Tag Archive for: corals

Triton’s Trumpet, the iconic sea snail

Triton’s Trumpet, also know as Giant Triton or “Bourou” in Greek, (scientific name: “Charonia tritonis”), is a mollusk gastropod, a sea shell, practically a snail of impressive size. It is the biggest and most known sea snail of the Mediterranean. Different species of this genus are found in temperate and tropical climatic zones all over the world, while the size of larger ones can reach or even exceed half a meter in length. It is usually in the shade of the rocks or in holes where it passes the day waiting for the arrival of darkness, when it is time for most fish to go for rest and for night predators to prey.
The seemingly harmless Triton is a carnivorous animal, a predator of the bottom, who feeds on other mollusks and starfish. Something that one wouldn’t expect from such a creature is that when Triton detects the smell of the prey, starts chasing it. Although the pursuit is far from a cinematic version of dizzying speed, it is just enough to be quicker than your prey, and Triton does!
Triton apparently has a particular preference on starfish and after catching them, opens a hole in their hard skin with a radula tooth (imagine a can opener), and then injects its nerve paralysing saliva. Despite eating poisonous thorns or other unwanted parts of the prey, Triton manages to spit these out. Triton is a very important predator for marine ecosystems as regulates the population of starfish and echinoderms that otherwise would devastate corals and u/w flora.

Someone somewhere once tried to blow through a small hole that could have been created when the edge of the Triton’s shell broke, (and could that led to the invention or inspiration for the construction of a trumpet music instrument?). The Triton has been used since antiquity to create this distinct sound,  especially by sailors, giving the shell its Greek name. The god Poseidon, but especially its son Triton – the messenger of the sea in Greek mythology, are often depicted holding such a shell and ruled the waves with it. This obviously inspired the English common name “Triton’s trumpet”.

Nowadays, Tritons are at risk due to lost of habitat, depletion of then ecosystem and quite often becoming a by-catch or picked for their shell, although is endangered and protected.

/0 Comments/by

Sponge Walls

There is no better spot for macro photographers to capture all the amazing micro flora and fauna of the Mediterranean. On the under-the-surface portion of the cliff walls, in the crevices and caves and within the same small extent of rock face, pseudo corals and all species of Mediterranean sponges can be found in a distracting variety and abundance.To add to the excitement, an old fishing boat wreck on the seagrass awaits divers to explore it! All together they create an ideal habitat for nudibranchs, moray eels, scorpion fish, blennies, gobies, wrasses, starfish and many more. Divers return again and again to capture colorful images one can hardly believe that belong in the Mediterranean .

Dive starts next to the rocky shore where a plateau at 5-6 m depth tops the walls bellow and follows a smooth slope descending to 16 m for a short cross over the Neptune’s seagrass that leads to the fishing boat wreck at 21 m. Among its remains and rusty pipes, nudibranchs, moray eels and octopuses can be found with snappers and amberjacks often visiting the area.  Upon return to the wall, the most impressively colored false corals, an abundance of sponges, ambushing morays, shy cardinal fish and graceful nudibranch occupy ever rock and crevice. Also, groupers, Triton’s trumpets and slipper lobsters are anything but a rare sight at the right time. The return starts with a smooth ascend to the edge of the wall, at 8-9 m depth, through schools of damselfish and cow breams, looking for more morays, and invasive, yet beautiful, lionfish and dive concludes with a safety stop on top of the plateau.

The average depth of the dive is 9 m, while the max is 21 m, appropriate for divers of all levels.

The usual visibility is 25 m and temperature ranges between 24-26 °C in summer months. Usually no surface currents are present. Boat ride duration 5′.

 

Scuba Diving Kefalonia, Scuba Kefalonia

/0 Comments/by

Heart of the Sea

A most impressive and vivid wall hides a surprise for divers. A wide opening leads to an enormous underwater cave. At the main chamber the collapsed roof creates a saltwater lake at the bottom of a wide well curved in the rocks of the coastline, where sunlight on the surface turns water into liquid emerald..

Dive starts descending next to the wall that continues down to 34 m. At this depth and among the scattered monoliths around the entrance, often dentex prey on the shoals of small fish and black breams and groupers appear like dark figures on the background.
The entrance of the cave is a wide tunnel from 27 m and up to 16 m depth and all surfaces are covered by colorful marine life such as sponges, soft and false corals, coralline algae and are inhabited by bright colored marine life such as cardinal fish and slipper lobsters. At 22 m a smaller tunnel leads to a second dark chamber, a sanctuary for red narval shrimp and leopard gobies and a heaven for macro u/w photographers alike. But the most impressive venue is at the main chamber of the cave where the open surface on top allows in sunlight to illuminate the conical pile of rubble that once was the roof with a top at around 12 m. On the way back, divers can explore the top parts and the roof of the tunnel, at a depth of 16 m and exit the cave exploring the wall towards the safety stop.

The average depth of the dive is 18 m, while the max is 34 m, appropriate for advanced level divers. The visibility is usually greater than 25 m and temperature ranges between 19-26 °C in summer months, depending on depth. Occasionally a mild current may be encountered at the tip of the wall. Boat ride duration 30′.

 

/0 Comments/by