Palma, Mallorca, Spain 25/7-2013
N39°32,099´
E02°35,526´
North of Barcelona, close to the border between Spain and France, there is a small archipelago called Medes Islands. Medes is made up of seven islets and a small number of reefs, and offers a great enviroment for both sea birds as well as marine life.
.
Since 1983 it is totally forbidden to fish around the islands. Even diving is regulated and controlled. No anchoring is allowed in the area, instead there are numerous morings, which are free to use during daylight hours.When we have got the diving permission and our boat is registered for diving purposes in the area, we finally can start our diving around the islands.
Medes is well known for its many underwater caves...
”The Dolphin Cave” is probably one of the more popular caves in the area. Here, there are many different tunnels to discover...
.
Thanks to the strict protective laws, there are plenty fish of all sizes...
.
Though, during our stay in Medas the visibility starts to get even worse, and we decide to contiune our trip towards our next diving destination.
.
From the mainland of Spain, we start our 2-days sailing trip southwest, towards Mallorca. It does not take many hours before we see something swimming at the surface. Shark!! Yes, it truly is a shark slowly swimming towards our boat... But, as so often, also this shark is of the shy kind and disappears quickly in the deep water...
.
Weatherwise we have everything between very little wind and no wind at all... Maybe not the best conditions for a sailor, though this is perfect conditions when you are aiming for finding pelagic life...Early next morning we see something moving just beneath surface... But what is it? A huge sunfish?? No, it is not a sunfish, it is Mobula rays, the same kind as we were filming in Italian waters a month ago.
Wow, I just need to get into the water now!!!
With free diving gear and cameras close by, it does not take long before I enter the 27°C water...
This time, I do not need to search for the rays, instead it is them curiosily coming towards me. It is a group of about 10 animals, which all are slowly coming closer and closer...
.
Those Mobula rays are a bit bigger then the ones we met off the Italian coast. And this time they seem to be even more curious and start to circulate around both me and the boat.
.
There is some kind of ”love in the air” - feeling around as especially two of the rays start to behave quite intimate to each other...The film camera is recording while this ray couple really is dancing just in front of the dome port... Moments like this is pure happiness for an underwater photographer!
.... :) ....
No comments:
Post a Comment