Story Behind the Shot "Angry Sepiola"

Giacomo Giovannini shares the story behind his Ocean Art category-winning image

By Giacomo Giovannini

Story Behind the Shot "Angry Sepiola"

Giacomo Giovannini shares the story behind his Ocean Art category-winning image

Text and Photos By Giacomo Giovannini

This "angry" squid, Sepiola rondeleti (also known as the Dwarf Bobtail Squid) is a species of bobtail squid native to the Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, including the Adriatic Sea. Females grow to 60mm in mantle length (though usually from 40 to 50mm), while males are not known to exceed 25 mm. It is a nocturnal species, and lives mainly in areas with sandy or muddy bottoms where it can bury itself during the day.

This shot was taken in Trieste, Italy, in the northern Adriatic Sea. Shot in April on a night dive with friends, the water water temperature was 15 ∞C.

No sepiolas were seen during the day dives since they were likely hidden under the mud, but during the night dive I found 2 squids. Maybe they approached each other for mating or fighting, but maybe it was just circumstance - I don't know.

Few seconds later, now being illuminated, one of them quickly swam away. Luckily the second one did not and I started to follow it and take some shots, waiting for an interesting posture and good shot angle.

At the beginning, the squid was swimming on the bottom over the mud and between algae. Finally it detached from the mud, and I realized that the right moment was coming with the squid in the open water, looking right at the camera and tentacles collected and in a ready position. So I started to take more shots!

View the gear Giacomo used, settings and the Ocean Art prize he won

More Incredible Bobtail Squid Photos from Giacomo

Sepiola sequence 1

Sepiola sequence 2

Sepiola sequence 3

View all the Ocean Art winning images

About the Author

My name is Giacomo Giovannini. I was born in 1984 in Rimini, Italy - on the Adriatic Sea. I studied and graduated in Computer Engineering, but I found the "scuba world" in 2010 with sport club "Sub Rimini Gian Neri", where I've reached the certification level CMAS ***.

From my first dives, the desire to take photographs was powerful. I shoot underwater with a compact camera and housing, equipped with flashes and a macro lens, and recently starting also shooting with DSLR equipment. You can view my website at: www.giacomogiovannini.com.

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