Blackwater diving is a new form of diving adventure, available in a few deepwater (>300m/1000ft) locations around the world such as Hawaii, Florida, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Mexico blackwater dives are possible in the 300-m deep channel between the Island of Cozumel and Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan Peninsula.

The concept is simple. Every night the largest daily migration on Earth occurs as countless marine critters rise from the depths to the ocean surface to feed, a fascinating parade of alien-like creatures that include larval forms of jellyfish, squid, octopus, and various species of fish.

In Cozumel we head out into the channel at sunset and select a location towards the south of the island to allow for the northerly current experienced during the dive (divers often travel 10 to 20 km). Large video lights are placed just below the surface and at 10 and 20 m depth, and after waiting 40 minutes to allow for critters to be attracted to the lights, we enter the water. Over the next 80 minutes divers circle around these hanging lights, using hand-held spotting torches to find and photograph subjects in the black.