You’ve heard of scuba diving but do you know about muck diving? It’s scuba diving but unlike regular reef diving where you take in the vast underwater landscape all around you, muck diving would involve zeroing in and scouring the muddy bottom of the ocean floor in search of unique and wonderful little critters that thrive here.
The word muck itself refers to muddy sediments on the sea floors of popular dive sites. These sediments usually comprise sand, silt and a variety of natural debris such as dead corals and even rubbish like old bottles.
While muck diving, you’ll go through the sediment inch by inch for a chance to glimpse some of the wonderful marine critters that hide in the seemingly desolate muck. These underwater critters live in a fascinating world that’s bursting with colour, described by many as weird, bizarre, unusual, delightful and interesting.
Where Do People Muck Dive?
Some of the very best places in the world for muck diving are right here in Indonesia. Lembeh Strait, just north of Sulawesi, is the muck diving capital of the world, with over 60 different dive sites and an endless number of marine critters to discover and explore. However, there are also some sites in the Komodo National Park and Raja Ampat too.
In these nutrient-rich waters and volcanic black sands, you can come across hundreds of different species of marine critters, all with the most vibrant colourings, markings and astonishingly unique features. The most popular critters would include the colourful mantis shrimp, mandarin fish, pygmy seahorse, ribbon eel and nudibranchs. There’s also the octopus that changes skin colour and texture and the frogfish.
There are hundreds of different unique and interesting species to look out for while muck diving that have made the silt at the bottom of the ocean their home. When muck diving with Mikumba, you can spend as much time as you like scouring the ocean floor for these astonishing creatures knowing that you can take your time and easily return to the boat when you’re ready. You can also practise your underwater photography skills on these macro critters!
Muck Diving In Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park offers fantastic muck diving close to shore with locations like Siaba Besar, which is also known as Turtle Town. With a sandy bottom, here you might just come face-to-face with the flamboyant cuttlefish, seahorses, mimic octopus and ornate ghost pipefish.
Another famous must-visit muck diving site in Komodo National Park is Wainilu. Great for beginners and night dives, Wainilu is home to a variety of critters like frogfish, seahorses, snake eels, sea moths and mandarin fish, just to name a few.
The sandy bottom surrounding Pengah Kecil is thriving with critters such as multicoloured nudibranchs, shrimps and beautiful flatworms, and you might just be able to spot the frogfish camouflaged against the sponges.
Muck Diving With Mikumba
Ready for your next muck diving adventure? Come join us at Mikumba Diving for our next trip to Komodo National Park in the Best Of Komodo package aboard our beautiful, newly refurbished boat, Nusantara. Choose from two or three nights itineraries that are available throughout the year. On board Nusantara, you can enjoy an unforgettable liveaboard experience like no other.
Our beautiful boat measures 21m long and 3m wide and is fully equipped with a diving deck, a dining area, a sun deck and a shaded top deck. The dorm below the deck can sleep up to eight persons and is fitted with privacy curtains, a fan, light, power sockets and plenty of storage space. There are two bathrooms with Western-style toilets and showers.
Four more mattresses on the deck are ready for those who wish to sleep under the stars. Our Best Of Komodo liveaboard package includes accommodations, all meals prepared fresh daily, diving equipment and transportation to and from dive sites. Fresh fruit and snacks are provided throughout the day as well as tea, coffee and water. Soft drinks and beer are available to purchase at an additional cost.
Book The Best Of Komodo With Mikumba Diving
When diving in Komodo, you’ll have so much to look forward to. In addition to muck diving, you can also encounter some of the world’s most coveted marine species such as colourful tropical fish, sharks, turtles, octopuses and even dolphins.
Komodo National Park is part of the Coral Triangle, one of the richest and most diverse locations on earth and one of the few places on earth where you can witness a wide range of marine life in their natural habitat. The park encompasses 1,800 square kilometres and 29 islands including Komodo Island, Rinca Island and Padar Island, which are all home to a wide range of animals both above and underwater.
Ready to go muck diving with Mikumba Diving? Book our Komodo Liveaboard trip today and take advantage of Mikumba Diving’s special offers for an unforgettable experience. Contact us for more information or to book your diving trip with Mikumba!
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