One of Dr. Zelenko’s colleagues, a professor of Marine Biology at the University of Kiev, had some time ago requested help in retrieving samples from the sea floor and marine rock formations off the coast of a beautiful nature reserve called Karadah, about 50 km from our base in Novy Svet. On the 19th of August, we packed a couple sets of gear and headed out with the early sun. When we met our team at the waiting launch, we were greeted by two dolphins leaping and nosing about just off the pier!
We headed out to sea, and soon were passing an incredible landscape!
When we reached our first research site, two of our veteran divers suited up and got to work.
We started taking samples right away!
Then it was on to the next sampling sites, some of which were tidal zones.
By far the most picturesque of our diving destinations was a place known as the “Golden Gate”, a stunning formation that rises out of the sea in a great arch. Seeing it from the deck brought back memories from what seems like a lifetime ago now, when I saw this site on a hiking trip my first season here in 2005. Then, I was looking down on it from the cliffs (pictured below) and I distinctly remember dearly wishing that I could get a closer look. This year, I got my wish.
Returning to base in time for lunch, we applied ourselves to mapping and artifact duties, while planning the next day’s dives!