The word muck does not have the best connotation.
But when it comes to scuba, muck diving is a glorious world that all divers should experience.
The term muck diving gets its name from the combination of sand, silt, dead corals, natural debris, and manmade debris (including but not limited to tires, bottles, and cans) that lies on the bottom of the sea. During a muck dive, divers focus on the sediment closely, looking out for small and rare creatures.
So in this article, we’ll explore the murky world of muck diving, its unique characteristics, and why it appeals to divers.
Table of Contents
Why Should I Muck Dive?
Muck diving is an entirely different experience from reef drift diving or deep dives.
Muck diving takes a lot more focus but in another sense is very relaxing as you’re typically at shallower depths with a slow pace.
You are “hunting” in a sense for sea creatures.
You often cover a small area starting at the deepest point and working your way shallower.
Even with no corals and good visibility (muck diving doesn’t always have the best visibility), it can still be extremely hard to find little creatures.
Muck diving is also excellent for photographers and solo divers. These creatures are very colorful and rare so you can take your time to get good shots.
It’s safer for solo divers since you are in shallow waters and therefore less risk of something going wrong.
The thrill you get when you find a camouflaged creature is cannot be beaten. As you become more familiar with site and your eyes are adjusted it is not as hard as it sounds.
What Can I See Muck Diving?
It’s hard to tell you exactly what you’ll see as it depends on so many factors such as:
- Dive location
- Depth
- Whether you’re diving at night
The basic but still amazing wildlife you will encounter on your dives are stingrays, frogfish, pipefish, seahorses, nudibranchs, stonefish, scorpion fish, and shrimps.
Here are a few very special creatures that people go into the muck searching for around the world:
- hairy frogfish
- ornate ghost pipe fish
- flamboyant cuttlefish
- blue ring octopus, mandarin fish
- pygmy seahorse
- harlequin shrimps,
- mimic octopus
- decorator crabs
- squat lobsters
Best Muck Diving Locations
There are several renowned muck diving destinations around the world.
Here are some of the best:
Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Lembeh Strait, Indonesia: Known as the “Muck Diving Capital of the World,” Lembeh Strait offers a remarkable array of critters, including mimic octopuses, flamboyant cuttlefish, hairy frogfish, and a wide variety of nudibranchs.
Anilao, Philippines
Anilao, Philippines: Anilao boasts an impressive diversity of marine life and is a paradise for macro photographers. Divers can encounter creatures like rhinopias, seahorses, colorful nudibranchs, and ghost pipefish.
Anilao boasts an impressive diversity of marine life and is a paradise for macro photographers. Divers can encounter creatures like rhinopias, seahorses, colorful nudibranchs, and ghost pipefish.
Dauin, Philippines:
Situated near Dumaguete, Dauin is home to unique critters such as blue-ringed octopuses, mandarinfish, harlequin shrimp, and a range of frogfish species.
Ambon, Indonesia
Ambon Island offers exceptional muck diving opportunities, with an abundance of rare and unusual creatures such as the psychedelic frogfish, rhinopias, Ambon scorpionfish, and wonderpus octopuses.
Mabul, Malaysia
Mabul Island, located near Sipadan, features rich muck dive sites with an abundance of macro life. Divers can encounter seahorses, mimic octopuses, frogfish, and a variety of shrimp species.
Puerto Galera, Philippines
Puerto Galera is renowned for its diverse marine life and vibrant coral reefs. It also offers excellent muck diving, with opportunities to spot creatures like blue-ringed octopuses, hairy frogfish, and various species of nudibranchs.
Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
Milne Bay is known for its incredible biodiversity, including exceptional muck diving sites. Divers can find flamboyant cuttlefish, mantis shrimps, rare species of pipefish, and elusive rhinopias.
Lembeh Island, Indonesia
Adjacent to Lembeh Strait, Lembeh Island is another fantastic muck diving destination. It offers encounters with creatures like hairy frogfish, mimic octopuses, colorful nudibranchs, and numerous crustaceans.
Donsol, Philippines
Donsol is renowned for its whale shark encounters, but it also offers rewarding muck diving experiences. Divers can discover seahorses, pipefish, frogfish, and various juvenile fish species.
Wakatobi, Indonesia
Wakatobi National Park features stunning coral reefs, but it also offers exceptional muck diving. Divers can explore diverse critters, including rhinopias, ghost pipefish, mantis shrimps, and rare cephalopods.
