Post by rowanberry on Sept 13, 2019 10:02:26 GMT
We returned last week after a week's holiday in Corfu. I was hoping to see some first-time sightings of birds, but no luck this year. There were the usual sparrows around the hotel, and lots of house martins skimming over the surface of the pool in the mornings. This was the only bird photo I was able to get...
However, I did get to indulge nearly every day in my all-time favourite activity of snorkelling. 
Since I have to stick to relatively shallow waters I don't get to see the really amazing things that 'proper' scuba divers see, but I can happily spend hours and hours floating face down by any sheltering rocks while watching the shoals of fish. (I got the sunburn to prove it... despite slathering on the highest SPF sunblock I could find!)
My little waterproof Fujifilm camera got quite a workout, and these were some of the best I was able to take.
The first photo is of a school of sardines (I think) and the second is of some Bream known as Salema Porgy, or Dreamfish... they can cause hallucinations if eaten. The ancient Romans used them as a sort of LSD. 
According to Wikipedia, "It is believed that the fish ingests a particular algae or phytoplankton which renders it hallucinogenic. The effects described are similar to those of indole tryptamine psychedelics."
According to Wikipedia, "It is believed that the fish ingests a particular algae or phytoplankton which renders it hallucinogenic. The effects described are similar to those of indole tryptamine psychedelics."Despite repeated googlings of Mediterranean fish id sites I haven't been able to identify the little bottom-feeder, but there was always plenty of them about- often hard to see, since they are very well camouflaged. The Wrasse are amongst my favourites- so incredibly colourful! It's the first time I've seen a Rainbow Wrasse.
I saw two of these bright orange starfish; the other one was much larger and partially concealed in a hole in the rocks... all I could see were two of his legs.
Every year I hope to see a dolphin... ah, well. Maybe next summer. Have to go further out for that to happen.
The water in most of the photos, (with the exception of the starfish) was really shallow.