Perspectives on water |
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Long-spined sea scorpion at Camus Ban , Harlosh |
Cuckoo wrasse at Braes beach |
Little cuttle on the sand |
Gill has shared the water with a wide variety of marine creatures , including little cuttles , nudibranchs and different varieties of pipefish , though her favourite is the sea hare , a large sea slug . She is currently keeping an eye on a small colony of them at Camus Ban , in Harlosh . She says : “ They are so photogenic , with comical faces and spend their lives , eating , bonking and laying eggs .”
Gill photographs the good , the bad and the ugly , covering not just the beautiful creatures and plants but also human detritus such as plastic and other rubbish . Her intention is to create an unbiased record , leaving it to the observer to come to their own conclusions .
“ Most magazine features tend to focus on the large creatures such as whales or dolphins ,” Gill says . “ We are focusing on the tiny little creatures that are at the base of the food chain , such as plankton and shrimps . We are trying to show that they are all equally beautiful ; and equally as important . They need and deserve the same protection as the larger creatures . Without the small creatures , the whole chain just collapses . I also try to show the variety and colours of plants and seaweeds , sponges and sea squirts , again all essential to providing a healthy environment for smaller marine life .
“ Most people look at a muddy brown river as a fairly dull environment , but I get in and show everyone what it looks like from below . From my perspective , there are vibrant reds and oranges , coloured by the peat running off the hills , and the biological energy that peat brings . You ’ ve only got to look that little bit further and the whole environment is transformed .”
“ I like to think that we are providing a view of Skye that most people would never imagine seeing and that it will help to generate interest and protection for this very fragile world .” �
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