Celebrating a milestone with an unforgettable dive in Piopiotahi
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Sara Ebsworth (@squirrelychops) recently celebrated her 40th birthday in an extraordinary way. Along with her partner, Dave, she embarked on a 2-day dive trip in Piopiotahi (Milford Sound), an adventure filled with awe-inspiring marine encounters.
The unique underwater world of Piopiotahi
Piopiotahi's fiords offer a unique diving experience where deepwater species are sometimes seen at accessible depths. This phenomenon is due to reduced light penetration due to the following factors.
- An average annual rainfall of 7m, resulting in a thick layer of freshwater forming at the surface.
- Limited sunlight - about 182 rainy days per year.
- Deep shadows cast by the steep surrounding mountains.
- Tannins leached from the surrounding beech forests that stain the water.
An encounter with a juvenile dogfish
Diving with Descend Scuba Diving, Sara and Dave were part of a group of four exploring depths down to 24m. During the dive, at a depth between 10m and 20m, Sara had a memorable encounter with a little dogfish, which slowly swam around her.
“The area has been a protected marine reserve since 1993, so the animals there are quite tame,” Sara explained.
Not knowing much about the species, Sara turned to the iNaturalist community for help with an identification. Clinton Duffy, who with Peter Last re-described and resurrected the species in 2007, identified the fish as Squalus griffini, the Northern Spiny Dogfish. View distribution and depth information on Fishbase.
“It was pretty cool to have Clinton Duffy identify it, especially since he played a significant role in the species' rediscovery,” Sara said. “I was lucky to get such a clear shot of it, although the camera struggled in the low light.”
Clinton Duffy praised her photo, noting, “There aren't many underwater images of this species, especially none of juveniles. They usually occur below diving depths.”
A dive to remember
Reflecting on her experience, Sara felt privileged to have seen a species of fish that is so rarely observed. “I’m pretty sure I saw another dogfish the next day, but I didn’t manage to get a photo. I highly recommend diving Piopiotahi, where you might also be privileged to see a deepwater species!”
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Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
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