Being immersed in water is an awesome experience - [RECAP] Let's Map Underwater 🐟🐟

The main reason why I started to map these underwater resources is interesting. I am basically a diving enthusiast. Also, I have used Google maps as a tool to show the hidden resources of nature to the world to make those who cannot reach these places feel like home even though they cannot be physically present in such locations. For this meetup, unlike my previous meetups, no local guide joined me in. The journey. At a moment, I thought to dive instead of snorkeling since I was alone. Unfortunately, I was not ready with my diving kit and I couldn’t even rent one at that point. So I decided to snorkel. I got a new friend from the locality who I got introduced to, at the snorkeling site. He joined me in roaming around the bay. He asked me why am I taking a lot of photos. I told him about my contribution to Google maps and it’s used.

When I got near the reef patches, I could see many damaged reefs and a little number of fish. Somehow, this is a significant measure that shows that this place has a high number of people visiting the corals.


I have a habit of doing mini researches on any new activity that I undertake. So, at this point, I have read a lot about fish, corals and other marine resources such as puffers, lionfish that can be harmful to snorkelers as well as certain tips on how to snorkel without damaging the reefs and what activities could harm the reef health.


I started exploring the reef and I could see many schooling fish, different types of surgeons, angelfish, wrasses, goby, damsels, and crabs and much other marine life. I had a deep desire to spot at least one anemone and a Nemo clown within this space but I couldn’t even find one. I know, they require a little more sophisticated environment to survive.

When we went a bit far, I could spot some butterfly fish, I remembered my wife @KrithikaA when I saw this, she used to tell me these are one significant indicator of a healthy reef.

Now it’s time to open some interesting story, I have posted a picture of a lobster in my hand and all my friends were asking how could I catch a lobster. They were all surprised, but actually, that’s not a lobster, that’s just a shell. Since it was the day after a full moon, they have removed their shell.


I continued snorkeling for a considerably long time. I could see many luminescent corals and many other marine resources. I remembered watching Finding Nemo long time back. With all those lovely memories, I reached home.

Lets Map Under Water Summary RECAP Video

More Photos please check this album

@KarenVChin I will get a real Lobster soon. @bDilshan95 next time you also can join with this “Let’s Map Underwater” meetup :slight_smile:
@Seedra , @vijaih , @AnuradhaP , @NalinK , you can also join next month meetup :slight_smile:

@Gloire_Congo , @ravindus , @TorM here’s my recap :slight_smile:

Let’s Map Underwater Previous Meetup RECAP’s
[RECAP] Let’s Map Underwater :camera_flash:
[RECAP] Sri Lanka Shipwreck Meetup :anchor:

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@IlankovanT Very nice. I would love to join, but I am neither a good swimmer nor a diver. Hope to see more underwater photos and videos from you.

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Hi @IlankovanT

I’m very happy to see this adventure in the water, it makes me want to participate. congratulations

water is very clear, do not forget also to take care of the environment and work so that this water stays always clear or follow the project Local Guides Clean The World

for more information ask @ErmesT is better to tell you more

I think you know about that

thank you :pray:

4 Likes

Hello, Mr.Ilankovan @IlankovanT

Wow, this is so amazing! Of course, I love to join the next meet up. This is really nice! Wonderful photos. Apart from Lionfish and Puffers, there’s another guy to care about. Octopuses are also dangerous sometimes. They look like coral sometimes. If you accidentally touch someone like me, it will grab your hands very tightly. That is a scary experience but after a few seconds, it will understand that we’re bigger than it and it’s really hard to swallow us. It releases us and swim very fast and hide. Mr.Ilankovan @IlankovanT can you say something about your underwater camera gear. I love to know. The photos are very clear and well saturated. Do you use any filters?? I love to join the next meetup. Mapping underwater is a very valuable idea.

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Haha @Gloire_Congo

Please forgive my smile. @IlankovanT is not only a personal friend, but also one of the Local Guides that more care about environment. He started to clean the beach on his country much earlier before the start of Clean The World. He’s one of the Local Guides that inspired me when starting the project

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Thanks @AnuradhaP , actually for snorkeling you can do with a life jacket. And in Hikkaduwa I saw many of them was snorkeling with this :blush:

You will really love this hidden nature :blush:

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Yeh. Thank you @Gloire_Congo yes I do. I love protecting nature and we do beach cleaning also.

Thank you for your kind words @ErmesT . another big event is scheduled for June!

We got more support from public and youth now :blush:.

This time I’m printing a big banner with Clean the world logo… I will show you the banner design soon.

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Thank you @bDilshan95 , Happy to hear that you like to join my next meetup. I will surely tag you in my next meetup RSVP post.

Yes you are correct. Octopus is also one of the dangerous, actually they live in little dark place and they are camouflage, sometime it will be like a rock. Some of them change their colors matching the surface pattern/color.

I’m using GoPro Hero 4 and GoPro 5 both. Also using filter too :blush:

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Haha @IlankovanT - you can tell I have a one track mind - lobster - food! = )

If that is not a lobster, what is it?

Cheers,

Karen

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thank you continues like this @IlankovanT and you would be the pioneer in your area. I would be happy to see this banner

merci pour tout

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haha it’s really great, I learn a lot from him @IlankovanT when I organize my meet-up and he gives me a lot of inspiration, I thank this platform for bringing me closer with you @ErmesT

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@IlankovanT , nice photos and interesting video. I will definitely try to attend the next underwater campaign

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Hello, @KarenVChin

You must visit Sri Lanka one day. We always ready to welcome you. You can also try freshwater lobsters here in Sri Lanka. Once I found one weight is more than 2kg.

We have very tasty recipes here.

Lobsters shedding is an awesome thing. As I know in the shedding period they find a safe place and start to drink water to enlarge their body size. As a result, the old shell starts to crack from joints and lobster can remove it easily like we changing a T-shirt. I attached a video below so you can have an idea.

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It’s a lobster shell @KarenVChin :blush:

shedding is one of the cool thing as @bDilshan95 said, also during this period they will hide under the rocks. Thank you for the video Dilshan.

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@IlankovanT @bDilshan95 - thanks for sharing this. I know the local crab found in the West Coast, called Dungeness crab, molts also like your country’s freshwater lobster. It is highly prized to get Dungeness crab that just finished molting because it means the crab’s meat is easier to get, and the meat tastes sweeter.

I would love to visit Sri Lanka one day. I would be eating A LOT of seafood for sure. = )

Cheers,

Karen

4 Likes

Hi @IlankovanT ,

It’s a pleasure to see your underwater photos! The Hikkaduwa reef is really rich and beautiful. If everything goes well, I’ll be able to share here something similar at the beginning of autumn :slight_smile:

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Thank you very much, Mr.Ilankovan @IlankovanT . When I scrolling your photos, first I thought it’s a dead one because catching a lobster is a very difficult thing and holding one without wearing a glove is impossible, maybe you also noticed that the lobster has very sharp thorns on its shell and arms. When I was in Unawatuna, I saw divers wearing thick gloves to catch lobsters.

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Hello, @KarenVChin

You’re right there’s a high price market for crabs and lobsters here too. Freshwater lobsters little bit cheaper than sea lobsters and sea lobsters are the most famous in Sri Lanka. Maybe you won’t believe this, a lot of people in Sri Lanka don’t know there are lobsters in freshwater too. Actually, I also saw one last year for the first time. I will suggest you a good place to eat tasty seafood when you visit Sri Lanka. The place is Ministry of Crab . I can recommend this place to you for tasty seafood. :ok_hand::ok_hand:

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Wow beautiful, hope you had a wonderful experience in underwater, @IlankovanT that was amazing to join your next underwater meet up, but thing is i’m not a good swimmer.But i will come and help you guys hahahahaa.see you soon

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**Lets Map Underwater is different and unique content Mr @IlankovanT **

Your thought of mapping in underwear is definitely awesome one.

**I am little worried on seeing your hands without Gloves as said by @bDilshan95 **

**Really it’s a adventures mapping @IlankovanT **

**It’s interesting to know that Craps meat taste sweeter as said by @KarenVChin **

Your photos and content is superb in all aspects.

I think the memory of this Recap— will come all along with me for ever.:pray:

Kindly I expect your valuable comments on my first meet-up at Valluvar kottam Chennai.

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/RECAP-Photo-walk-Meet-up-at-Valluvar-kottam-Chennai/td-p/1789759#.XO3saSD00_Y.whatsapp

4 Likes