I thought I will have a winter break from scuba diving but it simply wasn’t possible. So I waited for good weather and went scuba diving on 12.2.2023 in Fiesa.
Due to colder temperatures, I only did one dive. The water temperature was 10°C with the outside temperature a few degrees higher. The maximum depth was about 8 m and the dive was done during low tide. As mentioned before you don’t do deep dives in Fiesa.
The visibility was above average with weak current on some parts. I choose this day as it wasn’t windy which is quite important with such low temperatures so the sea was also calm.
The Pictures
I saw quite a lot on this dive. There were countless Nudibranchs and crabs but fewer fish in general. The Nudibranchs looked puffed up from what I was normally used to, not sure why.
Since the last post, I got a book, especially for snails. And another for all sea life in the Adriatic sea. They have already proven extremely useful as I am now able to identify various animals I see during my scuba dives. This means I can also provide proper names so you can learn more if you wish.
The first three pictures are of Dendrodoris limbata which is a common species found in the Adriatic sea. The specimens I saw were about 6 – 8 cm in length which puts them at the maximum length they normally grow.
The last two are of Felimare picta which is less common in the Adriatic sea. All of the specimens I saw were quite large at what I would estimate 10 – 11 cm which again puts them at about the maximum length.
Now for two pictures, I find interesting.
The first one is a dead overgrown Pinna nobilis. Unfortunately due to a disease outbreak, most of them died. However, there are reports of new ones being spotted which gives me hope that we will be able to observe them again.
The second one should be a curious Parablennius gattorugine. Initially, she was interested in a photoshoot but got fed up with me and hid back in the fan mussel.
I consider myself quite lucky to be able to take the following two pictures.
I usually see both but normally I am not able to take pictures.
The first one is a lobster. I estimate it was about 25 cm long which puts it at the lower end of the range.
The second one is most likely Galathea squamifera (black squat lobster). I see quite a lot of them but they are extremely shy and it is almost impossible to get a good picture. Not sure if it was due to the lower temperature but this one didn’t run away and I was able to get a few good close-up pictures.
And for the end a long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus).
I am still extremely lucky as I have seen at least one every time I went scuba diving in Fiesa. I hope my luck will continue as they are extremely interesting creatures in my opinion.
Conclusion
Overall it was a nice dive which I really enjoyed. The colder temperatures didn’t really bother me even though I dive in a wetsuit. One thing I will be buying immediately though is some proper neoprene gloves. Currently, I only have a pair made of cloth which doesn’t offer any protection from the cold.
This started off as a test dive to see how I will handle the cold and it wasn’t really a problem. I am sure I will do more.