After a month of news about sewage releases into Isle of Wight waters, there’s some positive marine news.
Isle of Wight marine wildlife photographer, Theo Vickers, has captured rare underwater footage of a tiny elegant cuttlefish (Sepia elegans).
Spotted in the Bembridge Marine Conservation Zone
He encountered the cuttlefish at night on a sand-bar in the Bembridge Marine Conservation Zone earlier in August.
Theo explains,
“Elegant cuttlefish are nocturnal and much rarer than their common cuttlefish relatives. They mainly occur around the western Atlantic coasts of the UK and Ireland down to the Agulhas bank off South Africa.
“They’re cephalopods so the same group as squid and octopus, and one of three cuttle species that live in our seas.”
Vickers: A rare species in our seas
Theo says that according to the National Biodiversity Atlas, there has been only been one confirmed record on the Island previously (in 2006) and in the Solent (in 1997) so this really is a rare species in our seas.
He added,
“As far as I’m aware, this is also the first time the species has been filmed and photographed in our Island waters.
“After all the news about sewage releases, this footage shows our community what that pollution is threatening.”
Watch the footage
Press the play button below and then click on the broken square in the bottom right hand corner to see the video full screen. Having sound turned up adds to the experience.
You can see more of Theo’s amazing underwater footage and photography on his Website.
