If you didn’t already know, Roatan is a world-renowned scuba diving destination. Its proximity to the second largest barrier reef system in the world and its reputation for ultra-affordable scuba diving prices make Roatan a bucket list destination for experienced (and beginning!) divers from all around the globe. That said, if you feel like you’ve seen as much as there is to be seen in the diving world, you need to try night diving. Pun intended, night diving will allow you to see the reef in a whole new light. In this article, we’ll go over some of the advantages of night diving in Roatan, Honduras.
Access To Nocturnal Sea Creatures
An entirely different community of marine creatures comes out at night. Sea life such as octopus, squid, cuttlefish, eels, sharks, lobsters and crabs are far more active at night. The marine life you see on a night time dive in Roatan, Honduras will be very different from what you see during the day – even in the same locations. You can find out how the other half lives by scuba diving at night.
Nocturnal Sea Creature Behavior
Not only will you see many different sea creatures when diving at night, but the behaviors of those you run into can change dramatically from what they would do during the day. You’ll find the normally animated parrotfish sleeping in their hiding holes, while the daytime-reticent eels and octopi will display their full figures. Coral polyps open up for feeding at night which makes them more colorful and will prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are vibrant, living creatures. Night time diving will allow you to experience marine life behavior that you may not have seen before.
Bioluminescence
One of the truly fascinating spectacles of darkened waters is the appearance of bioluminescent creatures. Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism. It occurs in many types of marine animals such as jellyfish, starfish, octopi and several species of fish. It also occurs in bacteria, algae and other microorganisms. What the Aurora Borealis is to the northern skies, bioluminescence is to the nightime waters.
Brighter Colors
It may sound counterintuitive, but colors in the night time ocean look much brighter than they do during the day. A large part of this has to do with the fact that you’ll most likely be carrying a powerful flashlight when attempting a night time dive. Shining that light on the residents of the seafloor will show off their true colors in ways that sunlight from the water’s surface is never able to do. Not only does the water filter out a lot of the light emitted by the sun, but it also mutes significant parts of the color spectrum. What you see on a day time dive without extra illumination are not the true colors of the sea.
More Peaceful, Less Crowded
In especially popular dive sites, crowding can become a problem. It can be especially off-putting for the sea creatures being stalked by packs of scuba divers. Night time dives are far less common which guarantees smaller numbers of divers in well-known areas. The lack of light also creates a cloak of peaceful comfort where your vision is narrowed to the beam of your flashlight. If you want a more laid-back look at the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, night diving in Roatan, Honduras needs to be on your list.