At a certain tide level, Ogden Point breakwater walkers can see the bobbing heads of kelp with streamers stretched out in the ocean off Victoria.
Under the water, scuba divers and snorkellers can see the strands stretching from sea bottom toward the skies above. Justin Gross wanted to share the vision and recorded a couple days worth of stunning snorkelling dives in August and September.
Gross, who moved from Regina to Greater Victoria in 2018 to attend the University of Victoria, is a longtime diver. He was certified five years prior to coming here, through his uncle’s dive shop in the Bahamas.
The lure of the Salish Sea is one big reason he chose UVic to pursue his degree in marine biology. Now just a handful of courses shy, he’s finding time to dip under the Salish Sea more frequently.
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Many divers take close up, stunning images. Gross aims for wide-angle raw shots to provide a perspective of what you would see if you’re diving. The video shows lifeforms darting and flowing in and out of the ribbons of green and brown, and the colours between.
“There are so many people that never see that, so they don’t realize how beautiful it is right below their feet,” he said.
Gross hopes showing the stunning ecosystem can be an incentive or inspiration in how to live.
Find his video on YouTube by searching Justin Gross.
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