With his shaved head, goatee and heavy fishing tackle hanging from his ears, he's nearly as scary as the water into which we're about to jump. The dive sites here are home to some of the strongest, wildest and most dangerous tidal currents in the world. These currents bring with them massive amounts of oxygen and nutrients and support one of the richest underwater ecosystems in the world. It is this prolific and diverse marine life that we are here to see. Chris watches the water intently.
Timing is everything up here.
Enter too soon before, or too long after slack tide, and we will get blown off the reef and possibly end up in a very dangerous position. We have a two-minute window to descend and begin the dive. We descend, and are bucking a strong current. The steep, rocky reef below appears as an apparition as we drift down through the cold, dark water. As we descend deeper, shapes take on form.