Diving at nighttime is a truly wonderful experience. Under the cover of darkness, the behavior of the ocean inhabitants undergoes a complete change. From sleeping turtles to hunting octopuses, diving at the best scuba destinations in Caymans while in the dark introduces you to a whole new world. As the sun goes down, so the creatures that usually hide or sleep all throughout the day start to come out searching for food. Night diving is a great time to look for bioluminescence – electrical algae suspended in the water.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE PART OF DIVING IN CAYMANS AT NIGHT
SLEEPING TURTLES – What can be a more exhilarating experience than spotting the turtle? When you do find one sleeping at night, the first thing you'll see is their big turtle butt hanging out in the water. In order to make their breath last longer, turtles drop their heart rate down as low as one beat every nine minutes. Prior, swimming down to a ledge, turtles take a deep breath of air.
BASKET STARS – During the daytime, these aquatic sea creatures wrap themselves up into a tight ball and attach themselves to a coral reef. But, soon after the sunset, they open up and spread out in the water column and search for food. When they are fully open, they look like the skeleton of a big satellite dish as their arms reach into the ocean. They catch waterborne food such as algae or plankton then recoil their arms to bring the catch near to their mouth and consume it.
LOBSTERS – While diving at the best scuba destinations in Caymans during the night, it is far more common to spot lobsters roaming around in search of food. You'll be surprised to see as to how much bigger they look than what it seems when hiding under a rock during the day.
TARPON – Depending on where you dive at night, you can find yourself surrounded by a huge number of tarpon. It is highly recommended to know about the site well in advance where these nighttime feeders hang out. There are dive sites that attract a large number of tarpon.Interesting facts, they grow up to lengths of four feet and have silvery armor like skin that reflects the light.
OCTOPUS – The main highlight of night diving would be spotting an octopus. At night, in front of your eyes, you can see the octopus changing its color. When spot one, it is usually blue/green in color. But when they realize that they have been spotted, they will flick through an entire spectrum of color in the blink of an eye. These 8 legged creatures are the most curious and friendliest ones.
THE KITTIWAKE – If you happen to swim through the kittiwake in the dark, it will give you an even more eerie feeling as you can move from one room to another with no light breaking through. Exploring the corridors of this sunken vessel is one of the most exciting ways to dive through this wreck. Until and unless you have built confidence, it is highly recommended not to undertake night diving here. During the nighttime, the floors of this ex-USS navy ship get covered in peppermint shrimp.
Some of the most amazing fun you can have at night while on vacation is by diving at the best scuba destinations in Caymans at night. Grand Cayman has some of the most convenient diving spots in the world and at night is no exception. However, confirm with our yacht charter consultant before hand whether it is permissible to scuba dive at night during the time you plan your visit.
