NAD-Lembeh has been running blackwater night dives in the Lembeh Strait since 2013 — longer than anyone in the area. Simon has completed over 1,000 blackwater dives in the Lembeh Strait and counting — and has become so passionate about this style of diving that he literally wrote the book on it. NAD-Lembeh is the most experienced blackwater diving operator in the area, with a database of over 70 surveyed locations tested across multiple seasons, conditions, and times of night.
We’ve tried every style of blackwater diving available in the strait — bonfire dives on the sand, drift dives hanging from a buoy line, and black ops dives in deep open ocean. That breadth of experience means we can adapt to conditions on the night and give you the best possible chance of encountering something extraordinary — blanket octopus, argonauts, diamond squid, larval ribbonfish, and creatures that exist nowhere else in the diving world.
There’s always an element of randomness to blackwater diving — that’s part of the magic. But experience and local knowledge make a significant difference to what you find.
What is Blackwater Diving?
Blackwater diving means entering the water at night over deep ocean and searching for planktonic and larval forms of marine creatures that rise from the depths after dark. It’s one of the most surreal and unpredictable forms of diving on earth — and the Lembeh Strait is one of the best places in Indonesia to do it. There are three main styles:
- ‘Bonfire’ diving — lights are placed on the sand to attract plankton and the creatures that feed on them. Great for beginners to blackwater diving.
- ‘Blackwater drift’ — lights are attached to a hang line and you drift through deep water, with no bottom in sight. The classic blackwater experience.
- ‘Black ops’ — the most challenging style, drifting in deep ocean water without strong lights. For experienced blackwater divers only.
Your dedicated guide (NAD-Lembeh runs a 2:1 guest-to-guide ratio as standard) will search the water column and flag subjects for you. They’ll use a spotting torch to help you stay on the subject while you shoot, then rotate to your buddy. Common subjects like mantis shrimps, flounders, and jellyfish will be pointed out briefly — the guide will then push on to look for rarer, more spectacular finds. If your guide is hovering and making noise, it means something special has turned up — everyone on the dive gets time with it.
*If you prefer a dedicated guide rather than sharing, a private guide option is available for an additional fee.
What Equipment Do I Need for Blackwater Diving in Lembeh?
Any camera system works on a blackwater dive — from an Olympus TG compact through to mirrorless and dSLR. Just have realistic expectations for your gear. Here’s what we recommend:
Which Lens for Blackwater Diving?
A 60mm lens on full frame is our preferred choice — it gets you close to small subjects while still being versatile enough for larger animals that appear unexpectedly. On a crop sensor camera this translates to 40mm, or 30mm on a micro four-thirds system. Some photographers prefer a 60mm on a crop sensor like the Nikon D500 for more reach on fish subjects.
Torches and Focus Lights
You’ll need a thin-beamed hand torch for searching — a narrow beam travels further and held slightly to the side of your body it reduces backscatter. For a focus light, we recommend the FIX Neo, which can be dialled down to 1% power. A focus light that’s too bright is one of the most common sources of frustration on a blackwater dive — it blinds other divers every time you move the camera. If you want a red focus light, the Kraken Hydra is a great option as the red light deactivates automatically when your strobe fires.
Everything Else
Bring an old sweatshirt to dry off between dives on the boat. If you use full-foot fins, thick socks will protect against any stinging marine life. Unlike our day dives, gloves are permitted on blackwater dives. We bring a snack pack for two-dive blackwater nights — and airport chocolates for the crew are always appreciated if we’re out late.
One non-negotiable: never go blackwater diving with anything other than fully charged batteries.
NAD-Lembeh’s Blackwater Diving Schedule
We run blackwater night dives several times per week — daily during peak season. A standard blackwater night involves a single dive before a late dinner, available to all guests. Conditions and location can vary, so we don’t guarantee a specific style on any given night, but we do guarantee we’ll pick the best option available.
During our dedicated Blackwater Week, we run two blackwater dives per night after the day’s third regular dive, with a snack break in between. Departure times vary depending on how far we’re travelling to reach the night’s chosen location. If a dive is particularly productive, a third dive may be possible at the discretion of the boat crew and guides.
Pack extra memory cards and batteries — you’ll want them.
Why Choose NAD-Lembeh for Blackwater Night Diving?
With over 250,000 lumens of dedicated lighting equipment, we’ve invested more in blackwater diving than any other operator in the Lembeh Strait. But it’s the experience behind the lights that makes the real difference:
- Simon has logged over 1,000 blackwater dives in the strait, with the guides close behind. His background in Marine Biology and Oceanography means location selection is based on science, not guesswork — giving you the best possible chance of encountering rare and spectacular subjects.
- When conditions aren’t producing on one site, we move fast — our database of 70+ surveyed locations means we always have options.
- Every location in our database has been tested multiple times, across different seasons and conditions, often multiple times per night, over more than a year of systematic surveying.
- Simon literally wrote the book on blackwater diving in Lembeh — the only published guide to blackwater diving in the strait.
All images on this page were shot on our own dive boats by our own team. We do not use images from other locations or other operators’ dives.