Secret Life under Jetty

A jetty, though not interesting above water, is an island of life under the surface. On our last trip to Vava’u archipelago (Kingdom of Tonga) we spent a couple of days at Tongan Beach Resort. The main reason for that was the property was clean and well maintained, the staff friendly and helpful. Its floating jetty was the best place to enter water, especially at the low tide. When I first jumped into water the image under it caught my attention. What was unattractive above water, smooth surfaces of galvanized metal, became a base for various life forms right under the surface. Because the surfaces were mostly in shade there was not much algae on them. Encrusting sponges and hydroids were plentiful, you can see their tiny “bushes” on the anchoring cable. The shade attracted tiny fish, the one in the middle to the left was staring straight into the camera. They attracted larger predators, I could regularly see small barracudas circling around. By the way, did I tell you that was the same jetty where I had photographed the lionfish?

Our visit to Vava’u was more of a family vacations than a diving/photo trip yet it provided enough opportunities for the camera and pictures for the visitors if these pages to enjoy.

Keywords: jetty float floating underwater wharf below encrusting sponges hydroids fish shade bottom