View From Here
We occasionally send reader questions to this marine expert, who overcame her claustrophobia and signed up for a scuba-diving course nearly 30 years ago. Since then, she has contributed significantly to the knowledge base of our underwater world.
Where does your love of the outdoors come from? I grew up on the Highveld, so perhaps it was seaside holidays. A day at the beach was the most wonderful thing! I began to notice what lived in the rock pools and what got thrown up on the beach, and I read lots of Gerald Durrell.
How would you describe your profession? I always battle with this one when I have to fill in forms… I end up falling back on “naturalist” – the old-fashioned term for a person who observes and records the natural world and tries to make sense of it. A typical day might involve setting up my camera and heading out to do several dives, noting all animals and behaviours I see and processing the images at home. When I’m at my desk, I might be writing up a diving course or a lecture, or working on an article about marine life. Or finding out about the life cycle of any number of marine animals. My desk time is evenly divided between research and writing.
Best part of your job? Discovering unknown species and behaviours and seeing or noticing things that no one has seen or noticed before. I also enjoy interacting with marine animals: A conversation with an octopus, a fish that will nestle in the palm of my hand or getting a shot of a swiftly moving sea butterfly.
Hardest part? When scientists are looking for a specimen of an undescribed species, I’m the one responsible for taking that specimen out of the ocean and killing it. I realise that without this step, we wouldn’t be able to advance our scientific and conservation knowledge, but it’s not something I enjoy.
How does a claustrophobe become an expert on scuba-diving and marine life? Simple: I fell in love with the ocean. Although I was afraid, that love pulled me underwater until I realised that being underwater is the least claustrophobic place imaginable. Space programmes use water to train astronauts for free fall and zero gravity because you can move in any direction you like. That said, I do tend to stay away from caves and wrecks…
What are you working on at the moment? I’m putting the final pieces together on DIVE South Africa, an orientation course to help people understand more about the wonderful scuba-diving we have in South Africa. Sea conditions can be challenging and can vary considerably around the coast, but the marine life makes it all worthwhile. Check it out at southafricandiver.co.za
How can recreational divers become involved in scientific research? Most marine creatures that people encounter are usually dead or dying, brought to the surface in nets or on hooks. As scuba-divers, we can add to the scientific knowledge base by observing and recording interactions, behaviour and unusual animals. Earlier this year, for example, we discovered that the local species of pipefish (like a straightened-out seahorse) gather in big groups for mating – something that was previously not known to scientists. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) uses the web platform iSpot ( ispotnature.org) for citizen scientists to share their observations. We have also set up several pages on Facebook where recreational divers can share their sightings. Search for “Underwater Cape Town”, “Sea Fish Atlas”, “Sea Slug Atlas”, and “Crustacean Atlas”. You can also upload sightings to surg.co.za.
Strangest thing you’ve seen underwater? Sea butterflies – small swimming snails that are as peculiar as the name suggests (see inset photos). It might not be “strange”, but the sheer thrill of being in the water with a whale is also hard to beat.
Any advice for someone who wants to learn more about marine life, but who doesn’t necessarily want to do a diving course right away? My orientation course DIVESouthAfrica is an online course with a practical component. It’s easy to sign up and do the lectures. And it’s free – it only costs money if you want an actual qualification. The other option is to visit the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town or uShaka Marine World in Durban. Both are wonderful places to get a glimpse of the wonders of the underwater world.
On your bucket list? Antarctica. I’d love to see what’s living under the ice…