Fluorescent Diving

Lynn Miner · Issue 88, Jan/Feb 2016 · pp. 40–43

Products mentioned: FireDiveGear TL Azur Focus light, FireDiveGear excitation filter, FireDiveGear camera barrier filter, Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobe, Ikelite 161 substrobe, Canon EOS Rebel T4i, Canon EOS 5D Mk III, Sea and Sea Housing, Ikelite Housing, Tokina AT-X M35 Pro DX 35mm f2.8 Macro lens, Canon EF 17-40mm f4L zoom lens, Tiffen #12 filter, Tiffen #8 filter

Fluo night diving is diving with a blue light torch and mask barrier filter for viewing bio-fluorescence. It has been on the scene for a few years now but it’s not just for night dives any longer. This article discusses fluo diving science and also covers how to do it in daylight conditions. Fluorescence is the property of some marine life to emit light of a longer wavelength (of visible light) when illuminated with shorter wavelength blue light. Not all marine creatures exhibit this effect but in those that do, the sight can be stunning. This is NOT reflected light such as when you take your white light torch on a night dive. That “white light” is reflected off the reef and bounces back to your eyes/ camera. Emission light, is light the organism is creating and “emitting” back to you. The visible spectrum of light is the thin slice of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the eye. It …