Underwater Chronicles - Dani Escayola Photography

I believe that every photograph tells a story, and the underwater species you see in my prints are no exception. Each image captures not just the beauty of these remarkable creatures, but also a moment from my experience behind the lens, exploring their vibrant ecosystems.

By sharing my journey and the fascinating facts about each species, I hope to create a deeper connection between you and the art you bring into your home. It’s important to me that you not only appreciate the visual beauty but also understand the unique characteristics and behaviors of these animals. Thank you for supporting this journey and for helping to honor the incredible life beneath the waves!

MANTA RAYS

After a 1.5 hour drive in our van with our tinny in tow, we finally arrived in Coral Bay. Our mission for the day was clear: to find the resident manta rays that call this place home. To our excitement, we spotted these three mantas gracefully swimming together.

Mantas are amongst the largest fish in the ocean with a wing span of up to 7 metres and weighing up to two tonnes. They are named for their unique appearance, ‘Manta’ meaning blanket in Spanish. They are filter feeders, eating the microscopic zooplancton and krill that drift along in the ocean currents. Along with dolphins, primates, and elephants, Manta Rays have demonstrated high levels of intelligence and long term memory, able to map their environment using sight and smell. They have the largest brain to body weight ratio of any living fish. Despite their size, manta rays are completely harmless to humans and their underside markings are unique to the individual – like a person’s fingerprint.

Giving birth approximately every 2 years, female mantas usually bear one ‘pup’. After 12-13 months of pregnancy, they birth live young who are fully equipped to live independent of their parent. These baby mantas will live up to 50 years in the wild. Manta rays are also very particular when it comes to hygiene, making regular stops at Reef ‘cleaning stations’where smaller wrasse clean the dead skin and parasites off their bodies.

In manta rays, during the mating season, females may be pursued by multiple males in a behavior known as a “mating train.” The males compete by swimming closely behind the female, and the one that can maintain the longest pursuit is often chosen by the female. This mating race emphasizes stamina and fitness, allowing females to select the strongest mates, which plays a crucial role in the reproductive success of the species.

Overfishing is the most direct threat to species survival. They are caught as bycatch or targeted for their gill plates, meat, and oil. Their long lifespan and slow reproduction rate means overfished populations are unable to recover properly. Additionally, poor water quality, sediment run-off, pollution, rising temperatures and a changing climate are just some of the threats adversely affecting their Reef habitat.

LEOPARD SHARKS (Stegostoma fasciatum)

It was an incredibly lucky day, marked by five different leopard shark sightings in Osprey Bay. This particular one was resting on the seafloor when he suddenly rolled into a unique position, in a state of tonic immobility as he was trying to dislodge a remora that was attached to him. This fascinating behavior provided me with the perfect opportunity to capture some truly special photographs.

This nocturnal species can be found in shallow coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific, often resting on the sandy seabed. They hunt at night and rest on the bottom during the day while pumping water over their gills. Unlike some other species of shark, zebra sharks don’t have to keep swimming to breathe.

A zebra shark’s diet is mainly made up of mollusks and crustaceans, though they are also known to eat small fish. They are harmless to humans.

They are oviparous, which means they lay eggs. Juveniles are born fully independent. They have dark-brown-and-white stripes, resembling the patterns of a zebra, which fade over time and turn into the leopard-like spots. Both “zebra shark” and “leopard shark” are correct names but the name used depends on the region:
– Zebra shark: The common name in the United States.
– Leopard shark: The common name in Australia and the Andaman Sea. The name “leopard shark” is also used for the species Triakis semifasciata, which is found along the Pacific North American coast.

In the ocean, a zebra-striped pattern is an important defense mechanism for the small, vulnerable pups. Because their stripes mimic those of a venomous sea snake, other species keep away in case the pattern indicates danger.

Zebra sharks are endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Although they do sometimes fall prey to larger predatory sharks, their main threat is from humans. Populations around the world are decreasing due to overfishing, bycatch, and the shark fin trade. Because these sharks have a slow reproductive rate, it takes even longer for the species to recover from these threats.

WHALE SHARKS

After spotting numerous whale sharks at Turquoise Bay on the kallak before, we decided to return with some friends, including a few who had never encountered a whale shark before. We were fortunate to find this particular one, which graciously allowed us to spend over an hour and a half in its company.

Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish, growing up to 20 meters in length and weigh 20 tonnes. Like manta rays they are filter feeders, feeding on small shrimp, fish and plancton by using their gill rakers as a suction filter. It’s thought that less than 10% of whale sharks born survive to adulthood, but those that do may live to 150.

Whale sharks are known for their impressive ability to navigate vast ocean distances, filter feed efficiently, and adapt to a wide range of environments. They are also capable of complex behaviors, such as swimming to specific depths and locations based on seasonal food availability.

Their brains are proportionally small compared to their enormous bodies, but intelligence is not solely determined by brain size—whale sharks have evolved to thrive in their environment in other ways, relying on their size, sensory systems, and feeding strategies.

Each whale shark has a unique pattern of spots and stripes, sort of like your fingerprints. These patterns help scientists keep track of their movements as they migrate through tropical waters.

Like all sharks, whale sharks don’t have bones. Their skeletons are made of cartilage—the same stuff found in human ears and noses. Cartilage is strong, flexible, and less dense than bone, so it helps sharks swim fast and use less energy.

Humans are the biggest threat to these endangered fish, which are illegally hunted and sold as food and can be injured by large shipping vessels.But thanks in part to protected areas, where it’s against the law to harm whale sharks, scientists hope to see their numbers to rise. These protected regions include Australia, India, the Philippines, and the United States.

HUMPBACK WHALES

Waking up just before sunrise, we enjoyed breakfast from the back of our van before preparing our kayaks for the journey to our well known whale shark spot: Turquoise Bay. However, that day, we had a different mission—to search for humpback whales migrating near the reef. This is one of the photos I captured that morning.

Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known for their acrobatic behavior, long pectoral fins, and complex songs.

Humpback whales are among the animals with the longest migrations, traveling thousands of miles between feeding and breeding grounds. In the summer, they migrate to nutrient-rich polar waters, particularly in places like Alaska and Antarctica, where they feed primarily on small fish and krill. In the winter months, they migrate to warmer tropical or subtropical waters (e.g., Hawaii, Caribbean) to breed and give birth. Migrations can cover distances of up to 16,000 kilometers (about 10,000 miles).

Humpback whales were heavily impacted by whaling in the 20th century, leading to a dramatic decline in their populations. In the 1960s, the population was estimated to be around just a few thousand individuals. Since commercial whaling has been largely banned, humpback whale populations have shown significant recovery, with global populations now estimated to be around 80,000 individuals. This recovery has been attributed to international protection efforts and the establishment of whale sanctuaries.

Humpback whale calves are born after a gestation period of about 11 to 12 months and typically weigh around 2-3 tons at birth, measuring about 12-16 feet in length. The mother provides all care, nursing the calf with nutrient-rich milk for up to a year. During this time, the bond between mother and calf is strong, as she teaches her offspring essential survival skills. The mother helps the calf develop strength and skills necessary for swimming long distances during migration.

Humpback whales are famous for their complex songs, which can last for up to 20 minutes and can be heard over great distances underwater. Males typically sing during the breeding season, and the purpose of the songs is believed to be related to courtship and mating behavior. The songs can change over time, suggesting that they may serve as a means of communication among whales in a population.

TIGER SHARKS

During our first trip to Coral Bay, we had the incredible opportunity to swim alongside two majestic reef manta rays, encounter a dugong, and observe a juvenile tiger shark measuring about 2.5 meters. I was able to follow this remarkable shark for over 15 minutes as it glided gracefully just beneath me. This experience marked my second encounter with a tiger shark, and it was just as exhilarating as the first.

Tiger sharks are named for the dark, vertical stripes found mainly on juveniles. As these sharks mature, the lines begin to fade and almost disappear.

These large, blunt-nosed predators have a duly earned reputation as man-eaters. They are second only to great whites in attacking people. But because they have a near completely undiscerning palate, they are not likely to swim away after biting a human, as great whites frequently do.

They are consummate scavengers, with excellent senses of sight and smell and a nearly limitless menu of diet items. They have sharp, highly serrated teeth and powerful jaws that allow them to crack the shells of sea turtles and clams. The stomach contents of captured tiger sharks have included stingrays, sea snakes, seals, birds, squids, and even license plates and old tires.

Large specimens can grow to as much as 5,5 meters in length and weigh more than 900 kg.

They are heavily harvested for their fins, skin, and flesh, and their livers contain high levels of vitamin A, which is processed into vitamin oil. They have extremely low repopulation rates, and therefore may be highly susceptible to fishing pressure. Female tiger sharks give birth to an average of 30 to 35 pups per litter. They are listed as near threatened throughout their range.

THREASHER SHARKS

For years, I dreamed of visiting Malapascua to see thresher sharks, and last year, that dream became a reality. In just three days, I completed nine incredible dives, but it was during the last one that I captured the perfect shot: a trio of thresher sharks in one frame. That dive remains one of my favorites ever.

Thresher sharks are a unique and fascinating group of sharks known for their distinctive long, scythe-like tails, which can be up to 50% of their body length.

Sharks often hunt by separating fish from their groups, leading them to form protective bait balls. The thresher shark exploits this behavior by rushing into the bait ball and whipping its tail to create a shockwave that stuns the fish, allowing it to consume two to seven sardines at a time. This energy-efficient hunting method has a higher success rate than chasing individual fish. They also use their tail for balance and high-speed swimming.

They live in the upper zone of the open ocean but can reach depths from 1,640 to 2,460 feet. Living mainly offshore, there are very few places in the world they can be reliably spotted by scuba divers—most famously at Monad Shoal off the shores of Malapascua, an island in the Philippines—making them challenging to study.

Threshers have specialized adaptations for hunting in open water, including well-developed senses, such as acute vision and electroreception, which helps them locate prey.

Although harmless to humans, thresher sharks are endangered due to high demand for their meat in fisheries, along with their livers for vitamins, skins for leather, and fins for shark fin soup. Sports fishermen target them by catching them by the tail, and even quick releases can be fatal, as they need to keep swimming for oxygen. Additionally, they are often caught as bycatch in heavily fished habitats. Their low reproduction rate makes recovery from exploitation difficult.

Threshers are one of the few shark species to breach—leaping entirely out of the water like dolphins or whales—which some researchers believe is an attempt to remove parasites from their body.

GREEN SEA TURTLES

It is named not for the color of its shell, which is normally brown or olive depending on its habitat, but for the greenish color of its skin.
Weighing up to 700 pounds green turtles are among the largest sea turtles in the world.

Unlike most sea turtles, adult green turtles are herbivorous, feeding on sea grasses and algae. Juvenile green turtles, however, will also eat invertebrates like crabs, jellyfish, and sponges.

Green turtles migrate from feeding sites to sandy nesting grounds, mating every two to four years in shallow waters. Females return to their natal beaches to lay 100 to 200 eggs in a sand pit, covering them before returning to the sea. The hatchlings face significant danger as they make their way from the nest to the ocean, with predators like crabs and gulls threatening them.

Green turtles are listed as an endangered species. Despite this, they are still killed for their meat and eggs. Their numbers are also reduced by boat propeller accidents, fishnet-caused drowning, and the destruction of their nesting grounds by human encroachment.

AUSTRALIAN SEA LIONS

While road-tripping around Australia, we saw a sign that said, “Come and visit the sea lions.” So we headed to where the tours ran, grabbed the kayak, and paddled out to an island in the bay. To our surprise, a big group of sea lions was hanging out there. We ended up swimming with them in the cold water for over two hours—it was surreal.

The Australian sea lion is inquisitive and curious and is sometimes referred to as the dog of the sea, thanks to its playful nature and barking calls.

They are the only seals endemic to Australia. They breed on at least 50 different islands off the coast of Western Australia and South Australia.

Forty-two per cent of the total known population exist at the three largest colonies and these can all be found east of Port Lincoln in South Australia.

Once hunted for their fur, the status of the Australian sea lion was amended from vulnerable to endangered in 2021 under Australian Law, due to a dramatic decrease in the population numbers over the past four decades.

The Australian sea lion is unique among pinnipeds due to its non-annual breeding cycle, with colonies breeding at different times from January to June. It has the longest gestation period of 14 months and mothers nurse their single pup for about 17 months. Females typically breed at their birth site. High mortality rates result in only 30% of pups surviving to maturity due to environmental pressures, male attacks, and disease.

Commercial fishery gillnets currently pose the greatest risk to Australian sea lions, as they become snagged in the thin mesh and drown. Water pollution has also had a negative effect on the species population along with disease and illness.

OLIVE SEA SNAKE

As we came across this olive sea snake breathing on the surface, I got in the water as quickly as I could. When she decided to go back down to the depth, I managed to take this photo of it going down.

The olive sea snake is the most common sea snake along the northern coast of Australia and nearby island groups. It is a true snake and gets its common name from the color of its skin. Like all reptiles, olive sea snakes breathe air, but unlike the sea turtles, crocodiles, sea kraits, and other marine reptiles – which must nest on shore – the olive sea snake’s entire life cycle occurs in the ocean.

Growing to lengths over 2 m, this species is well adapted to a life on coral reefs. It has a flattened, paddle-like tail and a large lung that allows it to go hours between breaths at the surface.

The olive sea snake is a highly venomous snake that actively hunts small to medium sized fishes and benthic invertebrates, including prawns and crabs. It prefers to hunt at night and only comes out of its daytime hiding places to take occasional breaths. Olive sea snakes are naturally curious and are known to approach SCUBA divers, not aggressively but inquisitively.
Though they only rarely bite people, their bites have been known to be fatal. Olive sea snakes do not leave the water to nest or for any reason at all. This species reproduces via internal fertilization and gives live birth to a few (6-8) well-developed young that do not receive any parental care.

Though scientists generally believe some populations of olive sea snakes to be decreasing, it is considered a species of least concern across its entire distribution.