Night Dive on the Monte Carlo Hotel Reef

I had already dived the Monte Carlo Hotel reef in daylight. At night it is a different site. The day animals are gone. The ones that hunt in the dark come out, and you only see what your torch hits.

Dropping in after sunset

Going down with only a light takes a minute to get used to. The beam picks out coral and animals you swim past without noticing during the day. Everything else stays black.

What came out

• Octopus. One moved along the reef, shifting color as it went from coral to sand.
• Lobsters. Hidden in the rocks by day, walking the reef floor at night. Long antennae, easy to pick out.
• Moray eels. More active after dark, heads out of holes, sliding between rocks.
• Bioluminescent plankton. I turned the torch off and waved a hand through the water. Small sparks. That was the moment I stayed for.

A quieter dive

Night diving is slower. You look at a smaller piece of reef, and you tend to move less, which is also how you avoid spooking the animals. It felt closer to the site than the day dives, mostly because there was less to look at all at once.

What to bring and how to behave

• A strong dive light. You will not enjoy this on a weak torch.
• Stay with your buddy. It is easy to lose the picture of where you are.
• Move slowly. Fast kicking at night just scares things back into holes.

I liked the day reef. I liked the night dive more, for the octopus and the plankton. Same hotel wall, different animals.

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Summary:
Monte Carlo Hotel reef after dark. Octopus, lobsters, moray eels, and plankton that sparks when you kill the light. Take a proper torch and stay close to your buddy.