Blackwater Photography

Also known as: Blackwater diving, pelagic night diving, open ocean night photography, bonfire diving (shore-based variant)
Key practitioners: Mike Bartick, Scott “Gutsy” Tuason, Linda Ianniello, Susan Mears, Jeff Milisen, Ryo Minemizu, Walt Stearns, Songda Cai, Fan Ping (filmmaker), Laz Ruda
Equipment: Macro lens (60mm on APS-C or 100/105mm on full frame), strobes, powerful focus light, float arms, BC clip for camera; no dome port needed; tethered or drift dive setup with lighted downline
Related techniques: Macro photography, Fluorescence photography

Overview

Blackwater photography is a specialized form of underwater macro photography conducted at night in open ocean over deep water (typically 500-700+ feet deep). Photographers descend along a lighted downline suspended from a buoy and photograph the small pelagic larvae, jellyfish, cephalopods, crustaceans, and other planktonic organisms that migrate vertically from the deep each night — the largest animal migration on Earth. The technique produces images of subjects rarely or never seen by humans, many of which are larval forms of familiar reef species that appear radically different in their planktonic stage.

As Mike Bartick described it: “Blackwater diving is an advanced style of diving that is done well off shore, over deep water, and away from any structure. The target subjects on a dive like this are planktons. Each evening as the sun sets, the planet’s largest animal migration begins as planktons move up from the depths to disperse and feed” (^[1]). The genre grew from a niche practice into one of the most prominent trends in underwater photography during the mid-2010s, generating dedicated books, article series, Wetpixel Live episodes, competition categories, and a thriving online community.

Origins and Scientific Roots

The scientific roots of blackwater diving trace back to the late 1970s. As Bartick explained in a 2019 interview, researcher William Hamner and colleagues were collecting larval subjects off the California coast when they realized their methods — deep trawls and nets — were destroying the fragile plankton they were trying to study. One team member proposed swimming down to study the subjects in their habitat, initially during daytime blue water dives. Eventually, some began doing it at night, discovering an entirely different world (^[2]).

The earliest organized blackwater experiences for recreational divers developed in Kona, Hawaii, where “Pelagic Magic” night dives became available through operators like Big Island Divers and Jack’s Diving Locker. Forum threads from as early as 2008 document divers seeking tips for these Hawaii blackwater dives, where participants were tethered to a weighted rope at about 45 feet depth near Honokohau Harbor (^[3]).

History on Wetpixel

Early mentions and Florida pioneers (2008-2015)

Blackwater diving appeared on the Wetpixel forums by 2008, with divers sharing shooting tips from Hawaii’s Pelagic Magic dives (^[4]). Meanwhile, in Palm Beach, Florida, a parallel tradition was developing. Laz Ruda was doing blackwater drift dives off Palm Beach by at least 2013, identifying planktonic predators like heteropods that he encountered during these dives (^[5]). Dive operators Pura Vida Divers and Walker’s Dive Charters initiated and subsequently perfected the technique of untethered blackwater drift dives following a lighted buoy and dropline, running them regularly for over six years by 2020 (^[6]).

Jeff Milisen won Best of Show at the 2015 Ocean Art contest for a super macro image of a larval cusk eel shot during a blackwater dive off Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, bringing significant visibility to the genre (^[7]).

Gutsy Tuason and the larvacean (2016)

Scott “Gutsy” Tuason captured a striking image of a larvacean (planktonic Appendicularia, probably Oikopleura sp.) during a blackwater dive in the Maricaban Strait, Batangas, Philippines at 10 meters depth. Shot with a Nikon D5 in a Nauticam housing with iDivesite SS-1 strobes and a FitPro 2400 focus light at 1/250, f/25, ISO 640, the image was featured on Wetpixel in December 2016 (^[8]).

Gutsy Tuason and the Philippines (2017)

Tuason was introduced to blackwater photography in Hawaii in 2012 and brought the technique to the Philippines, documenting it in his sixth underwater photography book, Blackwater and Open Blue. In a March 2017 interview with Wetpixel, he described the fundamentals: “Basically blackwater diving is night diving in open ocean. The largest vertical migration on the planet happens every night in our ocean. The purpose for Blackwater diving is to try and capture these animals that stay hidden during the day.” He stressed that timing mattered — “the later the night dive the better” — and that it was “not unusual to arrive back at the resort from a double blackwater dive at 2AM” (^[9]).

Tuason’s gear setup included a 20-meter rope with four video lights attached at intervals, a Nikon D4 or D5 in a Nauticam housing, a 60mm lens, FitPro 2500-lumen focus light, and Idivesite Symbiosis SS-1 strobes. He wore full-body coverage due to box jellyfish encounters and used freediving fins for swimming back to the line (^[10]).

The accompanying Full Frame gallery showcased images from Casiguran (Aurora Province), Anilao, and other Philippine locations: larval snake blennies, thimble jellyfish, larval polychaete worms mimicking octopuses, a sub-adult flying fish with a pygmy squid under its pectoral fin — “a very unusual behaviour still unexplained by science, and most likely the first time to be observed” — and mating sea butterflies (pteropods), described as “probably one of the few ever recorded sightings of this behavior” (^[11]).

Tuason also shared a harrowing safety anecdote: he took three first-time blackwater divers out, lost them when they got blown off the line, and found them an hour later on shore four kilometers away. “Lots of lessons learned that evening to say the least,” he noted, adding that he only likes to do blackwater “when conditions are perfect. Flat sea, low winds and good boat crew” (^[12]).

Kona Underwater Shootout adds blackwater category (2017)

The 2nd annual Kona Underwater Shootout, hosted by Kona Honu Divers in May 2017, included a dedicated Black Water category alongside Wide Angle, Macro, Natural Light, Compact, SeaLife Cameras, and Video (^[13]). This marked blackwater’s formal recognition as a competition genre.

Mainstream attention: Wired magazine (2018)

Wired published an article featuring blackwater diving in April 2018, highlighting Tuason’s imagery. Wetpixel noted that “Blackwater diving has become more and more popular in recent years with underwater photographers as it offers new subjects and constant variation every single night in the single largest migration on earth” (^[14]).

Mike Bartick’s article series and the Facebook community (2018-2019)

Mike Bartick, professional underwater photographer and manager of Crystal Blue Dive Resort in Anilao, Philippines, became Wetpixel’s most prominent blackwater voice. In May 2018, Wetpixel began publishing a series of articles by Bartick, starting with a comprehensive guide to blackwater diving that covered dive skills, photo skills, and hunting techniques. Bartick introduced the concept of “bonfire diving” — a shore-based variant where “torches are planted in the sand or hung from a boat in shallow water” as a training exercise for those who cannot access boats or get offshore (^[15]).

Bartick’s own blackwater journey began with blue water diving off the California coast around 2008-2009, motoring 10 miles offshore with friends to drift at 80 feet in near-darkness. His first formal blackwater dive was around 2012, where he photographed a larval flounder without understanding what it was: “I had no idea about fish settling from the plankton at that time, and the whole lifecycle of fish.” His friend Gutsy Tuason’s prolific posting inspired him to pursue it seriously starting around 2014. Early attempts involved tying a rope to the boat — which promptly blew off in the wind — before eventually developing the buoy-based downline system used today at Crystal Blue (^[16]).

A pivotal moment was photographing the first larval wunderpus (wonderpus octopus) in 2014 in Anilao, found by his guide Edgar. Scientists at the California Academy of Sciences identified it as a “settling wunderpus,” introducing Bartick to the concept that octopuses begin life in the open ocean rather than simply appearing on the sand. “That was really the catalyst of my desire to kick away from the reef,” he recalled (^[17]).

Bartick founded the Blackwater Photo Group on Facebook, initially to share information and attract scientists who could help identify subjects. The group grew from twelve members to over 4,000 in a short period. Though some called him “the father of blackwater,” Bartick was quick to credit predecessors: “There are other people that have done it before me” (^[18]).

Ryo Minemizu and Japanese blackwater art (2018)

Japanese underwater photographer Ryo Minemizu gained attention through PetaPixel for his images of microscopic plankton captured during blackwater dives. His solo exhibition Jewels in the Night Sea toured Japan, supported by Canon galleries, featuring 40 images of tiny creatures that rise to the surface during vertical migration (^[19]).

The blanket octopus (2019)

Bartick wrote a detailed article for Wetpixel on his encounters with the blanket octopus (Tremoctopus gracilis) during blackwater dives in Anilao’s Balayan Bay. His first encounter was with a female over one meter long carrying eggs — likely the first documented observation of this behavior. He noted that juvenile blanket octopuses rip stinging tentacles from jellyfish and wield them for defense, and that the species exhibits the most extreme sexual dimorphism of any non-microscopic animal, with females reaching 2 meters while males measure only 2 centimeters (^[20]).

Walt Stearns and Palm Beach blackwater (2019)

Photographer Walt Stearns showcased Palm Beach blackwater diving in a Full Frame gallery that included a baby sailfish encounter, a juvenile blanket octopus, and a “Fu Manchu flying fish” — demonstrating the diversity of subjects available in the Gulf Stream off Florida’s Gold Coast (^[21]).

Fan Ping’s blackwater film (2019)

Filmmaker Fan Ping created Diving into the Unknown Galaxy, a short film documenting photographer Songda Cai’s blackwater obsession. Shot in Anilao in May 2019 on a RED Helium 8K camera in a GATES Pro Explore housing, the film used 120fps to compensate for the subjects’ rapid movement. Ping noted that “any movement that’s not parallel to the lens will end up out of the depth of field easily” and that manual focus on RED required the high frame rate for workable results (^[22]).

Anilao Shootout adds blackwater category (2018-2021)

The Anilao Underwater Shootout, the world’s largest live underwater photography competition (241 contestants from 23 countries in 2018), added specific categories for “Blackwater/Bonfire” images. Songda Cai won the Blackwater category in 2018 (^[23]). Dennis Corpuz won the Special Award for Blackwater in 2021, an event where both Bartick and Tuason served as judges alongside David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes (^[24]).

Linda Ianniello and Susan Mears — Southeast Florida (2020-2021)

Linda Ianniello and Susan Mears documented blackwater diving off southeast Florida (Palm Beach County) in their book Blackwater Creatures: A Guide to Southeast Florida Blackwater Diving. By the time of publication, they had together logged almost 300 blackwater dives over five years. The first edition (2020) contained over 220 images across 170 pages, organized by creature group with descriptions and identifications (^[25]).

Their Full Frame gallery for Wetpixel showcased southeast Florida subjects including juvenile seahorses on Sargassum, sharpear enope squid paralarvae, deep-water shrimp larvae (Cerataspis sp.), soapfish larvae with signature long filaments, snaketooth swallowers, lionfish larvae, pancake batfish larvae, crab zoea, sea angels spawning, and paper nautilus — demonstrating that the Florida Gulf Stream offered diversity rivaling Indo-Pacific locations (^[26]).

Ianniello also published a comprehensive reference book list for blackwater subject identification on Wetpixel, noting that “not just one of them is sufficient; I end out hunting in all of them just to get close then usually head for the web.” She highlighted the challenge of larval fish identification: “there is a huge book on larval fish for our area, but it costs approximately $300.” Her recommended references ranged from Christian Sardet’s Plankton: Wonders of the Drifting World to Japanese-language field guides ordered from Amazon Japan, plus a newly published World Atlas of Jellyfish with over 800 pages (^[27]).

A second edition of Blackwater Creatures followed in June 2021, adding 70 new pages including a new chapter on Behavior, bringing the total to 240 pages with over 380 images (^[28]).

Wetpixel Live episodes (2020)

Adam Hanlon hosted two Wetpixel Live episodes with Bartick in August 2020: one on blackwater photography techniques and diving skills, described as “so valuable for people planning to shoot blackwater” (^[29]), and a follow-up on cameras and tools for capturing blackwater images (^[30]).

Jeff Milisen’s Hawaii field guide (2020)

Marine biologist and photographer Jeff Milisen published A Field Guide to Blackwater Diving in Hawai’i, a 288-page guide covering over 300 blackwater species with images, descriptions, and his own field observations. Milisen, who earned a Master’s in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering from the University of Hawai’i, had also published a peer-reviewed article on predictors affecting species composition on blackwater dives in Pacific Science. He described Kona as “the birthplace and world headquarters for blackwater diving,” noting its proximity to deep water and favorable ocean conditions (^[31]).

Mike Bartick’s The World of Blackwater (2022)

Bartick published The World of Blackwater as an eBook (PDF and iBook formats) in November 2022, compiling his images of “rare or never seen before marine animals” with natural history, personal narrative, and photo tips. Designed as both an inspiration and a digital field guide for blackwater diving in the Indo-Pacific and other tropical locations, buyers received free updates as they became available (^[32]).

Technique Details

The downline setup

Two primary approaches have developed:

Tethered system (Kona model): Divers are tethered to a weighted rope deployed from the boat, typically at about 45 feet depth. This ensures safety but limits freedom of movement. Used at Kona operations like Big Island Divers and Jack’s Diving Locker (^[33]).

Drift dive system (Florida/Philippines model): As described by Ianniello and Mears from Florida: the boat travels offshore to water 500-700 feet deep on the edge of the Gulf Stream, deploys a large buoy attached to a 45-foot dropline with lights at top and bottom and marker lights at intervals. Divers enter untethered and drift with the current, staying within sight of the line. Dives last 90 minutes and cover 1-9 miles of drift. Divers typically stay above 45 feet (14 meters) as current varies with depth. Summer months are preferred when seas are calmer (^[34]).

At Crystal Blue Resort, Bartick developed an “extravagant” downline with a lit orange buoy on top and a 33-meter weighted rope with several high-powered lights to attract plankton and allow divers to free-swim at any depth. Earlier iterations failed — tying a rope to the boat resulted in the boat being blown away by wind, and sea anchors could not slow it sufficiently (^[35], ^[36]).

Bonfire diving

A shore-based variant described by Bartick where torches are planted in the sand or hung from a boat in shallow water. Divers hover in mid-water column photographing subjects that are similar to those found in deeper water but closer to the settling phase of their development. Bartick recommended this as “a great training process for divers that want to do blackwater but don’t have the opportunity to use a boat or the ability to get off shore” (^[37]).

Camera and lighting

Bartick’s recommended settings and approach:

• Lens: 60mm macro on APS-C camera, or 100/105mm on full frame, without diopters. The 60mm is preferred for tracking subjects through the viewfinder and offers a wider angle of view when close (^[38]).
• Starting settings: ISO 400, f/22, 1/200 for DSLR; ISO 400, f/5, 1/200-500 for compacts. Higher ISO and f-stops provide better depth of field on subjects. The aperture functions “like a dimmer switch” — roll it up for reflective subjects, back down when more light is needed (^[39]).
• Strobes: Angle to minimize backscatter, but do not obsess over it: “Having some backscatter in the image gives the subject a sense of space” (^[40]).
• Focus light: A powerful, tight-beam torch trained over the lens port for fast autofocus assist and subject hunting. Bartick stressed hunting with a tight beam for better water penetration even in turbid conditions (^[41]).
• Support gear: Float arms and a clip to secure the camera to the BC when both hands are needed (^[42]).
• Video: Fan Ping used a RED Helium 8K with Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 II in a GATES housing, shooting at 120fps to compensate for rapid subject movement. KELDAN Video 8X 13000-lumen lights provided illumination (^[43]).

Diving skills

Bartick emphasized three fundamentals:

1. Buoyancy: “Be sure to have great buoyancy skills before venturing out. On the dive move slowly and try not to fin too much as it creates a pressure wave. Each movement creates turbulence and many of the delicate creatures could be destroyed outright or sent spinning away” (^[44]).
2. Hunting: “Using a torch with a tight beam will allow for better water penetration even if the water is turbid.” Many subjects drift in a static position but rotate if lit for extended periods or if the diver makes quick movements (^[45]).
3. Safety: Late nights become routine. Bartick noted that guests into their 70s have completed blackwater dives at Crystal Blue, though the downline provides a handhold for those who feel uncomfortable. He recommended that divers use an operation with experience, as “there’s a couple of places in the world that does it” with proper systems in place (^[46]).

Subjects

Typical blackwater subjects span the full diversity of planktonic and pelagic life:

• Larval fish: Flounder larvae (eyes not yet migrated), lionfish larvae, blenny larvae, soapfish larvae with extremely long pennant filaments, reef basslet larvae with ornate dorsal filaments mimicking siphonophore tentacles, cusk eel larvae, pancake batfish larvae, settling goatfish, winged scorpionfish (as small as 5mm), larval rabbitfish (^[47], ^[48])
• Cephalopods: Paper nautilus/argonauts (females trapping air in shells for buoyancy, males only 5-7mm riding on salps), blanket octopus (Tremoctopus), sharpear enope squid paralarvae, “smoking squid” that release ink clouds to stun prey, larval wunderpus (^[49], ^[50])
• Crustaceans: Crab zoea (first larval stage), spiny lobster juveniles carrying siphonophores for food and transportation, deep-water shrimp larvae (Cerataspis sp.), colorful shrimp carrying acorn worm larvae (^[51])
• Gelatinous zooplankton: Jellyfish, salps, siphonophores (up to forty feet long), ctenophores, larvaceans in cellulose-fiber “houses,” the immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii, approximately 0.2-4mm at the bell) (^[52], ^[53])
• Gastropods: Sea butterflies (pteropods) releasing strings of eggs, sea angels (gymnosomes) spawning, veliger larvae, heteropods — “voracious carnivores that feed on smaller subjects like Pteropods” (^[54], ^[55])
• Other: Polychaete worms mimicking predators, hydromedusae, snaketooth swallowers, juvenile seahorses on Sargassum, flying fish at the surface (reflection shots on calm nights) (^[56], ^[57])

Many subjects exhibit behaviors rarely documented. Tuason captured a flying fish with a pygmy squid sheltering under its pectoral fin, and mating sea butterflies — “probably one of the few ever recorded sightings of this behavior” (^[58]). Bartick photographed a female blanket octopus with eggs, believed to be one of the first such observations (^[59]).

Key Locations

• Kona, Hawaii — Described by Jeff Milisen as “the birthplace and world headquarters for blackwater diving.” Its proximity to deep water and favorable ocean conditions make it ideal. “Pelagic Magic” dives run by operators like Big Island Divers and Jack’s Diving Locker were among the earliest organized blackwater experiences. Divers are tethered to a weighted line. The 2015 Ocean Art Best of Show was shot here (^[60], ^[61]).
• Anilao, Philippines — Mike Bartick’s base at Crystal Blue Resort. Rich Indo-Pacific biodiversity provides extraordinary subject diversity. The Anilao Underwater Shootout includes a dedicated Blackwater/Bonfire category. Aurora Province (Casiguran) was a favored Tuason location (^[62], ^[63]).
• Palm Beach County, Florida — Gulf Stream drift dives pioneered by Pura Vida Divers and Walker’s Dive Charters. The narrow continental shelf (as little as 3.5 miles wide) brings the Gulf Stream within 3 miles of shore. Summer months preferred for calmer seas. Subjects include Atlantic species like baby sailfish, juvenile blanket octopus, and lionfish larvae (^[64], ^[65]).
• Lembeh Strait, Indonesia — Blackwater dives added to the muck diving repertoire.
• Other locations — Bartick received inquiries from Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, and reported freshwater lake blackwater attempts posted to his Facebook group. Milisen noted that divers can visit “places such as Florida, the Philippines, Indonesia, and even Papua New Guinea to see many similar animals” (^[66], ^[67]).

Competition Recognition

Blackwater photography gained formal recognition in major underwater photography competitions:

• Ocean Art 2015: Jeff Milisen won Best of Show for a larval cusk eel shot on a blackwater dive in Kona (^[68])
• Kona Underwater Shootout 2017: Included a dedicated Black Water category (^[69])
• Anilao Underwater Shootout 2018: Added Blackwater/Bonfire category; won by Songda Cai (^[70])
• Anilao Underwater Shootout 2021: Blackwater Special Award won by Dennis Corpuz (^[71])
• Ocean Art: Added a dedicated blackwater category, with the competition calling for entries in this genre from 2019 onward (^[72])

Notable Publications

• Scott “Gutsy” Tuason, Blackwater and Open Blue (book, ~2017) — Tuason’s sixth underwater photography book
• Ryo Minemizu, Jewels in the Night Sea (exhibition, 2018) — 40 plankton images supported by Canon galleries
• Linda Ianniello and Susan Mears, Blackwater Creatures: A Guide to Southeast Florida Blackwater Diving (2020; 2nd edition 2021, expanded to 240 pages, 380 images with new Behavior chapter)
• Jeff Milisen, A Field Guide to Blackwater Diving in Hawai’i (2020) — 288 pages covering 300+ species; accompanied by peer-reviewed research in Pacific Science
• Mike Bartick, The World of Blackwater (eBook, 2022) — Indo-Pacific digital field guide with free updates
• Fan Ping, Diving into the Unknown Galaxy (short film, 2019) — shot on RED Helium 8K in Anilao

Identification Challenges

Subject identification remains one of the greatest challenges in blackwater photography. Ianniello’s reference book list reveals the difficulty: no single resource is sufficient, larval fish identification books cost hundreds of dollars, some of the best references are in Japanese, and many subjects remain unidentified even after consulting multiple sources. The Facebook Blackwater Photo Group, founded by Bartick, became a critical resource by connecting photographers with marine biologists who could identify subjects. Milisen’s Hawaii field guide and peer-reviewed research represented the first effort to systematize blackwater species identification for a general audience (^[73], ^[74]).

Community Growth and Future

By 2019, Bartick predicted that dive agencies like PADI would eventually offer blackwater diver certification courses. He saw global expansion as inevitable: “I want to see people try this all over the world in different types of water. I have had posts in the forum from freshwater lakes. I want to see that.” He envisioned a future where some divers would abandon reef and muck diving entirely to focus on all-night blackwater schedules — a trend he was already accommodating at Crystal Blue with dedicated blackwater groups (^[75]).

The intersection of blackwater photography with marine science continues to yield discoveries. Many subjects photographed during blackwater dives have never been documented alive before, and behaviors captured in images — from blanket octopus egg-brooding to pteropod mating — contribute to scientific understanding of open-ocean ecology.

References

Wetpixel Live