As a kid, I used to dream about the ocean. It was this wild place full of color and life, home to these alien-looking, fantastical creatures. I pictured big sharks ruling the food chain and saw graceful sea turtles dancing across coral reefs.
Kao dečak sam sanjao okean. Bila je to nekakva divljina puna boja i života, dom za ta vanzemaljska, bajkovita stvorenja. Zamišljao sam ajkule kako vladaju lancem ishrane i video sam ljupke morske kornjače kako plešu po koralnim grebenima.
As a marine biologist turned photographer, I've spent most of my career looking for places as magical as those I used to dream about when I was little. As you can see, I began exploring bodies of water at a fairly young age. But the first time I truly went underwater, I was about 10 years old. And I can still vividly remember furiously finning to reach this old, encrusted cannon on a shallow coral reef. And when I finally managed to grab hold of it, I looked up, and I was instantly surrounded by fish in all colors of the rainbow. That was the day I fell in love with the ocean.
Kao morski biolog, koji je postao fotograf, proveo sam veći deo moje karijere tragajući za mestima jednako magičnim kao ona o kojima sam kao dete maštao. Kao što vidite, počeo sam da istražujem vodene prostore prilično rano. Međutim, prvi put sam uistinu zaronio kad mi je bilo oko 10 godina. I još uvek se živo sećam kako žestoko perajam da bi dosegao taj stari, okoštali rog na plitkom koralnom grebenu. Kad sam konačno uspeo da se uhvatim za njega, podigao sam pogled i momentalno sam bio okružen ribama u svim duginim bojama. To je bio dan kad sam se zaljubio u okean.
Thomas Peschak
[Tomas Pešak]
Conservation Photographer
[Fotograf očuvanja prirode]
In my 40 years on this planet, I've had the great privilege to explore some of its most incredible seascapes for National Geographic Magazine and the Save Our Seas Foundation. I've photographed everything from really, really big sharks to dainty ones that fit in the palm of your hand. I've smelled the fishy, fishy breath of humpback whales feeding just feet away from me in the cold seas off Canada's Great Bear Rainforest. And I've been privy to the mating rituals of green sea turtles in the Mozambique Channel.
Tokom 40 godina na ovoj planeti, imao sam veliku čast da istražujem neke od najneverovatnijih morskih pejzaža za časopis "Nacionalna geografija" i za fondaciju Spasimo naša mora. Fotografisao sam sve od zaista, zaista velikih ajkula do onih delikatnih koje vam stanu na dlan ruke. Mirisao sam smrdljivi riblji zadah grbavih kitova koji su se hranili tik do mene u hladnim morima pored kanadske kišne šume Veliki medved. Bio sam svedok rituala parenja zelenih morskih kornjača u Mozambičkom kanalu.
Everyone on this planet affects and is affected by the ocean. And the pristine seas I used to dream of as a child are becoming harder and harder to find. They are becoming more compressed and more threatened. As we humans continue to maintain our role as the leading predator on earth, I've witnessed and photographed many of these ripple effects firsthand. For a long time, I thought I had to shock my audience out of their indifference with disturbing images. And while this approach has merits, I have come full circle. I believe that the best way for me to effect change is to sell love. I guess I'm a matchmaker of sorts and as a photographer, I have the rare opportunity to reveal animals and entire ecosystems that lie hidden beneath the ocean's surface. You can't love something and become a champion for it if you don't know it exists. Uncovering this -- that is the power of conservation photography.
Svi na ovoj planeti utiču na okean i on utiče na sve. A netaknuta mora o kojima sam maštao kao dete je sve teže i teže pronaći. Sve su zbijenija i ugroženija. Dok mi ljudi i dalje održavamo našu ulogu vodeće grabljivice na zemlji, posvedočio sam i fotografisao iz prve ruke mnoge od ovih efekata domina. Dugo sam smatrao da moram da uzdrmam publiku iz njihove ravnodušnosti uznemirujućim prizorima. Iako ovaj pristup ima svoje prednosti, napravio sam pun krug. Verujem da je najbolji način da utičem na promene tako što ću da prodajem ljubav. Valjda sam nekakav provodadžija i kao fotograf imam nesvakidašnju mogućnost da otkrivam životinje i čitave ekosisteme koji leže skriveni ispod površine okeana. Ne možete da volite nešto i da njime ovladate, ako ne znate za njegovo postojanje. Razotkrivanje ovoga - to je moć fotografije očuvanja prirode.
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I've visited hundreds of marine locations, but there are a handful of seascapes that have touched me incredibly deeply. The first time I experienced that kind of high was about 10 years ago, off South Africa's rugged, wild coast. And every June and July, enormous shoals of sardines travel northwards in a mass migration we call the Sardine Run. And boy, do those fish have good reason to run. In hot pursuit are hoards of hungry and agile predators. Common dolphins hunt together and they can separate some of the sardines from the main shoal and they create bait balls. They drive and trap the fish upward against the ocean surface and then they rush in to dine on this pulsating and movable feast. Close behind are sharks. Now, most people believe that sharks and dolphins are these mortal enemies, but during the Sardine Run, they actually coexist. In fact, dolphins actually help sharks feed more effectively. Without dolphins, the bait balls are more dispersed and sharks often end up with what I call a sardine donut, or a mouth full of water. Now, while I've had a few spicy moments with sharks on the sardine run, I know they don't see me as prey. However, I get bumped and tail-slapped just like any other guest at this rowdy, rowdy banquet.
Posetio sam na stotine morskih lokacija, ali postoji nekoliko morskih pejzaža koji su me dotakli neverovatno duboko. Prvi put sam iskusio taj vid ushita pre otprilike 10 godina, blizu južnoafričke hrapave, divlje obale. A svakog juna i jula, ogromna jata sardina putuju ka severu u masovnim migracijama koje zovemo begom sardina. I, čoveče, ala te sardine imaju razlog da beže. Za njima ljutito tragaju horde gladnih i žustrih grabljivica. Kljunasti delfini love zajedno i mogu da odvoje neke sardine od glavnog jata i da naprave loptice mamaca. Teraju ribu na gore i zarobljavaju je pri površini okeana a potom se zaleću da bi obedovali ovu treperavu i pokretnu gozbu. Odmah iza njih su ajkule. Sad, većina ljudi veruje da su ajkule i delfini smrtni neprijatelji, ali tokom bega sardina oni zapravo koegzistiraju. Zapravo, delfini pomažu ajkulama da se hrane učinkovitije. Bez delfina, loptice mamaca su raštrkanije i ajkule često završe sa onim što ja zovem sardinskom krofnom, iliti ustima punim vode. Sad, iako sam imao nekoliko škakljivih momenata s ajkulama tokom bega sardina, znam da me ne vide kao plen. Međutim, dobijem koji udarac i šamar repom kao i svi drugi gosti na ovom surovom, surovom piru.
From the shores of Africa we travel east, across the vastness that is the Indian Ocean to the Maldives, an archipelago of coral islands. And during the stormy southwest monsoon, manta rays from all across the archipelago travel to a tiny speck in Baa Atoll called Hanifaru. Armies of crustaceans, most no bigger than the size of your pupils, are the mainstay of the manta ray's diet. When plankton concentrations become patchy, manta rays feed alone and they somersault themselves backwards again and again, very much like a puppy chasing its own tail.
Selimo se istočno od obala Afrike, preko prostranstva Indijskog okeana do Maldiva, arhipelaga koralnih ostrva. A tokom olujnog jugozapadnog monsuna, raže iz svih krajeva arhipelaga putuju do ove sićušne tačke u Ba Atoliju, koja se zove Hanifaru. Vojske ljuskara, većina ih nije veća od vaših zenica, glavni su izvor ražine ishrane. Kada se rasparčaju koncentracije planktona, raže se hrane same i prave salta unazad iznova i iznova, prilično liče na kuče koje juri svoj rep.
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However, when plankton densities increase, the mantas line up head-to-tail to form these long feeding chains, and any tasty morsel that escapes the first or second manta in line is surely to be gobbled up by the next or the one after. As plankton levels peak in the bay, the mantas swim closer and closer together in a unique behavior we call cyclone feeding. And as they swirl in tight formation, this multi-step column of mantas creates its own vortex, sucking in and delivering the plankton right into the mantas' cavernous mouths. The experience of diving amongst such masses of hundreds of rays is truly unforgettable.
Međutim, kad se poveća zgusnutost planktona, raže se poređaju od glave do repa kako bi obrazovale duge lance ishrane i koji god ukusni zalogaj pobegne prvoj ili drugoj raži u redu sigurno će ga dograbiti sledeća u redu ili ona posle nje. Kako nivoi planktona dostižu vrhunac u zalivu, raže se sve više i više zbijaju u jednistvenom ponašanju koje zovemo ciklonskim hranjenjem. I kako se kovitlaju u zbijene formacije, ova višestruka kolona raža stvara sopstveni vrtlog, koji usisava i isporučuje planktone direktno u ražina pećinolika usta. Iskustvo ronjenja među tolikom masom stotina raža je uistinu nezaboravno.
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When I first photographed Hanifaru, the site enjoyed no protection and was threatened by development. And working with NGOs like the Manta Trust, my images eventually helped Hanifaru become a marine-protected area. Now, fisherman from neighboring islands, they once hunted these manta rays to make traditional drums from their skins. Today, they are the most ardent conservation champions and manta rays earn the Maldivian economy in excess of 8 million dollars every single year.
Kad sam prvi put fotografisao Hanifaru, prostor nije bio zaštićen i ugrožavao ga je ljudski razvitak. Radeći s NVO, poput fonda Manta, moje slike su vremenom pomogle da Hanifaru postane zaštićeno morsko područje. Sad, ribari sa susednih ostrva su nekad lovili ove raže kako bi pravili tradicionalne bubnjeve od njihove kože. Oni su danas najrevnosniji šampioni očuvanja prirode, a raže doprinose ekonomiji Maldiva preko 8 miliona dolara svake godine.
I have always wanted to travel back in time to an era where maps were mostly blank or they read, "There be dragons." And today, the closest I've come is visiting remote atolls in the western Indian Ocean. Far, far away from shipping lanes and fishing fleets, diving into these waters is a poignant reminder of what our oceans once looked like.
Oduvek sam želeo da putujem nazad kroz vreme, u doba kad su mape bile uglavnom prazne ili je na njima pisalo: "Tu ima zmajeva". A najbliže sam se tome primakao tokom posete udaljenim koralnim ostrvima u zapadnom delu Indijskog okeana. Daleko, daleko od trasa brodova i pecaroških flota, zaranjanje u ove vode je snažno podsećanje na to kako su naši okeani nekad izgledali.
Very few people have heard of Bassas da India, a tiny speck of coral in the Mozambique Channel. Its reef forms a protective outer barrier and the inner lagoon is a nursery ground for Galapagos sharks. These sharks are anything but shy, even during the day. I had a bit of a hunch that they'd be even bolder and more abundant at night.
Nekolicina ljudi je čula za Basas da Indija, sićušno parče korala u Mozambičkom kanalu. Njegov greben obrazuje spoljnu zaštitnu barijeru a unutrašnja laguna je plodno tlo za galapagoske ajkule. Ove ajkule su sve, samo ne stidljive, čak i tokom dana. Imao sam predosećaj da će da budu čak i hrabrije i brojnije noću.
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Never before have I encountered so many sharks on a single coral outcrop. Capturing and sharing moments like this -- that reminds me why I chose my path.
Nikad pre nisam naišao na toliko ajkula na jednoj koralnoj obali. Beleženje i deljenje ovakvih trenutaka - to me podseća zašto sam odabrao ovaj put.
Earlier this year, I was on assignment for National Geographic Magazine in Baja California. And about halfway down the peninsula on the Pacific side lies San Ignacio Lagoon, a critical calving ground for gray whales. For 100 years, this coast was the scene of a wholesale slaughter, where more than 20,000 gray whales were killed, leaving only a few hundred survivors. Today the descendents of these same whales nudge their youngsters to the surface to play and even interact with us.
Ranije ove godine sam bio na zadatku za časopis "Nacionalna geografija" u Donjoj Kaliforniji. I na nekih pola puta niz poluostrvo sa pacifičke strane počiva laguna San Ignasio, kritično mesto za porađanje sivih kitova. Tokom 100 godina ova obala je bila poprište velikog pokolja, na kom je ubijeno preko 20,000 sivih kitova, preostavši svega nekoliko stotina preživelih, Danas potomci tih istih kitova podstiču svoje najmlađe da izrone i da se igraju, pa čak i da se druže s nama.
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This species truly has made a remarkable comeback.
Ova vrsta je uistinu napravila neverovatan povratak.
Now, on the other side of the peninsula lies Cabo Pulmo, a sleepy fishing village. Decades of overfishing had brought them close to collapse. In 1995, local fisherman convinced the authorities to proclaim their waters a marine reserve. But what happened next was nothing short of miraculous. In 2005, after only a single decade of protection, scientists measured the largest recovery of fish ever recorded.
Sad, s druge strane poluostrva se nalazi Kabo Pulmo, uspavano ribarsko selo. Decenije iscrpljivanja zaliha ribe su ih dovele skoro do kraha. Godine 1995, lokalni ribolovci su ubedili vlasti da proglase njihove vode zaštićenim morem. No ono što je usledilo je prosto bilo čudnovato. Godine 2005, nakon svega jedne decenije zaštite, naučnici su izmerili najveći oporavak ribe ikad zabeležen.
But don't take my word for it -- come with me. On a single breath, swim with me in deep, into one of the largest and densest schools of fish I have ever encountered.
No, nemojte da mi verujete na reč - pođite sa mnom. Jednim udahom, zaplivajte sa mnom duboko u jednu od najvećih i najgušćih ribljih naseobina na koje sam ikad naišao.
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We all have the ability to be creators of hope. And through my photography, I want to pass on the message that it is not too late for our oceans. And particularly, I want to focus on nature's resilience in the face of 7.3 billion people.
Svi imamo mogućnost da budemo tvorci nade. A svojim fotografijama želim da prenesem poruku da nije prekasno za naše okeane. A naročito želim da se usredsredim na otpornost prirode suočene sa 7,3 milijarde ljudi.
My hope is that in the future, I will have to search much, much harder to make photographs like this, while creating images that showcase our respectful coexistence with the ocean. Those will hopefully become an everyday occurrence for me.
Nadam se da ću u budućnosti morati da tragam mnogo, mnogo više da bih napravio ovakve fotografije, istovremeno praveći slike koje prikazuju naš saživot s okeanom ispunjen poštovanjem. Nadam se da će to da postane moja svakodnevica.
To thrive and survive in my profession, you really have to be a hopeless optimist. And I always operate on the assumption that the next great picture that will effect change is right around the corner, behind the next coral head, inside the next lagoon or possibly, in the one after it.
Kako biste uspeli i preživeli u mojoj profesiji, zaista morate da budete beznadežni optimista. A ja uvek krećem od pretpostavke da je sledeća važna slika, koja će da utiče na promene, odmah tu iza ugla, iza narednog koralnog vrha, unutar sledeće lagune ili, pak, u onoj posle nje.
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