In my last vacations, I finally tried something I've been wanting to do for a long time: underwater photography!
Taking photos below surface adds a whole ton of new challenges: not only you have to worry about the basics such as focus and composition, but you also have the difficult light conditions, the changes in colours (as you dive deeper, the colours gradually change), getting specific gear... and all that while mantaining awareness off all the diving variables that you need to control, in order to come back to the surface alive!
Before the appearance of action cams, even the basic underwater photographic equipment would be a serious investment; but now, you can get action cameras as cheap as 30-40 euros, that can go all the way to 40 meters depth. Of course the quality won't be the same, but in my case, I just wanted to document a little bit of the amazing underwater world: the multitude of different species is insane, so for anyone (like me) that enjoys seeing and identifying wildlife, diving is heaven.
In Sal, one of the islands of Cabo Verde, armed with a very crappy action cam borrowed from my brother-in-law, there I was, off to a shipwreck dive!
I wasn't expecting much from the camera, to be honest; the case was tighted with a strong rubber band, and I was imagining that at any time it would flood. And I couldn't expect much quality coming from an entry level camera either.
But given everything going against good photos... I don't think I can complain! Here, a curious porcupine fish got near enough for a pretty decent capture. These guys can inflate and increase their size, and the spiny projections that are tucked into their bodies become a deterrent to predators. There are several species, and I'm veeeery far away to be a proficient fish identifier.
The wildlife in the atlantic can't be compare to the indic ocean, where there are far more colourful species. Still, can't complain; the dives were filled with life.
The slender fish above is a trumpetfish (probably the atlantic trumpetfish), and they were all over the place; I've seen them in every dive I did on the island!
Almost ninja style, this strange looking squid passed by our divers group!
Near the shipwreck, there were some rocks on the botton with a multitude of crevices, and also filled with wildlife. That's where I took one of my favourite photos of all the dives:
These fishes moved in group, creating a large oval shape and this beautiful image! If I remember correctly, this manouver acts as a way of defense from predators.
A little further down, another cool spotting: a stingray! Can you spot it, flat against the ground, underneath the rock?
And of course... more trumpetfishes!
There were so many more cool scenes that I couldn't get on camera, but liked the overall result! The cherry on top: my sister and brother in law decided to gift me a nicer action cam for Christmas! So now I'm really eager to try it, although I don't have a clue on when will I dive again. Portugal has decent diving spots, but it's freaking cold now!
One thing is certain, there will be more underwater photo posts for sure! I have a few more that I'm still processing from another dive in the island, but hope to add some portuguese spots to the portfolio in a few months! 😁
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