Blackwater in Thailand

Alex Tyrrel · Issue 129, Nov/Dec 2022 · pp. 53–57

Products mentioned: Nikon D500, Subal housing, 60mm lens, Retro Pro Flashes, TRT-Electronics Smart Turtle LED Trigger, Kraken Hydra 8k Video Lights, Weefine 6k lights

Blackwater diving is gaining in popularity at many dive destinations around the world, for one simple reason; it gives us access to marine life we simply would never encounter on a standard night dive. This makes blackwater photography a way of adding some unique images to your portfolio of rarely encountered deepwater and larval stage creatures. The critter-list has been revised and now extends to Blanket Octopus, Paper Nautilus, Diamond Squid, Ribbonfish and more. I would however like to offer a potential warning - it is also very addictive. Even after completing hundreds of blackwater dives, there is still a high level of anticipation every time I’m entering the water as you simply never know what you will encounter! I got my first taste of Blackwater when visiting NAD Lembeh Resort in April 2016 when we completed what is now called a Bonfire Dive by placing a high-powered light/light…