Welcome to Indopacificimages, the website of Bali based Australian underwater photographer Don Silcock. There is nothing for sale and no adverts on this site – just Don sharing experiences from his travels.
NEW… Blackwater Diving in Anilao
Blackwater diving is truly one of the most unique, almost otherworldly experiences you can have underwater.
It’s not a night dive in the traditional sense, which are typically conducted in sheltered and relatively shallow locations with no current.
Instead, blackwater diving takes place far from shore, in open oceans or large bays, over deep water, often hundreds of metres deep.
What makes this experience so unique is that it opens a brief but extraordinary window into a realm few people even know exists.
Every night, billions of planktonic organisms and juvenile pelagic creatures ascend towards the surface in what scientists call the diel vertical migration (DMV).
The DVM is the largest mass movement of life on Earth. Those organisms and creatures rise up, under the cover of darkness, to feed in the nutrient-rich upper layers, then retreat back into the depths with the dawn.
Blackwater diving first gained popularity in the USA, initially in Hawaii and then in Florida. In the Asia-Pacific, Anilao in the Philippines has become the place for blackwater diving and in February 2024 I made my first trip there.
It took some getting used to but by the third night I had got my head around it and was truly hooked, as the underwater photography potential of the encounters that are possible is truly amazing!
One year later I went back for a second round..
It’s not for everyone as it challenges both your comfort zone and your perception. But if you are looking to capture different images, you really do need to try it.
I documented what I learned on both trips to Anilao in articles that were published in X-Ray magazine and you can read more on this link to Blackwater Diving – Truly Unique.
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