HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
by Neil Hodgson
Whilst on holiday in Florida I had the good fortune to have use of
an underwater housing for my camera, on loan from Brian Sargent.
Having very gingerly inserted my camera into the case it was with
some nervousness that I first immersed it in the swimming pool. Once
I was assured that nothing leaked it was a case of experimenting and
trying to line it up with being able to use a viewfinder or side screen.
Later on we went to Key West where I took the unit snorkelling off
a coral reef. The colour and variety of fish was amazing and I was
now able to capture this on film! As I swam around the water became
shallower and now I had the quite beautiful shapes of coral within
touching distance.
Every so often there was a hole in the reef where the water went
from a couple of feet deep to 12 feet quite suddenly. As I swam over
one such hole there below me, in slightly murky water because of the
recent storm, was a 5 foot Nursing Shark! Not really knowing, at that
time what I was looking at, I did not hang around too long!
Later, having been reassured that this species was not dangerous I
went back to find it again. I was not successful. But as I turned
back to the boat, I looked to my left, and, as if it were overtaking
me on the freeway, was a large Stingray.
It's was the most marvellous sight I have seen. Its 8-foot wingspan
propelled it along with such grace and majesty, and inches below the
surface. I tried to keep up but to no avail. No sooner had it arrived
it disappeared into the depths beyond my vision. I had, this time,
kept my cool and I do have some video of this, one of nature's strangest
creatures.
To round off the day we went to a wreck site where apart from more
wonderful fish, I found a young turtle, about 3 feet long, sitting
on the bottom looking up at me. Neither one of us moved deliberately,
but the current dragged me around until I was slightly behind the
animal. That was it! With two strong beats of it's front flippers
it was off!
Snorkelling in exotic waters I have done before. Capturing the memories
on video is something else. Thanks, Brian.
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