Scilla the Sea Fans, Strait of Messina, Italy, august 2019

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Scilla ... despite the man the sea resists ... only a couple of minutes video … it is difficult to write about this shooting : mixed emotions and feelings ... during last years we have been talking about the situation of the gorgonians in Scylla ... First florid and intact between 20 and 35 meters, today rather sparse and suffering in the same bathymetric area ...
The careful observers aware of this magical area of the Strait of Messina, can see differences found in different periods: as far as I'm concerned, a video shot in May 2018 in the south side of the mountain walls, still testifies to a fairly florid population ... during the dive on August 20th this year, from the top to the base all around the mountain from 18 to 35 meters, and especially along the north face, the scenery was dramatically different ...
From 40 to 60 meters the population of sea fans and all the characteristic habitat is instead still rich and alive as seen in the shooting of the wonderful beads of purple gametes that testify to the reproduction in progress, perhaps protected by the greater depth and more intense currents...
This situation, widely documented, should be studied and monitored: biochemical analysis of the composition of the water and detection of the temperature in the various depth ranges, along the different months of the year, producing a study on scientific and accurate bases that provides the guidelines for possible actions …
Global warming (The Mediterranean region is warming faster than the rest of the world… from 1st Mediterranean Assessment medecc.org/medecc-infographics/ 18 December 2019), direct and indirect human activity play a role in this situation ...
The diving centers overlooking the Straits are led by valuable and highly experienced divers who could all make network and joint action to solicit and support these studies to protect this magnificent environmental heritage and continue to develop sustainable usability by divers.
The Dive:
Looking around the bay, the cliff and the beautiful green-blue waters always takes your breath away ... the sky is moderately veiled, the sea calm and the heat of the early afternoon leaves its mark during divers' final preparation … I go down in front of the group and immediately go towards the subemerged mountain ... the sandy and clear seabed, the rocks and the landslide flow beneath me ... the Salpe carousels welcome me but I go straight to stay in the planned total run time for deeper levels that thanks to the deco gas, will allow me to go up practically together with all the other divers who will follow the more classic route around the mountain.
In three minutes I fly over the top of the mountain, continuing to descend the south face and stop for a few minutes at the base of the great rock ... around 30-35 meters the situation is the one described above ... the I go towards south west and I start to do some shooting on a series of beautiful sea fans between the rocks around 42-45 meters ... then going down in the Blue again through a series of splits and gullies finding myself in the twilight dominated by the soft diffused and far light of the surface ... 16 degrees C° against 28-30 ° C of the surface !! Great sea fans in the blue … but my attention focuses on a magnificent gorgonian that seems to emit golden reflections when hit by my lights . It is a show of hypnotic beauty around the level of 60 meters ... but I am in mental lucidity for the 18/30 gas that I use and that allows me to grasp a detail during the ascent a few meters higher ... an unexpected gift that made me a privileged spectator: a series of sea fans with numerous rows of beads of violet gametes among the branches floating in the light current ... I am excited, I am almost touched ... and you can also see it from the unsteady hand of the shooting … the short shot with the macro lens is not perfect, the limits of my shooting equipment are all felt ... (if I had a stabilized sensor !!)) I am so excited that I am undecided on which branch to dwell ... I shoot almost without framing, the lights are not oriented better ... but the joy of this special moment relieves me of all the technicalities ... but, no more time! and I continue the ascent towards the base of the mountain where on the north side I reunite with the rest of the team ... and that dreamy smile, lost in the Blue, will accompany me until late in the evening ...
the title of the song I chose for this clip, Overcome, from the album The Wonder of Gaia by James Paget lends itself well to the circumstance: the Sea overcomes, wins and overcomes human damage ...

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