A Guide to Appreciating Underwater Biodiversity
Getting to know the underwater world has always been one of my favorite things. When you start free diving or scuba diving, you’re introduced to a new alien world with unknown creatures. Everything seems strange and remarkable, and you feel like you’re discovering new animals on every dive. This is always thrilling. In this article, I use examples from the local marine life in False Bay, Cape Town.
The underwater world can be confusing. You might mistake a beautiful marine plant for an animal or confuse something for seagrass when it’s a large alga.
This is not a sea plant but a starfish, which is an animal.
Elegant Feather star (Tropiometra carinata)
Most people know a few main species like sea stars, anemones, common fish, and urchins. Depending on your exposure, you probably don’t know what you’re looking at. Especially if you’re a city girl like me who visited the aquarium every few years in Cape Town. I’m happy to say I’ve developed into a naturalist since I started diving.
5 Reasons to Get to Know Your Marine Environment
1. Know What You’re Looking At
The more we learn about this magical environment, the more we’ll love and protect it. For some, getting clued up means learning the basics, while others want to dive into classifications and species.
Sometimes a certain species will spark your interest. Some prefer the ‘small stuff’ and others large marine species. Whatever it is, it’s good to know what you’re looking at and how it functions within that system. This makes every encounter special.
Note the differences between the two fish below, as they are sometimes confused. The horned blenny has a blunt head with prominent orange-red cirri above the eyes and a beak-like mouth with comb-like teeth, but the super klipfish has a large head with prominent lips.
Horned Blenny (Parablennius cornutus)
Super Klipfish (Clinus superciliosus)
2. Know What to Expect
Knowing which species to expect on a dive helps you look out for and identify them. Having certain species in mind creates anticipation and exciting dives. Knowing when something unexpected shows up makes the experience so much more rewarding.
3. Be Amazed
Once you understand a marine ecosystem and how everything plays its part, you’ll be amazed. The more you learn, the more you want to know. You’ll realize the profound importance of our marine ecosystems and why we need to protect them for our future on this blue planet.
Interesting fact: The sea sponge is classified as an animal. Apple-sized sponges can filter 5000 litres of water daily.
The Orange wall sponge (Trachycladus spinispirulifer)
4. Be Knowledgeable
Having a knowledgeable diver in the group is great. If you’re knowledgeable, you can teach others. Conservation starts with education, and education starts with us. Sharing and getting excited about what was seen on a dive with the group and flipping through identification books together can be highly educational and rewarding.
Feather duster worm or giant fanworm (Sabellastarte longa)
5. Inspire People
If you’re passionate about underwater life, it will inspire people to explore the underwater world and start their diving journey. This exciting, transformative experience might involve advocating for certain species. Telling shark-fearing people about your underwater experience with them might just change their minds. We also want to inspire people to protect the ocean.
Be grateful for every dive, marine sighting, and encounter with marine life, knowing you’re fortunate to experience what few do.
I hope this article inspires you to learn about your local marine life and cultivate a love for the ocean.
We Protect what we Love. Join the movement!
by Madelein Wolfaardt
Images by @sealife_madeleinwolf
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