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Underwater
photography is a medium that inspires fascination and awe
for the environment beneath the waves from divers and non-divers
alike. The increasing popularity of underwater video is a
medium that can bring this environment 'alive'.
For
many years now, I have been producing commercial underwater
videos. In doing so, I have received much self-satisfaction
from contributing to a heightened awareness of the underwater
world.
Request
Some
time ago, I was approached to produce a promotional video
for the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC).
Based in Vancouver, Canada, the Society is a nonprofit body
dedicated to the enhancement of the marine environment of
British Columbia through the creation of artificial reefs.
Formed in 1986, it had the completion of two major artificial
reefs to its credit. The GB Church, a 60 metre coastal freighter
and Chaudiere, a 122m 366 destroyer escort, are now colonized
by a variety of marine life,Each generates $1,000,00 every
year to the local economy.
The
Society had now found an opportunity to purchase several more
retired Canadian destroyer escorts. A video was needed to
demonstrate to the provincial and federal government that
these ships would be better utilized in its artificial reef
programme than being cut down and sold for scrap metal.
With
extensive stock underwater footage 'in the can' on the GB
Church already, only a few dives on the Chaudiere were required
to put the promo video together. The ARSBC primarily wanted
shots showing the marine life colonization to clearly demonstrate
that these formerly proud vessels were now healthy, living
reefs. A few weeks later, I found myself at a float plane
terminal early on a Saturday morning.
Local
marine conditions were not at their best. There was a thick
patch of fog over the harbour and, for a while, all flights
were suspended. Fortunately, the wait was relatively short.
The fog dissipated and soon I was on my way flying over the
Strait of Georgia to the township of Sechelt.
Meeting
Twenty
minutes later, the plane had made a soft landing in Halfmoon
Bay, where I was met by Jay Straith, the Society's president.
Soon we met other ARSBC members and were cruising up the Sechlt
Inlet to the site of the Chaudiere.
On
the way, a dive brief was given as to what areas of the ship
were to be filmed. When we reached the wreck we found we were
not alone. There were at least four dive charter boats already
there, showing just how popular the wreck is with scuba divers.
Descending
down the mooring line, we reach the hull at a depth of 30m.
The site often has clear water; today the visibility was about
27m. Looking through the viewfinder of my video camera, I
could see that with the wide-angle lens and dome port we were
going to get some exceptional images. Descending down to the
keel, we were soon filming the three 12 inch holes chemically
burned through the hull to sink the destroyer escort.
Tunicates
At
43m, Artificial Reef Society diver Howie Robbins led the way,
swimming through a huge gap right underneath the Chaudiere.
Here we found thousands of crystalline tunicates attached
to the hull. Turning on the powerful video lights, their ashy
white colour was revealed. Filming them wasn't easy.
They
were such a brilliant, pure white that the 100 watt lights
caused hot spots on the image. However, by backing off a bit
from the tunicates and adjusting the angle of the lights the
problem was soon rectified. With Howie looking at the deck
guns with his torch, I began swimming towards him.
Challenging
I
find this type of shot particularly challenging. It is difficult
to keep the camera 'rock smooth'. The slightest shake in the
image will give the viewer and unsettling feeling. Preparing
for a medium tight shot of the deck guns, we could see clearly
that they were overgrown with crystalline tunicates and a
few copper rockfish had already taken up residence.
By
this time we were running low on air so we headed for the
surface. A few hours later we hit the water once again. The
plan was to get some images inside the Chaudiere. With 67
diveable rooms there were plenty of locations to choose from!
Discovery
Inside
we found spacious rooms for exploration. However, marine life
was not as abundant inside the ship so we focused on 'diver
exploration' shots. Most shipwrecks on the British Columbian
coastline have been pounded to a state of confusing, twisted
metal so having this opportunity to dive and film this particular
artificial reef was a very rewarding experience.
A
week later, after reviewing the available stock footage, I
started to edit the video. This was extremely time consuming
but eventually the video was finished and presented to the
Society.
Effective
The
video proved most effective in promoting the benefits of the
ARSBC's artificial reef programme to all levels of government.
It was even shown during a meeting with the federal minister
of defense!
Later
the Society received a grant to purchase several more retired
destroyer escorts.
Some
time later, the HMCS McKenzie was sunk in September 1995.
It landed on an even keel in 30m of water. Not long afterwards,
on June 22, 1996 the HMCS Columbia was also sunk.
Making
a contribution to this programme was very meaningful for me.
It was a contribution that will have a lasting impact for
the health and future for the marine environment for many
years to come.
Reproduced
from in focus 58 (September
1996) |
