You’re enthralled. You join the row of divers perched on the Morning Star entry deck, a mere six feet from the turbid ocean surface, frothing in the boat’s wake, and the dive master counts down from ten. The hair rises on the back of your neck. You’ve anticipated this drift dive, of course, but the thrill still enwraps you. A negative entry off the Morning Star will plunge into a brisk underwater current, rolling down a sandy dip and veering left to enter what the divemaster calls “the Washing Machine,” a oceanic swirl that turns divers head over heels like laundry in a coin-op washer for hundreds of yards. She yells “dive, dive, dive,” and you tumble in.

The current meanders along until it corkscrews and drops you off a small sea ledge. A few divers bank right for a smooth ride through the cut, but you’re in the Washing Machine now, flipping over tiny tropical fish and sea fans billowing below. You’re not afraid: the Washing Machine’s spin isn’t brusque, but more like a doting parent, coaxing you through a cartwheel. You giggle into your regulator, taking in the giddy ballet of divers rolling with you through the ocean.

After a minute or two the somersault unwinds, releasing you above a large patch reef and a gallery of sea turtles and nurse sharks, nestled on the ocean floor. It’s not every day that roles reverse and a dive turns spectacle for the sea life below. You glide over the soft coral and your aquatic audience like dancers at a curtain call, capping a trip you won’t soon forget.

For more on Blackbeard's and Aqua Cat's best dive experiences, check out “Aboard the Aqua Cat: Shark Feed and Wreck Dive in One.” And stay tuned for more live-aboard adventures to come.

Visit www.blackbeard-cruises.com to learn more, check out Blackbeard's Cruises special offers or contact them today to book your next trip.