UNDERWATER Archives

Underscapes

Rocky seabeds, habitats to fish schools are easy to find offshore Naxos. Such ecosystems allow to spot much marine life far from the coast. It is worth reaching them with fins and calmly explore each corner. The way back will often take more time for the water currents pushing off the cost

A Trachinotus ovatus fish pointing at two unaware tourists. This fish is very fast, try chasing it, you will immediately lose.

Pink and blue crystal waters are not rare and very close to the shore

A school of mullet fishes speeding on the sandy bottom and stopping by for feeding

Underwater savanna: Poseidonia forests are present off several beaches in Naxos, often much thicker than this young one

Previous episodes:

1. On the footsteps of Ariadne
2. Think Big, Think Greece
3. Tourists
4. Six feet underwater
5. Art is the gap

ANIMALS, UNDERWATER

Six feet underwater

Beneath the sea surface a whole world of marine life awaits to be discovered in Naxos. Snorkeling wonders are abundant offshore Aliko Beach, Agios Procopios and Plaka Becah, among the others. Underwater camera like the Olympus Tough series allows to take shots where the sunlight still shines. This giant Tonna Galea shell, for example, contains a black and white tough snail with a 15 cm large foot.

Trygon pastinaca (Mediterranean ray) are abundant on the sandy sea bottom of Agios Procopios. Despite it might reach 3 meters in length, never met one longer than 50 cm.

Bi-colored worms are common on underwater rocks. Shooting a macro of these animals is not easy: they quickly retract as soon as they feel close movments. Here you see one of the two worms retracted faster in its tube (top) than the bottom one

Do you see the flatfish? Flatfishes are masters of camouflage, they easily copy the palette of their inhabitat

An octopus in its rock shelter. The only part of an octopus body that’s solid is its beak, so most octopuses can fit through spaces around a couple of centimeters in diameter!

Last but not least, the Trachinus draco, also known as the spider fish. ⁠Its venom provokes excruciating pain which can last from a few hours to days. This fish is burrowed in the sand of shallow waters, where bather can easily step on it.