On a trip to the Scottish sea lochs , Kirsty Andrews finds herself inspired by a vision of the natural world in all its glory
KIRSTYANDREWS
Look deep into nature
On a trip to the Scottish sea lochs , Kirsty Andrews finds herself inspired by a vision of the natural world in all its glory
Bristol Zoo , my childhood stomping ground and that of many others , closed its doors this year after 186 years in the centre of the city . Zoos , of course , have their opponents and understandably so ; the poor animals resident there have a sad kind of life , despite the best efforts of their keepers and this significant negative must be set against the valuable conservation efforts many of these institutions undertake .
Yet there must be something said for the pure sense of wonder instilled in countless young visitors on their visits to the zoo : the sights , sounds , smells there imprint on the psyche and for many , inspire a love of nature that lasts for good , educates and inspires .
So far , so non-SCUBA-themed . But for some reason I was thinking of the zoo on a dive recently . I was at one of my all-time favourite sites in Loch Carron , and as I looked around , I was filled with that familiar
“ Stories were all around , sucking me in ”
feeling of wonder at the variety of animal life going about its business all around me . Everywhere I could see there was activity . Featherstars held on to a megaclutch of hundreds of eggs in preparation for spawning ; crustaceans of all kinds were seemingly happy to opportunistically eat each other whenever they could ; butterfish and Yarrell ’ s blennies patrolled the reef and squat lobsters poked bravely from their crevices , intimidating all comers .
Feeding was a priority for most : brittlestars extended their arms up to catch passing food , while the dead man ’ s finger-eating nudibranch Tritonia hombergi chowed down on its favourite snack at will . There was something going on between the sea toads and the butterfish which I suspected was food-themed - an agreement to combine forces ? I couldn ’ t be sure . More dives are needed to figure that out .
It was quite the sight . Stories were all around , sucking me in . How lucky I was to see such marvels – the full lives of the creatures of a vibrant , healthy reef ; not the limited , unnatural existence of a zoo animal . Underwater we are so lucky to witness so much , mostly uninhibited by our presence .
I do look back fondly on my childhood visits to the zoo . Even then I felt the need to know more , to document what I saw in drawings and stories , and that has stayed with me . I want others to feel that excitement , but more than that I want others to enjoy our sport ; to benefit from our unique viewpoint on the sea and its inhabitants .
Nature documentaries are incredible these days , aren ’ t they ? However , they don ’ t offer the full immersion ( pun intended ) that our sport can provide . Remember the first truly spectacular sight you saw underwater ? I ’ ll bet you do . And you told others about it , and that contagious excitement was in your voice and your eyes as you spoke . Let ’ s pass on this wonderful ticket we have to an underwater world ; it sure trounces a trip to the zoo . �
A riot of life surrounds a strawberry anemone Actinia fragacea in Loch Carron
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