Night swimming - Oceana USA
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August 17, 2006

Night swimming

August 5, 2006

We left Aguadulce in search of sea grass beds again today. The first dive was in the afternoon and it was very hot onboard. After the divers returned, the rest of us went for a swim to cool off. The water felt fabulous and refreshing when I first jumped in but within 5 minutes I was freezing. It’s amazing how cold ocean water is once you get offshore, even in August.

The second dive of the day was a night dive. During a night dive, the divers wait until it is completely dark outside and then dive with bright lights. Many species of marine organisms are attracted to light and therefore come towards the divers. I was a bit nervous watching the divers disappear into the blackness but I quickly realized that unlike during day dives, you could actually follow the movement of the divers at night because of their bright lights and the glowsticks tied to each diver. It was very beautiful to watch the divers as they swam around like little fireflies under the sea.