Blackwater Cozumel by
Robert Stansfield

The Blackwater dive is a night dive in the open sea, far from the reefs, above great depths. We aim for an area about 3 kilometers off the coast, where the seabed is more than 300 meters deep. Once we arrive at the dive site, we deploy a floating lighting system that serves as a dive center and attracts planktonic life. There are usually only no perceptible current during a blackwater dive, giving the sensation of floating in a huge, dark pool.

Every night the largest migration of animal biomass creatures move up from the mesopelagic to the epipelagic zone. In simple terms, plankton (pelagic life forms such as fish, corals and invertebrates) migrate from the murky depths to the ocean surface. This allows us to observe alien-looking organisms normally beyond the reach of conventional scuba diving.

Here in Cozumel, we dive around a floating light buoy located several kilometers offshore, in the Cozumel canal. Unlike Hawaii, where divers are tethered to the boat, here we're free to swim around and explore the live migration. The lights attract marine life while serving as a central landmark, starting and ending the dive.

Weather is the main limiting factor for this type of open sea diving. We use a large boat capable of navigating comfortably in waves up to 2 meters high. To guarantee a pleasant dive, we prefer sea conditions with waves of 1.8 metres or lessaccording to the latest weather forecasts. If you are planning a blackwater dive during your stay in Cozumel, it is essential to remain flexible on dates.

This experience is offered by professional photographer Robert Stansfield (or Rob for his friends), a multi-primed and published photographer. He organizes numerous underwater macro-photography workshops in Cozumel. Brand ambassador SUPE, MARELUX and KRAKENRob has been a diver since 2000 and is an instructor. SSI/PADI and certified cave diver TDI. Before devoting himself fully to diving and underwater photography, he worked as a video engineer for concert tours, particularly in the rock world.