Muck Diving Guide

Muck Diving information for underwater photographers

For many underwater photographers, muck diving is their favorite activities. On muck dives, underwater photographers find rare nudibranchs, juvenile fish, frogfish, and strange critters that are found no where else. And they then spend a long time photographing them. For some people, a muck dive is their favorite place to practice underwater photography.

Muck dive sites often have large patches of sand, often rich volcanic black sand, with small patches of life here and there. But these patches are rich in critters, such as seahorses, frogfish, and cuttlefish. In the sand one can often find gobies, mantis shrimp, octopus and more.

Muck Diving Preparation

• Learn the critters in the area. Develop a critter list.
• Find a good dive guide.
• Have the right dive equipment - a large tank full of nitrox is the best, with stiff fins that don't silt up the area when you kick
• Plan to dive the sites during the day and night for different opportunities. Here's more about dive planning
• Have a good dive light or focus light
• Get excited when it's rainy or cloudy - more critters will be out

Tiny frogfish from a muck dive in Anilao. F18, 60mm + 1.4x teleconverter

Best Muck Diving Locations

Anilao, Phillipines

Secret Bay, Seraya, and Padang Bai Bali

Dumaguete, Phillipines

     Good muck place, although the best dive site, the "pier" is now closed

Redondo Beach, California

     Every dive here will produce new species of fish, nudibranchs, or other inverts. Best at night! Shore dive only. Enter at Vet's park.

Lembeh Straits, Indonesia

Ambon, Indonesia

     Muck diving here can rival or better the critters found in Lembeh and Bali. Ambon bay is famous for its Rhinopias, Ambon Scorpionfish and lots more.

Mabul, Borneo

     Good muck diving in Mabul and Kapalai to compliment the big fish of Sipadan

St Vincent, Caribbean

     This is the place for critters in the Caribbean

Blue Heron Bridge, Florida 

     but I've heard this great spot may close soon for a year. Dive only at high slack tides! More info here.

Ulua Beach, Maui, Hawaii

     Night dives here always turn up something different

Milne Bay, Papau New guinea - the original place of muck-diving!

Contact me to tell me about your own local muck dive.

Muck Diving Underwater Photography Tips

For a change, try supermacro underwater photography or close-focus wide angle on a muck dive.

Be patient and try to wait for a behavior photograph.

Don't harass creatures just for your own benefit. Practice proper dive etiquette.

Beware of backscatter. Stay downcurrent from your photo subject, and don't approach other photographers until they finish with the subject.

Practise good underwater photographer's etiquette

Further Reading

• Supermacro photography
• Muck-diving critter list
• Guide to Fish Photography
• Marine Taxonomy Chart
• Photographing Nudibranchs

Muck diving can produce rare underwater photography treats, like this wonderpus octopus. F11, 60mm lens + 1.4x teleconverter