Summer 2022 underwater

Mind you, the following were shot while snorkelling in the Mediterranean, so no beautifully coloured reef shots. For myself I use those shots mainly for documentary reasons (partly for small papers on species records).

Underwater shots were taken with the TG-5 and the LX100 II in a housing, sometimes using a Light&Motion Sola Dive 1200 light to brighten up some scenes.

(keep in mind that there are funky things going on with some of the gallery images, resolution wise)

Some of the settings where I was snorkelling:

Going with the inflatable to a secluded beach near Archangelos, Laconia. (TG-5)

Lefki beach on Elafonisos Island. (LX100 II)

Panagia beach on Elafonisos Island, Laconia. (LX100 II)

Kambonada beach on Kythira Island. (LX100 II)

Coast near Kaladi beach, Kythira Island. (TG-5)

Limeni near Aeropolis. (TG-5)

Now, let's dive in ...

Now, mind you, you can have a lot of fun while doing this with the family. (LX100 II)

Just to show off how clear the water was in Limeni, visibility was more than 20 m that day. (TG-5)

Reflecting rocks near Archangelos, Laconia. (TG-5)

Clear water, but not much to see since too exposed to the waves.

I rather prefer rocky shores with healthy algal growth, coast near Avlemonas, Kythira Island. (TG-5)

Algae on Elafonisos Island west coast. (TG-5)

Algae on Elafonisos Island west coast. (TG-5)

Algae on Elafonisos Island west coast. (TG-5)

Or a nice large Aplysina aerophoba near Elafonisos Island south coast, in about 5 m depth. (TG-5)

Sargassum weed near Panagia beach on Elafonisos Island west coast in about 4 m depth. (LX100 II)

Or a cave habitat near Archangelos, Laconia with red sea squirts, red algae and coral like Bryozoa (Myriapora truncata). (TG-5)

Invertebrates ... sorry did not yet get all the IDs.

Dardanus calidus hermit crab. Was so focused on the guy I only saw the moray (Muraena helena) while going through the images later. (TG-5)

Dardanus calidus covered by several anemone, Avlemonas, Kythira Island. (TG-5)

TG-5

IQ-wise, you can clearly see that the TG-5 i Limited, even with a dive light. On the other hand no other camera would have fitted in that cleft.

Sponge Crambe crambe. (TG-5)

Bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata). (TG-5)

Anemone near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island, in about 3 m water depth. They exit the sand only in the evening. (LX100 II)

Aplysina aerophoba. (TG-5)

Solitary coral Balanophyllia europaea, endemic to the Mediterranean. (TG-5)

ShatteredSky wrote:

Invertebrates ... sorry did not yet get all the IDs.

TG-5

Anemone near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island, in about 3 m water depth. They exit the sand only in the evening. (LX100 II)

Both of these appear to be Sand Dwelling Tube Anemones.  We have some of these out here in Southern California, USA.

Shrimp Palaemon elegans near Limeni. (TG-5)

Tube worm Serpula vermicularis.

Crab near Palaeopoli beach, Kythira Island. (TG-5)

Holothuria tubulosa near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100 II)

Astropecten aranciacus near Panagia Beach in about 4 m depth. They als just come out in the evening. (LX100II)

Astropecten aranciacus. (LX100II)

Septs near Panagia Beach in about 4 m depth. (TG-5)

Urchin Diadema setosum, invasive species providing shelter for juvenile Chromis chromis (Mediterranean chromis). (TG-5)

Great images!

Not terribly good IQ, but funny: a stingray (Dasyatis) getting mobbed by nine specimens of Bothus podas (males and females I think). (TG-5)

Apogon imberbis preyed upon by parasitic isopod Anilocra (male and female), Avlemonas harbour, Kythira Island. (TG-5)

A juvenile weever with a small Bothus podas flounder, Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

Lizardfish Synodus saurus near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

Puffer Torquigener flavimaculosus, an invasive species in the Mediterranean near Panagia beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

Stingray, near Panagia beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

Lionfish Pterois miles, an invasive species in the Mediterranean, coast near Archangelos. (LX100II)

A goby hing with a sea cucumber near Limeni, Laconia. (TG-5)

A curious blenny near Avlemonas, Kythira Island. (TG-5)

A goby near Avlemonas, Kythira Island. (TG-5)

Hiding lizardfish near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

Another lizardfish near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

A curious male Bothus podas near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

Thousands of baby rabbitfish (Siganus sp.) on the Elafonisos Island south coast. (TG-5)

Madeira rockfish (Scorpaena maderensis).

Yet another goby near Panagia Beach, Elafonisos Island. (TG-5)

And a final goby near Archangelos. (LX100II)

I like your shots.

I also like your construct, of the Summer of 2022.   I've borrowed the concept for myself, putting together selected images from 99 dives over a year into a web page I'm working on.

Thanks for your kind comment. As I stated in the parent post, I do this mainly for documentary reasons. That does not mean that there are not quite a few shots I personally like aesthetically (I love the Mediterranean Sea). But what I really try to do is capture behaviour, though there is only so much you can do while snorkelling and free diving.

So the posts are mainly for those people asking themselves what you can (and can't) do with a TG-5 and a compact in a housing underwater when you can only snap two or three shots and then have to resurface.

I am also thinking about doing a web page, though there are already a plethora out there. Since most of them scuba dive, I could not really compete ...

Oh well, don't have the time anyway.

Cheers

Possibly Tripterygion tartessicum female and male, near Avlemonas. (TG-5)

Sphinx blenny (Aidablennius sphynx) , near Avlemonas. (TG-5)

Thicklip grey mullet (Chelon labrosus), most likely. TG-5

Juvenile Mediterranean sand smelt (Atherina hepsetus), Elafonisos west coast. (TG-5)

Muraena helena, near Lefki beach, Elafonisos Island. (LX100II)

Portrait of a male Bothus podas. (LX100II)

Well-camouflaged male Bothus podas. (LX100II)

Tube worms, still to be determined. (TG-5)

I have no clue what those white hairy balls are ...

Zostera meadow, near Limeni. (LX100II)

Cystoseira algae, always growing in agitated waters. (TG-5)

Cystoseira closeup. (TG-5)

I live in Greece so have visited most of these places. Your photos look very nice and I really liked that set. Did you snorkel or dived with full gear? I only snorkel and dive up to 5m most, but when I reach the bottom, don't have much O2 left to shoot those...

Dear Yannis

thanks for your kind words. I only do snorkeling, but i manage to take a shot down to about 7 m depth after a bit of training. The biggest problem is the buoyancy of the wetsuit, which I need when I am 2h + in the water.

By the way, you pointed me towards Avlemonas back in 2015 I think. Thanks again for that, we travelled there by car since 2016. Kythira is a very nice island. Sadly my Greek is still in its infancy, though I try to get better.

Cheers

ShatteredSky wrote:

Dear Yannis

thanks for your kind words. I only do snorkeling, but i manage to take a shot down to about 7 m depth after a bit of training. The biggest problem is the buoyancy of the wetsuit, which I need when I am 2h + in the water.

For sure you are better than me!! I haven't managed to grab all those fishes and sealife the years I am diving in Greece.

By the way, you pointed me towards Avlemonas back in 2015 I think. Thanks again for that, we travelled there by car since 2016. Kythira is a very nice island. Sadly my Greek is still in its infancy, though I try to get better.

Cheers

Did I?? I can't remember to be honest... Another suggestion for next time is Folegandros... I remember it had lots of fish underwater!!

ShatteredSky wrote:

Dear Yannis

thanks for your kind words. I only do snorkeling, but i manage to take a shot down to about 7 m depth after a bit of training. The biggest problem is the buoyancy of the wetsuit, which I need when I am 2h + in the water.

By the way, you pointed me towards Avlemonas back in 2015 I think. Thanks again for that, we travelled there by car since 2016. Kythira is a very nice island. Sadly my Greek is still in its infancy, though I try to get better.

Cheers

You should look into a weight belt.  You could add just enough weight to keep you neutral at 6-7m so that you don't really have to fight the wetsuit at your photographing depth but as soon as you start to surface it will help bring you to the surface and it will should not harm your buoyance at the surface.  How much weight should you need, that I don't know.

Dann-Oh wrote:

You should look into a weight belt. You could add just enough weight to keep you neutral at 6-7m

Thanks for the suggestion. Yep, the required weight I tried to evaluate with a neutral light backpack and some stones. It worked very well, only problem was that I did not bring a scale to get the weight info. But I think it should be around 5 kg. A lead belt would much less of a hassle than a backpack with stones.

Cheers

Yannis1976 wrote:

For sure you are better than me!! I haven't managed to grab all those fishes and sealife the years I am diving in Greece.

The advantage of revisiting the same locations over several years is you can memorise the best spots and go back there more efficiently. Another thing to keep in mind is how the prevailing winds blow, clarity of water and possibly currents.

Did I?? I can't remember to be honest... Another suggestion for next time is Folegandros... I remember it had lots of fish underwater!!

Yes, Sikinos, Folegandros, Milos and many other islands have been on my bucket list since I went to Anafi, Koufonisi, Iraklia et al. with my parents back in the early 1990ies.

Cheers

ShatteredSky wrote:

Dann-Oh wrote:

You should look into a weight belt. You could add just enough weight to keep you neutral at 6-7m

Thanks for the suggestion. Yep, the required weight I tried to evaluate with a neutral light backpack and some stones. It worked very well, only problem was that I did not bring a scale to get the weight info. But I think it should be around 5 kg. A lead belt would much less of a hassle than a backpack with stones.

Cheers

The other benefit of a weight belt is that it takes 1 hand and 1 action (yank to the right and let go) to remove a weight belt in an emergency.  I prefer the freediving style weight belts to the scuba diving style but everyone is different.

Dann-Oh wrote:

The other benefit of a weight belt is that it takes 1 hand and 1 action (yank to the right and let go) to remove a weight belt in an emergency.

Exactly, that with the easier handling would be of course the main benefit.

Cheers