Muck Diving

Some of the most unusual and interesting animals live in a habitat that divers call "muck." If you’re tired of coral, clear water and brightly colored fish, then this is the place for you! We would dive here more if we could, but we only have the pleasure when we get a curious group that is clamoring for something really different. What’s different is the silty sand bottom, a total lack of coral reef, and unusual creatures! These animals have to beg, borrow, steal or create their own shelter in a vast expanse of sand. Photographers have a great time here because they can set down on the sand bottom and take their time photographing strange animals that they don’t normally get to see, such as mantis shrimps, nudibranchs and bizarre crabs. And divers without cameras are equally intrigued by the weird sand-adapted animals that aren’t found in the coral reef habitats they normally dive. When diving here we still have to keep an eye out for larger animals, such as bottom-dwelling Hawaiian stingrays and even – whales!