Photo Essay

Into the World of Blackwater Diving

Heading

Blackwater diving offers a glimpse of the world beneath the surface.

Photography by
Scott Gutsy Tuason
Read Time
Location Tag

Scott Tuason—also (rather appropriately) known as Gutsy—had grown up loving the sea. A long-time diver and underwater photographer, he’s gone on countless dives around the world, as well as published award-winning books capturing the country’s rich marine life and diving culture. But it was only in 2012, while on a trip to Hawaii, that he first discovered the world of black water diving.

A jellyfish hovers over a driftfish
An eel in its larval stage
Header: Blanket octopus
Left: A jellyfish hovers over a driftfish
Right: An eel in its larval stage

Blackwater diving is not your regular night dive. It requires a near-superhuman ability to go against every basic human survival instinct. Divers are dropped into the middle of the ocean in the dead of night, attached by a short cable to weighted downlines that hold a string of faint lights. Then, they swim hundreds of feet down to catch sight of thousands of deep sea animals, from jellyfish to plankton, migrating upwards to feed in the nutrient-rich water.

A thimble jellyfish
A thimble jellyfish

While he’s spotted a few manta rays and the odd shark or two in the water, most sea creatures Gutsy spots on his dives are smaller, non-predatory animals such as jellyfish, salps, and planktonic organisms.

“A lot of the stuff I had seen in that dive, I’d never seen before,” Gutsy recalls. “[By that time], I’d been diving for 30 years, but I just thought, ‘wow, this is different.’” From there, a new passion was born.

A larval wunderpus octopus
A larval wunderpus octopus

Realizing that blackwater diving didn’t have to be restricted to Hawaiian shores, Gutsy brought the practice with him when he returned to the Philippines. While the country’s abundance of reefs and shoals and diverse marine life ensured no shortage of potential dive sites, the mere concept of what he was doing earned more than a few raised eyebrows.

A tripod fish in its post-larval phase
A tripod fish in its post-larval phase

“It was a very new idea and people just kind of looked at me like I was crazy,” he says. “[But] I just did it wherever I could: Tubbataha, Anilao, Visayas. . . wherever I could get someone to take me out to the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night.”

A sea anemone in its larval phase

A dwarf lionfish
Top: A sea anemone in its larval phase
Bottom: A dwarf lionfish

“There are certain animals that I’ve always wanted to shoot, and it’s always a special occasion when [I find them].” Some of Gutsy’s most memorable animal encounters include the first time he photographed the paper nautilus and blanket octopus. Next on his list is an adult oarfish, as well as “those dark zone guys, the really weird-looking ones.”

An Argonaut, also known as a paper nautilus
An Argonaut, also known as a paper nautilus

Many of Gutsy’s images capture sea creatures in their juvenile life stages, which are rarely seen on camera. With so few books and ID guides that can help him figure out what they are, he reached out to a fish scientist he knew for help. Over time, he’s built a network of scientists from around the world that help him identify the species of creatures in his photos.

Trevally larva inside a planktonic salp
Trevally larva inside a planktonic salp

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for others to catch on. Today, black water diving is rapidly becoming a popular activity among divers and marine enthusiasts, with dive shops in Anilao and Baler offering guided dives for beginners. Now recognized as the region’s leading blackwater diving expert, Gutsy helps train local resorts and instructors on dive safety, as well as organizes his own trips to lesser-known spots around the Philippines.

A mantis shrimp larva
A mantis shrimp larva

As a wildlife photographer himself, it came as no surprise that he would later mix his two passions, bringing his camera along on dive trips to capture what he saw on film. The result is a stunning collection of images; otherworldly creatures luminescent against the pitch-black of the deep sea.

This story was originally published in

Volume 9 | One Day in the Philippines

Others Also Read these

The Lazarus Effect

The Lazarus Effect

The story of Culion: its past, its present, and the people bringing it into the future.

Read More >>
A Man Called Horsefly & Other Stories From the Masbate Rodeo

A Man Called Horsefly & Other Stories From the Masbate Rodeo

You’ll find no flowers or saints here at the Masbate Rodeo; just a celebration of the rough, dusty, and honest life of the Filipino Cowboy.

Read More >>
The First Filipina to Conquer the World's Seven Summits

The First Filipina to Conquer the World's Seven Summits

After setting foot at the highest peaks of the world—from the summit of Kilimanjaro to the pinnacle of Everest—there are no greater heights for mountaineer Carina Dayondon to conquer.

Read More >>

Watch & Listen:

At GRID, we have always believed that the pretty destinations are secondary to the various reasons we travel. In Issue 10, we honor the people who have enabled us to experience the Philippines in different and better ways with a series of short films

Changing The Way We Travel

At GRID, we have always believed that the pretty destinations are secondary to the various reasons we travel. In Issue 10, we honor the people who have enabled us to experience the Philippines in different and better ways with a series of short films
Watch >>Listen >>
The GRID Expedition I is a 9-day series of our team blazing a trail through northern Luzon, home to some of the Philippines’ most diverse terrains, lead by Jp Alipio and his team of adventurers, mountain runners, and conservation advocates.

GRID Expedition 1: Sea to Summit

The GRID Expedition I is a 9-day series of our team blazing a trail through northern Luzon, home to some of the Philippines’ most diverse terrains, lead by Jp Alipio and his team of adventurers, mountain runners, and conservation advocates.
Watch >>Listen >>
Last 2016, GRID and a couple of hardy outdoorsmen went up the Cordilleras for the first GRID Expedition. But for the whole team, the real hero of the trip was Chef Nayna.

Camping With Nayna

Last 2016, GRID and a couple of hardy outdoorsmen went up the Cordilleras for the first GRID Expedition. But for the whole team, the real hero of the trip was Chef Nayna.
Watch >>Listen >>

Related Products:

Volume 2 | The Places that Shape Us

Volume 2 | The Places that Shape Us

PHP 500 

We take a moment to re-examine how our land shapes our history, and in turn, all of us.
BUY
Volume 9 | One Day in the Philippines

Volume 9 | One Day in the Philippines

PHP 500 

GRID Volume 09 is all about how much can happen in one day in the Philippines, told from the many viewpoints its 7,000 islands holds.
BUY
Issue 01 | Love Letter to the Philippines

Issue 01 | Love Letter to the Philippines

PHP 195 

Our maiden issue is a love letter to the Philippines. We jump right into the thick of things and ask the big question: what makes a place home?
BUY