By Shane Gross.
“Calm down,” I told myself as I bobbed in the water off D’Arros Island, within a newly established marine protected area (MPA) in Seychelles. A storm was approaching, but I was snorkeling—camera in hand—because I knew something special was happening.
I was on assignment for the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF), which advocated for and now manages the MPA. I needed to capture a photo depicting why this place gained protection—highlighting its bounty and the hope it represents for biodiversity.
My initial plan was to snap a photo of a school of bigeye trevally reflecting off the water’s calm surface at sunrise. But when I noticed the incoming storm, I figured a split shot of the rainbow forming in the distance above the dense school of large fish would be even better.
The pressure to do the vista justice was intense; I didn’t want to let SOSF down. And there were plenty of challenges for me to contend with, including a strange white film covering the water’s surface and the fact that I had brought the wrong dome port for the shot I now wanted. However, I was confident I could capture an image I would be proud of if I paused to breathe and plan. “Make sure you nail the shot,” I thought, knowing the rainbow wouldn’t last long.
Moving slowly to avoid spooking the fish, I cleared a spot in the white film and steadied myself. The rainbow lingered for about five minutes. I shot until it disappeared and the school moved on. It was a lucky moment that I’ll never forget.
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