At the slightest disturbance, the European fan worm disappeared inside its leathery tube. Walter was trying to approach slowly, without his diving bubbles disturbing it. He finally got close enough to fill the frame. ‘It’s hypnotic,’ he says. ‘The eye is drawn to the centre, and then the image seems to start moving.’
Brightly coloured tentacles extend five centimetres out into the sea, filtering particles from the water. Native to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, European fan worms have now dispersed across the world’s oceans. Invasive colonies anchor themselves to the seabed, competing with native filter feeders for space and food.
Italy
For Walter, photography is a hobby and a passion. It allows him to show others how he sees the sea and underwater life. He has travelled to the Caribbean, Red Sea, Maldives, Mauritius and Kenya. In the future, Walter hopes to be able to travel to new places and show his daughter how beautiful nature can be.
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