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Marine Life & Conservation

Why Nudibranch Are My Favourite Underwater Creature

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Often called a ‘sea-slug’, these beautiful and colourful creatures are my absolute favourite thing in the world.  What is a nudibranch you ask? Well, a nudibranch is a marine snail that has evolved over the millennia and has lost the shell on its back. There are over 3000 known species and more are being discovered every day.

Nudibranch (“Noody-brank”) literally means “naked gills”. They are quite fussy eaters and sometimes a species will only eat one type of food, and it is their choice of sustenance that gives them their distinctive colouration.   Their diet includes corals, sponges, hydroids, fish eggs and even other Nudibranchs!  The bright colours are used as a camouflage and to warn off predators as they are toxic to most fish but not to humans.  Yes… they are perfect for us divers! Cyprus is bursting with them in the early season, but as the water warms here they start to become a little harder to find, but that’s ok – I like a challenge! If you love these little critters as much as I do then you better book a dive soon so you don’t miss the photographic opportunities that these disco-slugs offer.

They aren’t the fastest moving creatures, so they don’t stray far from home.  They move slowly using their muscular, snail-like foot and have evolved into hermaphrodites to maximise their breeding potential.  Their eggs are usually bright red, and are found in spirals – you have probably seen some on a dive, but haven’t known what they were. Look out for them.  I will always do a very excited underwater dance when I spot them, and I will point them out to every monkey who takes the plunge with us using the universal diving sign for nudibranch . Do you know what the sign is? I bet the readers who do are making this sign right now – aren’t you?

Their eye sight is not the best either; they use their little tentacles to smell and see the world. They also can use the sun to get nutrients from the algae they eat – they store the chloroplasts and use photosynthesis to transform the nutrients into energy. In my opinion this makes them one of the most “green” creatures on the planet! Depending on the species they can live between just a few weeks to up to a year so enjoy them as much as you can. Keep your eyes peeled and share them if you spot them. Who knows – you may even see one that hasn’t been identified before! HAPPY HUNTING!!

Are you a Nudibranch Lover? Tell us about your Nudibranch encounters in the comments section below!

Alexandra Dimitriou is a dive center owner in Agia Napa, Cyprus. She became a diver in 1992 and received her bachelor’s degree in Oceanography at Plymouth University in 2003. Her love of the ocean has always been her driving force, and this has led to the natural progression of becoming a diving instructor in 2005. She is currently a PADI staff instructor and owner at Scuba Monkey Ltd.

Marine Life & Conservation

Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction

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After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.

People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:

https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction

It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.

The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.

One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.

Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:

https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24

Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.

Find out more here:

https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31

 Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”

Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction


Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden

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Marine Life & Conservation

Meet Steve Backshall in the Bite-Back Prize Draw

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steve backshall

Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.

Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.

On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.

Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.

Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.

Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”

The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.

To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.

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