Muck diving is recreational diving on a loose sedimentary bottom, usually in relatively low visibility. It gets its name from thesediment that lies on the bottom at many dive sites - a frequently muddy or "mucky" environment. Other than muddy sediment, the muck dive substrate may consist of deadcoral skeletons,garbage and natural detritus. The visibility is usually less than on thereef orwreck sites of the area. However, the sediment and detritus environment has a different ecology to the reef, and the "muck" substrate can be the habitat for unusual, exotic and juvenile organisms that are not found in the cleaner reef sites of the region.[1]
The termmuck diving was first recorded as being used byBob Halstead to describe diving off the beaches made up ofblack sand in Milne Bay,Papua New Guinea.[2]
The "muck" substrate can be the habitat for unusual, exotic and juvenile organisms that make their homes in the sediment and "trash" that compose a muck dive. The sediment and detritus environment has a different ecology to the reef. Creatures like colorfulnudibranchs,anglerfish,shrimp,blue-ringed octopus, and rare pygmyseahorses may be more common, more easily found, or restricted to a sedimentary substrate.[3]
The most publicised region for muck diving isSoutheast Asia, where there are more marine species than anywhere else in the world. Places likeMabul and Kapalai in Sabah, Malaysia,Anilao andDauin in the Philippines, Lembeh Straits inManado,[4][1]Indonesia andBali are popular because of the different creatures found in this type of bottom ecology.
Other sedimentary bottom habitats may also provide interesting ecologies, and muck diving is possible almost anywhere that recreational diving is possible.
The equipment used is mostly standard recreational diving equipment appropriate for the region and planned dive profile, Photographic equipment is usually for macro-photography, and good buoyancy skills are highly desirable to avoid disturbing the silt, which ruins the visibility and can impact on the infauna.[3]
