dive!
robin
But, all shore dives in Bonaire are fabulous. Especially at your own resort, it is so easy to just grab your tank and get in the water. The lights on the piers attract lots of cool stuff in close, especially the tarpon that like to follow you around and let your lights find critters for them to eat. It is very scary though when a huge silver missile comes shooting over your shoulder to snag a fish or octopus you just found. :11: I must say, one tarpon scared the crap out of me several times on one dive!
robin
under water
Contributor
Night diving it is certainly a popular activity in Bonaire. When doing that dive just after dusk, I noticed that it was actually busier than at any other time of the day. At least that is my experience at Bari Reef. Even after we got out we could see the light show continue from our balcony at the Den Laman.
On night dives we saw lots of creatures including octopus, eels, turtles, lobsters and plenty of parrot fish heading off to sleep beside or under rocks or some coral. Coral is is more colorful and better looking at night, that's when you can see the actual coral animals, not just their homes. Look for the basket stars that uncurl from the coral they have attached themselves to all day. Incredible. The bigeyes and squirrelfish are much more active and of course there is Charlie, the tarpon. He uses your light to catch fish. If you don't shine it on him he will stay with you and you might hear the pop of a fish getting sucked into his mouth right in front of you. If you shine it on him, he goes to find someone who knows the rules.
If you want to shine a light on something, shine it on an anemone. The krill will head for the light and you will see the anemone feasting.
If you have located some frogfish or seahorses during the day, head back to see if they are still there at night. They probably are.
It's a great thing to do just before dinner.
On night dives we saw lots of creatures including octopus, eels, turtles, lobsters and plenty of parrot fish heading off to sleep beside or under rocks or some coral. Coral is is more colorful and better looking at night, that's when you can see the actual coral animals, not just their homes. Look for the basket stars that uncurl from the coral they have attached themselves to all day. Incredible. The bigeyes and squirrelfish are much more active and of course there is Charlie, the tarpon. He uses your light to catch fish. If you don't shine it on him he will stay with you and you might hear the pop of a fish getting sucked into his mouth right in front of you. If you shine it on him, he goes to find someone who knows the rules.
If you want to shine a light on something, shine it on an anemone. The krill will head for the light and you will see the anemone feasting.
If you have located some frogfish or seahorses during the day, head back to see if they are still there at night. They probably are.
It's a great thing to do just before dinner.
dvrliz1
Guest
Princess...
I live on Bonaire, but this has to with when I didn't live here.
I was deathly afraid of doing night dives many years ago. My dad took my sister and I to see the movie "Jaws" at a drive in theatre. We lived in Virginia Beach then. After that movie, I never saw the ocean at night the same again.
Anyway, my husband who is a certified instructor, didn't want me to miss out on the experience. One day while visiting and diving on Bonaire, he said to me, "Let's try the night dive. We will enter the water when the sun hits the horizon. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, we will come up."
Well let me tell you, it was the beginning of my avid obsession with night dives. Bonaire has to be the best. NOAA just did a study that says Bonaire has the most amount of different types of fish in the whole of the caribbean, but like others we all knew that already.
Sadly, 4 years ago due to medical reasons, I had to stop night diving. It was very hard for me. I am however thankful and blessed that I did do my night dives on Bonaire and got to see all that I saw.
Liz
I live on Bonaire, but this has to with when I didn't live here.
I was deathly afraid of doing night dives many years ago. My dad took my sister and I to see the movie "Jaws" at a drive in theatre. We lived in Virginia Beach then. After that movie, I never saw the ocean at night the same again.
Anyway, my husband who is a certified instructor, didn't want me to miss out on the experience. One day while visiting and diving on Bonaire, he said to me, "Let's try the night dive. We will enter the water when the sun hits the horizon. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, we will come up."
Well let me tell you, it was the beginning of my avid obsession with night dives. Bonaire has to be the best. NOAA just did a study that says Bonaire has the most amount of different types of fish in the whole of the caribbean, but like others we all knew that already.
Sadly, 4 years ago due to medical reasons, I had to stop night diving. It was very hard for me. I am however thankful and blessed that I did do my night dives on Bonaire and got to see all that I saw.
Liz
AtomicScubaDiver
Registered
Princess,
The great dive sites during the day are also the great dive sites during the night. The best way to go diving at night is to find a dive operation that is willing to charter you a boat with a dive master that really knows the site to take you and your SO out without the crowds that tend to reduce the quality of a night dive. All reefs come to life in the evening. Bonaire , Cozumel, Belize, Grand Cayman, and Little Cayman have great night diving if you have the right conditions, a full moon is nice, and experienced divers that do not disrupt the dive and the pace of the experienced dive master. The fewer people, the better and the more things you will get to see.
The great dive sites during the day are also the great dive sites during the night. The best way to go diving at night is to find a dive operation that is willing to charter you a boat with a dive master that really knows the site to take you and your SO out without the crowds that tend to reduce the quality of a night dive. All reefs come to life in the evening. Bonaire , Cozumel, Belize, Grand Cayman, and Little Cayman have great night diving if you have the right conditions, a full moon is nice, and experienced divers that do not disrupt the dive and the pace of the experienced dive master. The fewer people, the better and the more things you will get to see.
robint
Contributor
Yes and NO, not always.
In the Caribbean I find that night dives are just as alive as the day dives. Octopus, lobsters, eels, crabs.... they are all out hunting and are fabulous to watch. I love night dives!
Not at all true in the Pacific! I found that night dives in the Hawaii and Palau were very still and quiet, not much activity at all. In Hawaii there were eels out hunting but not much else as far as activity we saw. Palau was dead at night with the exception of the occasional shark (probably the reason no one else was out!). Our night dives in the Pacific were still good, just not as fantastic as the Caribbean night dives.
robin
2 months til Nekton Bahamas again!
AtomicScubaDiver
Registered
Robint,
If you have not seen the Discovery series Blue Planet, I think you would enjoy the series. It talks about the largest migration that occurs every night in the oceans around the world. This migration is far larger than any migration that occurs on land anywhere else in the world in terms of biomass. Many creatures from the depths migrate to the surface to feed on organisms that get their energy from the sun. This occurs around the world, not just in the Caribbean. Most of your corals feed exclusively at night. Also, sites can vary with time of year and season, but the locals know. I hope you and anyone reading this can enjoy the series it is loaded with great camera footage and information. We do not want to sway anyone away from the Pacific, especially Palau, which happens to be one of the best places I have seen.
If you have not seen the Discovery series Blue Planet, I think you would enjoy the series. It talks about the largest migration that occurs every night in the oceans around the world. This migration is far larger than any migration that occurs on land anywhere else in the world in terms of biomass. Many creatures from the depths migrate to the surface to feed on organisms that get their energy from the sun. This occurs around the world, not just in the Caribbean. Most of your corals feed exclusively at night. Also, sites can vary with time of year and season, but the locals know. I hope you and anyone reading this can enjoy the series it is loaded with great camera footage and information. We do not want to sway anyone away from the Pacific, especially Palau, which happens to be one of the best places I have seen.
robint
Contributor
I never said diving wasn't great in the Pacific, I said that the night dives were not as active as the Caribbean night dives. Palau was some of the best diving we have EVER done and I don't think people go there for the night dives.
My whole comment was in regards to your saying that a great day dive is always a great night dive. I disagree with you...... I have seen just the opposite at some destinations. Some Caribbean dives have BETTER Night dives than Day dives.
I love night diving and was just giving an honest opinion about what I have personally seen since we night dive at ever destination we go to worldwide.
robin
Bonaire is great for night diving because you can do it from the shore on your own timetable. One thing nobody has mentioned is that you can do night dives in the early pre-dawn hours of the AM. It's a great way to start the day before having a relaxed breakfast while others are scrambling to get started or to make the early boat trip. Morning twilight dives are good too as you can observe the "changing of the guard" on the reef.
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