Blackwater diving

Larval Ornate Octopus, Callistoctopus ornatus

Night Drift: Our Kona Blackwater Diving Adventure

August 17, 2021

Almost four decades after seeing Chris Newbert’s portrait of a larval long-armed oceanic octopus, we finally saw one for ourselves. We joined our friend Steven Kovacs for ten nights of diving in Kona, Hawaii, where blackwater diving began.

Sleeping filefishes Indo-Pacific and Caribbean

In the Grip of Sleep

July 2, 2020

One of our favorite suggestions for fish watchers in the Caribbean is to look for small one-to four-inch Slender Filefish, Monacanthus tuckeri, hiding out within gorgonian bushes, where they shelter from predators, feed, and even more delightful, sleep or rest at night by biting down on polyps for stability – especially helpful when the current runs. This behavior turns out to be a common family trait. In the Caribbean, we have also observed the Whitespotted Filefish, Cantherhines macrocerus,  Orangespotted Filefish, … Read more

photo of a larval Crocodile Toothfish, family Champsodontidae

Pacifico Azul’s Blackwater Magic

April 2, 2020

Following the lead of veteran blackwater photographers, we headed for Anilao, Philippines for seldom-seen larval fishes and invertebrates.