Under the Sea: The Waters of Kastellorizo Captured by Photographer Paolo Zanoni

By Natasha Blatsiou | November 10th, 2020

A Caretta caretta sea turtle in the waters of Kastellorizo. This species can be found in oceans around the world; in the Mediterranean, its status was recently upgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” A very good diver, it’s able to stay under water for more than three hours.

© Paolo Zanoni

Italian photographer Paolo Zanoni captures astounding underwater scenes off Kastellorizo.

At the center of Paolo Zanoni’s work are free divers – humans and animals.

His intention is to capture the feeling of well-being and intimacy that humans feel in the sea, as well as the absence of bodily perception that occurs when divers become one with the water.

Emotionally attached to Kastellorizo (it was the place where he first began to explore his passion back in 2011), the avid underwater photographer keeps returning to document its aquatic life.

Clear waters near the shore at Plakes Bay.

© Paolo Zanoni

The waters off Kastellorizo teem with fish.

© Paolo Zanoni

“Kastellorizo is a wonderful kaleidoscope. We pass from the almost transparent light near Plakes to the turquoise shades of the waters near Aghios Georgios; from the cobalt blue around the Blue Grotto, which suddenly turns black when you turn away, to the intense blue of the depths.”

Free diving near the Blue Grotto. The cave lies on the southeast coast of the island, and is known locally as “Phokialí” (Greek for “Seal’s Refuge”). The light of the sun, refracted through the sea, is reflected in the interior of the grotto producing a dazzling shade of blue. The cave is also famous for its stalactites and as a hideaway for the Mediterranean monk sea (Μonachus monachus).

© Paolo Zanoni

Ancient amphora. Artifacts recovered on or around Kastellorizo date all the way back to the early Neolithic.

© Paolo Zanoni

“The water in summer is particularly warm, causing the mind and body to relax, which is so fundamental to free diving. But there’s also the opportunity to encounter elusive marine animals, including the Caretta caretta loggerhead sea turtle and the Mediterranean monk seal.

“My dream is to share a boat with some local fishermen in order to document this traditional activity that has proven so important to the island through the centuries. An even more ambitious aspiration is to capture on film the Mediterranean monk seal I spotted in the Blue Grotto on my first year on the island.”

The photographer has dedicated this work to the memory of his wife, Roberta Conca.