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| Aris at Kuwait's outermost coral reef with giant Pharaoh Cuttlefish (this photo has been post-processed; compare the identical image un-touched below). |
May 30th 2014 Kuwait diving expedition
With our guide Maryam Jaffar, her husband Ahmad; wonderful Kuwait hospitality at Alpha Divers. We explored two reefs that are totally unknown to us; out on the outer shelf far from the coast. Sadly anchor damage has done much harm. Also a lot of the bigger fishes are missing. We are studying this. The photos are my snapshots of the first two dives with a small Olympus Stylus; Aris Vidalis is doing some shooting with a 'bigger' camera. Its such a pleasure to be back in Kuwait waters.
Although the first reef - way out - was spectacular...steeply sloping and in rather clear waters, we found a ghost net that still entraps and kills fishes. Some Amberjacks had recently been entangled and a beautiful red crab - trapped to death. But coral diversity was rich - many Acropora. On every reef in Kuwait at this time you can see the huge Pharaoh Cuttlefish. Dazzling striped colour patterns used in reproductive displays.
On the second dive we drifted fleetingly in the rapid tidal current; most of the path was on the rubble top-reef and then we descended in dark turbid water down the reef base. We actually missed the more spectacular reefslope and need to return....But down in the deeper sections we found soft corals (such as the octacorals with tiny flower-like polyps). The current brings nutrient riches, the water was colder and full of medusas, ctenophores, jellies of all kinds. A blue soup.
