In a river

Text and photos Paweł Vogelsinger

Co-operation Beata Konowrocka

The world of water has attracted me since my childhood. Sitt ing by the river was a favourite way of spending free time. I caught various water creatures into the jar, and then I spent a long time observing them. However, the fish were always in the centre of attention – too agile and clever to be easily captured. Then came the time for fishing and joy with each successful catch. As a rule, I did not take the fish with me, most of them made it back into the water. The idea was to watch them and enjoy myself with their closeness.

Over time, I became convinced that fishing does not give me satisfaction. Fish only as a trophy on the hook? For me it was too trivial. To experience direct contact with live fish, to touch, to caress, to know the world in which they live – it was all my desire. I became fascinated by aquariums, thanks to which I could have them within easy reach. But it did not give me full satisfaction.

Then came the idea of a literal immersion into the world that fascinated me. I discovered scuba diving. At the same time, I developed my passion for filming, for recording through the lens those ephemeral moments, exceptional experiences which came my way. To see marine life up close, and above all, participate in it, it was finally a dream come true. The long-awaited time has come when the rivers began to reveal their secrets to me…

People often react with astonishment, when they hear that I dive in rivers and actually… in the shallows. They are inhabited mainly by small species. What can be exciting about it? It could seem that great things are more interesting than small things.

Chub

Diving in shallow rivers can provide nature lovers with many attractions. The views make us delighted, particularly where rivers flow through wild, wooded areas.

Animals with impressive sizes. Huge, open spaces. Vast depths. Certainly it all does impress. But my imagination is more awakened by what is small and inconspicuous.

On a big thing you can see every detail. Mini and micro have their secrets, invisible at first glance. I noticed that small fish are often overlooked and undervalued. And yet, any little thing is an important part of the entire ecosystem, without it, larger species could not exist. Everything makes a coherent whole.

Diving in shallow rivers can provide nature lovers with many attractions. The views make us delighted, particularly where rivers flow through wild, wooded areas. Observations start from the first moment of arrival. With good water transparency already from the shore, you can see what awaits us after immersion. Watching the water also brings a lot of surprises, such as the fish collecting food, river-side vegetation and insects circulating around it. With a little luck you may also come across larger animals living in this environment, such as otters, beavers, various species of birds.

After immersing and covering a long stretch of the river, a great variety of underwater landscape – both the vegetation and the river bed – will surely surprise you. I love the rivers due to their unpredictability, the diversity of biotopes, the richness of species of fauna and flora. Apart from fish you can encounter a variety of micro-organisms. From the barely visible plankton through a variety of crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic larvae to such curiosities as freshwater sponges and predatory plants. The opportunity to discover rare and protected specimens is great!

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

Alpine bullhead

Tench

The great advantage of the river diving is the fact that this form of activity is available almost for everyone. It does not require time-consuming preparations, expensive equipment, long distance travel or special skills. Usually, a mask and a tube are enough, but it is worth getting a thin wet suit. In mountain rivers, or during cold seasons, the water can be very cold.

It is quite frequent to have a direct contact with the smaller fish. Those who dive on a regular basis will have the opportunity to virtually participate in their lives and will observe the way of feeding, the relationships between species, the migration of large herds. The extremely patient divers will have a chance to witness such amazing events like predation, defence of territory, spawning, breeding, and even the entire development cycle of each species.

Fans of big fish will also be satisfied. They have the opportunity to meet with them in numerous holes, under the branches of windblown trees, in a thicket of lush vegetation. I managed to see fairly sizable chub and perch, which being curious came close to the camera. Tenches that feed on zeba mussel, greylings struggling with a rapid current of water. I have witnessed such spectacular performances as the hunting of pikes.

Rudds

Diving in the shallows of rivers has given me the ability to watch many interesting and rare species of fish, among others, schneiders, Kessler’s gudgeons, stone loaches, Balkan loaches, European bullheads. Beyond the cognitive aspects (observations bring me a lot of satisfaction and, above all, help to broaden knowledge) the aesthetic experiences are of great importance to me. It is hard to describe how wonderful experience it is to find oneself among the swarm of hundreds of beautifully colourful common minnows or look at river lampreys during spawning. Before my eyes was a bewitching spectacle whose climax is a male dance around the female, culminating in an amorous embrace. Entwined with the male she is aroused to deposit eggs, which the male wraps. A one-of-a-kind event for me was hand-feeding wild fish. They were not at all afraid, passing between my fingers, and even allowing me to capture them in the palm of my hand.

It is worth mentioning that the diving in shallow rivers gives me the perfect conditions for filming. The lens gets enough natural light for the image to be in focus and look naturally. However, during deep sea diving visibility is limited or almost zero, so you have to use artificial light. Light in large quantities also affects the ability to admire a variety of vegetation, which in these conditions is growing expansively.

Although the fish are at the centre of my attention, I have the soul of the explorer and every curiosity associated with the aquatic environment gives me a lot of joy. In Piława and Rurzyca rivers I managed to track the phenomenal freshwater sponges –

River lamprey

It is quite frequent to have a direct contact with the smaller fish. Those who dive on a regular basis will have the opportunity to virtually participate in their lives…

Female minnow

their colonies create a very interesting, slightly dark landscape. I came across bladderworts – an unusual plant which feeds on insects. I watched the predatory larvae of dragonflies that are able to attack even young fishes.

I know that I still have a lot of new discoveries ahead. Water of the rivers is an inexhaustible treasure trove. I encourage you to check! I hope that after hearing my story, diving in rivers will never seem boring to anybody, especially as it enriches our knowledge of the native waters. Sometimes we look for adventures in distant countries and we dream about visiting exotic places. Meanwhile, a nearby small river can provide us with equally intense experiences, or at least many relaxing moments in the bosom of nature. As the old proverb says, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"…