Iridescent reflections, colour in motion, a sinuous shape.
Liquid metal reverberates in the crystalline waters.
Shards of lights and darting shadows in the golden glow of a tropical May.
The fish does not announce itself. It materializes under the water’s surface and begins its dance.
Its appearance is as ephemeral as the dreams just before waking.
It senses the vibrations and circles the mooring with meticulous curiosity.
It moves away and disappears into the blue depths only to return with a supple and decisive movement. Most elegant.
It wears a silk livery; raw silk in the colour of the surface of the sea when the sun is low on the horizon. The amber grey has golden reflections.
Suddenly it disappears, leaving a trail of the mysterious silk colour on the surface.
“It moves away and disappears into the blue depths only to return with a supple and decisive movement. Most elegant.”
Backstage
In the Sudanese Red Sea, there is a time of year when silky sharks breed as they approach the coral reefs. One often meets them underwater and is accompanied by them for long dives. These fish are curious and calm. As in all such situations, it is necessary to respect them, and this allows us to shoot them from a short distance. Any fish will come close to humans if the latter interact with them correctly.
Massimo Bicciato, photographer and traveller.