guessed it... hot springs. They
percolate beneath the sea creating
bubbles flowing up to the surface.
At 33 ft. (10m) at the north end of
the site, volcanically heated fresh
water gushes from cracks in the sea
floor. The area is covered in unusual
bright green, yellow and pastel-
hued soft corals. The hot water
merges into the cooler seawater,
creating a naturally heated
underwater pool. Unlike similar
dive sites around the world, this
water is pretty hot so “feel the heat”
with gloved care.
The reeftop slopes down to an
area that promises anything from
sea anemones to sea snakes at the
40 to 50 ft. (12 to 15m) area. From
there you can drop over the edge of
a small wall that is home to
nudibranchs and the occasional big
frogfish. The sandy area at the wall’s
bottom and toward the north
attracts whitetip sharks and bluespot
and marble rays. Because of the
unique underwater environment,
the visibility is almost always good.
A further bonus is that one can
prepare lunch while diving. Simply
place an egg over one of the hot
water vents. It will be hard-boiled
and ready to eat by the time the
dive ends.11) Secret Bay
Icons:
Location: Caban Island
Depth: 10-100 ft. (3-30m)This sandy slope also features a
few hot water vents down deep and
attracts a great variety of macro
creatures. Boat traffic is light,
making this the kind of dive that
starts out deep and goes up the
slope to the shallows for a nice,
long mucky session.
Photography conditions are quite
nice with the bottom sandy but not
too silty. There’s a current that
sweeps away fin wash. Sand
anemones, halimeda algae and sea
pens sprout from the sea floor.
There’s a bit of debris here and
there and one may find a coconut
octopus or seahorse attached.
Schooling bigeye jacks Other oddities include fire urchins