Black water and manta dive pics.

[Wildcard]

I prefer to think of it as extreme multi level diving.....

 

[Jason Ooi]

Awesome nice photos...thanks for sharing.

 

[KiiY]

The teather is 40 feet with a 10 foot leash. Most of the critters are at 10-30 feet. It would be dangerous to dive it without being tied off, there is just nothing to orient to ...

Here I thought all of you were hanging in total darkness, perfectly neutral over a 7000ft abyss. :embarass:

Tethered. Maybe I can think about doing this dive someday after all. It looks so cool!

 

[KidK9]

Ahhh! I'm so jealous! I've been on that dive and only got one fly by from a manta and no pics. Darn you!

 

[calscubagirl]

Those are great photos. Very interesting!! Thanks for posting those on here for all to see!!

I'll have to try that one of these days.

 

[LioKai]

to answer a few questions.... The distance from shore for the black water dive is about 1/2 mile beyond the 1000 fathom (6000 feet deep) line. The 1000 fathom line is where the FAD buoys are located. We get in the water a few hours after sundown since most of the animals come to the surface (about 10-30 feet) to feed. We tie off to the boat so you don't lose the boat, since the average current is 1 knot per hour and the fastest current I have ever been in on this dive was 3 knots per hour. We are hanging 30 feet below the boat in the black of night with dive lights to see the animals. Squid make a noise that sounds like clicking. Some animals sting, but not any that have been shown in the photos from me or Wildcard. A Pyrosome gives off (emits) enough light that it can be seen from 100 yards or more. I am working on writing a PADI specialty certification for this dive.

As I said to Brian (wildcard) and Kathy: "if you came to have a completely new diving experience - you will. If you came to be thrilled - you will. If you came to see new animals - you will. And, If you came to have the snot scared out of you - you will."

Hey Wildcard, how are you up loading pics to SB? I keep getting a message that says "the gallery is down".

 

[Wildcard]

I have Just leesa for that, otherwise nothing happens (posting pics that is). So Matt, it seems Im coming back to the big isle for a couple of months. Whose butt do I have to kiss to get the DM or Capt job for BW diving once or twice a week?
Everythng is true except for the snot part, heck I was pretty bored for the first few minutes then critters showed up! But then again, Im not quite normal.
Thanks again for a most awsome dive!

 

[justleesa]

They are not uploaded to the gallery, they are just added to the post. That should still be working

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

Hey Wildcard, nice Night Octopus! Were you there last Wednesday? We did the manta dive that night and saw a night octopus. It swam around a while and then landed right between the legs of someone in the circle. He didn't see it and just kept watching the mantas while a couple of us crowded behind him and tried to take pictures. He probably thought we were nuts The octo kept trying to hide under the guy. It was pretty funny, but I really didn't want to see him put his leg on it and get bit. I got a pic or two of it between his legs under his tank. I'll try to shrink em and post em later.

Anyway, I was just curious if it was the same night. It was my first night octopus. Aloha!

 

[Wildcard]

No, we did the Manta/blackwater on Friday night and the octo was a night shore dive from Puako with Grizz and Red Rover on Saturday.