That's a Moray!!

Often seen here on most Scuba Dives here in Cyprus, the Moray Eel is a great spot with a bad rap.

Well, it is no wonder with those big teeth, is it? However, the moray is pretty content to hang out in rocky holes and crevices, minding his own business.

The reason for his menacing look is actually a result of his small gills. To compensate for this, he must continuously open and close his mouth, maintaining a flow of water which aids respiration but shows off those big sharp teeth!!

As carnivores, Morays are usually the dominant predators, feeding on a diet of fish, molluscs and crustaceans. They have notoriously bad eyesight but more than make up for it with their great sense of smell. 

Lurking in their holes and crevices, Moray Eels are able to ambush their prey, thrusting out of the hiding place to snatch a bite. They actually have 2 sets of Jaws but the second is only used for grabbing and dragging prey down into and through their digstive system.

The Moray Eel does have some predators though and these include: large grouper, barracuda and even other Morays.

There are over 200 species of Moray Eels and they can vary greatly in size and colour but all are easily identifiable by the snake like shape of their bodies. Scuba Divers can usually find them worldwide in warm and temperate waters.

The parasites on their bodies usually make them pretty popular with cleaner shrimp!

Ain't Going Down once the Sun Comes Up- Scuba Diving in a new light

When we start our diving lives, all our training and scuba dives take place during the day (for obvious reasons) but as we advance and get more comfortable in the water, why be limited by daylight hours.

Night Diving is one of my favourite types of scuba because you get to see many different creatures and critters that just don't come out in the daytime. Even a dive site that you may have dived a multitude of times during the day can seem completely new to you when dived at night.

The creatures you see during the night are often much braver at night than during daylight hours. In the daylight, many sea animals will flee before scuba divers where-as they tend to just go about their business in torchlight.

So what do you need for a Night Dive?

It not much different to diving during the day. You can use all your usual diving kit for a night dive as for a dive during the day but with a couple additions.

The first, and probably most obvious, is the need for a light. Most night divers will have 2 dive lights in the water so if the main light (primary) goes down for some reason, you have a back-up available to allow you to surface safely.

Strobes are also a good idea for night dives. These can be attached in various places but are generally used to mark your exit. We always leave at least one strobe to mark the mouth of the bay or the turning point for the dive site's exit.

If you are diving from a boat, you can mark your shot line with light sticks and, if needed, mark the depth of your safety stop with a different coloured light stick.

You should also, always choose a dive site that you have dived during the day, so you know the site and can navigate without getting dis oriented. 

You can learn more about Night Diving by taking a Night Diver Training Course where divers are trained to

plan and organise Night Dives, special night diving techniques, night time communications and how to deal with any potential problems when night diving.

Night Diving is worth the extra hours on the day. You will see a different world and different animal behaviours that you just won't see if you only go scuba diving during the day. So, charge those torch batteries and get ready for an adventure you won't forget!

Try Diving in Cyprus- What's involved?

Although Scuba Tech Diving Centre covers a lot of Technical Diving and Rebreather Diving, it is still important to remember that all divers have to start somewhere...and that somewhere usually comes in the form of a TRY DIVE!

Cyprus is a great place to try scuba diving for the first time because the conditions are so easy. There are no real tides to speak of, the water is warm and the visibility can be 40metres +.

So what is involved in a Scuba Tech try dive in Cyprus?

Once you have decided that you want to try scuba diving, we will pick you up from your hotel or villa in Protaras or Agia Napa and bring you to our Diving Centre, where you will be shown the basics of Scuba Diving and be fitted out with a set of Scuba Equipment.

Once we are confident that you are ready to go diving, we take you down to our local dive site, Green Bay.


This dive site is fantastic for try dives, as there is an easy walk in entry/exit point and, although it does have a 10metre (33 feet) maximum depth, the depth increase is extremely gradual. You can stop and swim around at whichever depth you feel comfortable, whether that is 2 metres, 6 metres or, for the adventurous, 10 metres.

Before we venture off on our first scuba dive, we do like to go through a couple of basic exercises with our divers to build a bit of confidence and give you some experience in the shallows before moving deeper. So, we practice taking the regulator (the bit you breathe from) out of your mouth and putting it back in while underwater and clearing little bits of water out of the mask.

Of course, you will have your instructor by your side at all times throughout the skills practice and the scuba dive itself. There is a maximum number of 4 student divers per instructor but we always try to have a Divemaster (diving instructor's assistant) in the water too, particularly if scuba divers would like photographs and video of their dive in Cyprus or there are more than 2 student divers in the water.

When you dive with Scuba Tech Cyprus, we like to give you great value for money, so your dive time is only limited by the air in your cylinder and your comfort in the water. Some of our try dives have been 60+ minutes.

You can try Scuba Diving in Cyprus from 8 years old. There is no upper limit but there is a medical questionnaire that must be completed if you want to dive ( you can get a copy of this by emailing info@scubatechdivers.com). If you have to answer yes to any question on the medical questionnaire, ask your doctor if you can scuba dive before you come to Cyprus and get him to sign the "fit to dive" declaration provided.

So, if you fancy a Mediterranean holiday with a scuba diving adventure, get in touch with Scuba Tech Diving Centre. Feed the fish, find our underwater Atlantis and experience the weightless excitement of Scuba Diving.

Are you ready... Take a Deep Breath!!!