West coast season begins!

The winds have abated giving us flat seas on the west coast of Sri Lanka, but the rains have persisted into late November. Visibility is still low on inshore reefs but there's still plenty to see. The nutrients have been attracting large schools of fish, and as usual the small critters are out in their numbers. This is the perfect time to get out the macro lens as we wait for better visibility and great dives in the coming months.

Return to Deranagala

We return to Deranagala for a relaxed weekday dive. The sea is calm but visibility is only around 15m due to the heavy rain the previous day. But its a great dive, with lots of schooling fish and old friends from previous dives like the large porcupinefish, moray eels and lionfish. We then explore Goda Matthegala, which is a typical Negombo reef with lots of small fish and macro life. Cleaner shrimps, gobies, hermit crabs and sea shells abound providing plenty of opportunities for macro photography.

Lion pride of Ahasyaathragala

A few kilometers off the coast of Katuneriya lies the wreck of a small plane that crashed in 1945. Our boatman today is the son of the fisherman who rescued the pilot on that eventful day and we listen to his story as he guides us to the location of the wreck. The plane is broken up and only a few metal parts remain but next to the mangled remains is a small reef blanketed with glassfish and cardinalfish. These are the favorite prey of lionfish. And we are not disappointed. A group of six are hanging out close to the anchor. Just as the big cats on the African plains these predators hunt with stealth, relying more on ambush than on pursuit. They are also curious and seem fascinated by our presence and the cameras, often getting too close for our comfort. In fact, it seems that Sri Lankan lionfish are particularly interested in cameras judging by sudden but inquisitive charges at several dive sites in Sri Lanka. Maybe its another similarity to the lions of the Serengeti that like to play with and pose for the cameras of NatGeo film makers

I'm watching you

In the line of duty

Cleaner wrasses perform an important function on reefs by removing parasites from larger fishes. Many types of fish seek out the services of cleaner wrasses and in some instances may lead to the establishment of "cleaning stations" where larger fish will queue up to be cleaned by several cleaner wrasses. Many of these cleaning stations are permanent and most fish will return to the same place to be cleaned. Cleaner wrasses advertise their availability by swimming in a quick jerking motion which is recognized by potential clients. In this symbiotic relationship of trust and mutual benefit the small wrasses will even enter the mouth and gill cavities of predatory fishes, just as this wrasse has done with a large honeycomb moray eel.

A macro paradise in Negombo

Yesterday we explored Deranagala and Tantirigala off Negombo. The first is a narrow ridge with prolific fish life. In addition to the usual reef dwellers there are schools of snappers, trevally, barracuda, large sweetlips, stingrays and moray eels . Many of the shallow reefs off Negombo have an abundance of small fish, shrimps and nudibranchs and provide great opportunities for macro photography. Photographing macro subjects underwater requires a a good eye, patience and a good understanding of fish behaviour, especially when working with small animals that are difficult to approach. And as with any type of photography a healthy dose of good luck always helps!