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UNDERWATER ADVENTURES




Anne E. Collins

The oceans of the world are our inheritance –

it is for us to preserve and protect them for all time.

Jacques Cousteau

 

One of the most marvellous diving areas in the world is the Red Sea coral reef. Of all the different habitats of the sea, the coral reefs provide the greatest beauty and variety of life. In northern seas, visibility is often only a few feet, but the water in the coral seas can be completely transparent, and this makes it ideal for diving and underwater photography.

From the beaches of the west coast of Saudi Arabia, the sea extends smooth and pale green for about 300 metres, to a thin, exciting line of dark blue which shows where the reef begins. We put on our diving equipment on the beach and walk through the shallow water until it is deep enough to swim. Suddenly the reef falls away before our eyes to a depth of 30 metres and we sink down, down beneath the waves into a world which is strange, beautiful and fascinating.

We are now in the middle of underwater cities and rock gar­dens. Fantastic shapes of coral form strange towers and pinnacles, fairy castles and mushroom shapes. The colours are amazing - red, blue, purple, yellow and green - but if you take coral from the sea it will quickly lose its lovely colour and begin to smell un­pleasantly. Some corals are dangerous. We must avoid the Fire Coral at all costs - it grows thin and yellow in the shape of flames and will sting and burn us if we touch it.

The deeper we go the darker and greyer are the colours because the light from the sun cannot penetrate so far down. I cut myself on the surface, but at 18 metres down my blood is no longer red but dark blue, almost black. You might imagine that the underwater world is silent. Just the opposite - the fish make all kinds of strange noises. A big black shadow passes overhead and I look up in alarm - was it a shark? Because yes, I am afraid of the numerous sharks in this area, even after so many dives. But the shadow disappears - perhaps it was only a hovercraft on the surface.

Landing on the bottom of the sea-bed at 30 metres feels like landing on the moon. But we cannot see much here because it is so dark. Also it is cold and I want to return nearer the surface where the wealth of fish-life is tremendous.

Back now at 10 metres, I find myself caught in the middle of a huge cloud of astonishingly bright blue small fish, all playing round the coral. They pass by and almost immediately I bump into a large stupid looking puffer fish, so called because he puffs himself up when threatened by an enemy. Both of us retreat, equally surprised.

How can I describe the fish of the coral reef? They are like hundreds of moving jewels, rainbows or brightly coloured sweets. Some fish actually eat the coral; others use it as a hiding place from enemies. Their bright colours act as identifying signals for other fish of the same type. Many coral fish camouflage themselves by changing colour!

Traditionally we think of the shark as the most dangerous underwater enemy to man, but in fact some of the beautiful little fish are just as deadly. The chicken-fish, so-called because of its "feathers", is very common in these parts. It is most beautiful and most poisonous. The sting of the ugly stonefish can be fatal to man. Divers must also watch out for the barracuda - a long silver fish which swims just below the surface and which can be more fierce than the shark. It is attracted by shining objects underwater so we must always remember to remove our jewellery.

You can easily see how many common reef fish got their names from land creatures; the parrot-fish because of its brilliant colours and its "beak"; the leopard-fish because of its spots; the long thin, shining needle-fish; the clown-fish with its funny-sad face; the delicate little butterfly fish. All the fish have the ability to move extremely quickly, because the reef is full of predators.

A coral reef is an exciting playground for the sports diver because each time there is something different to see. If you are lucky you can meet a turtle swimming along, or see an octopus. The octopus is a master of camouflage; it hides in caves and if disturbed, will emit a cloud of black ink to confuse its enemies.

But a coral reef is also highly sensitive to disturbance. Coral will die from changes in light or temperature but worst of all is pollution. The waste from a large factory can destroy a coral reef. It is terrible to consider what Jacques Cousteau has said - that our grandchildren will never see a coral reef if we do not change our attitude to the sea as the dustbin of the world.

 


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