What are some of the most beautiful sights you saw while diving?

[bmorescuba]

Off the coast of Puako, north of Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, there are several Honu cleaning stations. The Honu (Green Turtles) float while mostly yellow tangs go to work on cleaning their shells. It's not that rare and happens in many places, but I was lucky enough to see it several times in person and I was blown away. I could have spent the whole dive just watching it. They don't seem to mind observers, as long as you don't get too close.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Cleaning stations are magic. I found one at one our regular dive sites. I settled to watch. After a while the critters decided I wasn't a threat and the action proceeded in front of me. When another diver would appear in the distance they would all scoot off to hiding places till "the coast was clear" then ignoring me return to action. I must have spend over 30 minutes there... they got curious about me and checked me out, fascinated by the reflections in my mask and camera housing. Divers that move quickly miss so much!

 

[mdb]

Hanging in a Kelp forest, staying solo and quiet, watching the interaction. just tried to stay neutral, breathing slow, and watching-Magic.

 

[Steve_C]

Beautiful:

1. Diving the Markham off NC. Just hung at the top edge of the boat at 40ft. Viz seemed infinite. Large bait balls overhead with amberjack and cuda patrolling them. Schools of some small silvery fish falling like clouds of rain. Below large grouper and several sand tigers circled. Everywhere I looked there was life. A national geographic hour.

2. Coming around the bow of the Hyde off NC, the largest shark I had every seen came slowly and powerfully swimming past me. Was so mesmerized that I forgot I had a camera with me.

3. Any of a number of shallow coral reefs in bright sun with multi-colored fish scattered over it.

4. Slowly swimming at 40ft down in a Kelp forest off Catalina Island when a commorant shot right in front of me and up to the surface trailing bubbles.

5. Dropping down the anchor line on an offshore ledge in 100 ft of water. Very overcast so like dusk. About 20 ft down as far as I could see in all directions there were tiny bright colorful stars. Never seen anything like that before or since.

6. A large goddess nudibranch on the wreck of the Gill off NC.

7. Coming up the anchor line was surrounded by a school of 30-40 pound amberjack that stretched as far as I could see in all directions which slowly swam beside me in the mild current.

Are the first that come to mind.

 

[Skulmoski]

Just watched some videos and they are spectacular. Are they distributed through all coral reefs?

We were only at Koh Tao and they were widespread. I have not visited other sites in the country so I cannot comment. But do go there to see yourself!

Best

GJS

 

[WarrenZ]

We once sat for a 25 minute safety stop watching some girls on spring break cliff dive right infront of us. the bikinis came off at about a 60% success rate.

 

[lmorin]

We've seen a lot of nice things, but the best was on Bonaire when a large bait ball of bigeye scad gradually surrounded and absorbed my wife until nothing was visible except the blue/black tip of one fin. Not science fiction and she gradually emerged unscathed from the opposite side of the bait ball.

 

[DiverDownD3]

Beautiful:

1. Diving the Markham off NC. Just hung at the top edge of the boat at 40ft. Viz seemed infinite. Large bait balls overhead with amberjack and cuda patrolling them. Schools of some small silvery fish falling like clouds of rain. Below large grouper and several sand tigers circled. Everywhere I looked there was life. A national geographic hour.
.

Markham really is an underrated wreck that doesn't get as much talk because of the wrecks off Morehead City. The exposed propellers are great

 

[Bratface]

Baby sharks on the deck of one of the historical wrecks in North Carolina.
An incredible encounter with a sea turtle who swam up to us to examine my buddy's camera.
Two dolphins who swam around us and seemed to enjoy us as their show.

 

[NYCNaiad]

Love this topic! You made me remember so many exquisite dives. I'm going to be selfish & list all the ones that come to mind...

1. Night dive with thousands of tiny bioluminescent phytoplankton....it was like diving in the stars.
2. My 1st WWII wreck. (Solomon Islands)
3. Seahorses. (Roatan, Honduras)

And then forth would be my magical trip to the Maldives where I saw:
a. A turtle that swam next to me for the entire dive. They called him my "boyfriend" after that.
b. Mantas with their graceful somersaults.
c. A huge whale shark swimming directly at me with its mouth open wide.
d. A huge field of tiger cowrie shells when I'd never seen a single one before outside of a place of honor on my deceased dad's desk. (I felt like it was a sign from him that day.)
e. My 1st blenny. There were 25 of them all hiding in their holes except for their heads. I saw their wide smiling mouths & googly eyes going every which way in heads only 1/8 inch in length (.32 cm) ...and thought I was bent & seeing happy aliens. When you see them like the pic below from Ocean Images, you gotta agree with me, right?