Loch Duich is a magical place to see these creatures. After a fairly lengthy, and featureless swim over the substrate sea pens start to loom out of the darkness. If you continue to deeper water from the sea pens the Fireworks anenomes start to appear. They're quite large as UK anenomes go. The bottom is very still and covered by fine silt which makes photographing these creatures a delicate process. Perfect buoyancy control and the abitlty to remain as still as possible is needed to prevent stirring the muck, as well as not causing the anenome to retract it's tentacles. They're very sensitive to pressure waves in the water. Approaching them from down current is a food strategy. This picture was taken using a fairly narrow snoot over the strobe to get the spotlight effect over the subject. A very slow shutter speed was used at this depth (23 meters) to bring out the green background.
Location: Loch Duich, Scotland
Photographer: Robert Bailey
