A S ON O F T H E A

This month we talk to Mohamed Abdulla Al Musallami, a diver from Dubai descended from a family of pearl divers and fshermen. With the ocean is in his blood, he started free diving and spear fshing from an early age, and developed his skills from there.

M O ha M e D s TarT e D underwater photography in 2008, and has since won several awards and published internationally. His eye-catching and distinctive style is aimed at pushing the limits of how photographers represent life below the waves.

How did you get into diving and ocean photography?

As a very enthusiastic diver I used to dive every single day in Dubai and the beautiful islands of Abu Dhabi, and on weekends I would go to the magnificent Gulf of Oman where I got to see things that not everyone has a chance to see. Afterwards I would go to my friends and tell them, “I saw a thousand bigeye jacks,” or, “I saw a sun fish!“ or, “A school of golden trevallies swam circles around me, and they were so close I could almost touch them!” Many times they wouldn’t believe me, so that’s when I started saving for my very first underwater camera.

Can you tell us about an experience which stands out in your memory?

A very long time ago I was fishing with my uncle in Oman, and when the fish in the first fishing spot where not cooperating we decided to move to the next one, that’s when we noticed that the anchor was stuck! So my uncle asked me to freedive down to release it. So I jumped in, dived down, released the anchor, looked up and I saw something as big as the 36ft speedboat right above me. Something that was shaped like a shark and was white from the bottom! I stayed put until it passed, then I slowly swam up and noticed the white spots on the back, thank god it’s a whale shark. In a split second my emotions shifted from fear to extreme excitement! I rushed to the boat and yelled “CAMERA” and swam along with the gentle giant.

ﺐﻫذأ ،ﺔﻴﻋﻮﺒﺳ ا ﺔﻠﻄﻌﻟا ﻲﻓو ﻻ ﻲﺘﻟا ﻂﻴﺤﻤﻟا راﺮﺳأ ﻦﻣ ﺮﻴﺜﻜﻟا ﺖﻳأر ﺚﻴﺣ ﻊﺋاﺮﻟا ﻰﻟإ ﺐﻫذأ ﻢﺛ ﺎﻬﺘﻳؤر ﺔﺻﺮﻓ ﻰﻠﻋ نوﺮﻴﺜﻜﻟا ﻞﺼﺤﻳ - ﻎﻴﺑ ﺔﻜﻤﺳ ﻒﻟأ ﺖﻳأر ﺪﻘﻟ ” ﻢﻬﻟ لﻮﻗأو ﻲﺑﺎﺤﺻأ مﺎﻗ ” وأ ، ﺲﻤﺸﻟا ﺔﻜﻤﺳ ﺖﻳأر ” وأ

ﺎﻧﺮﺒﺨﺗ ﻼﻫ ﻲﻓ ﻲﻤﻋ ﻊﻣ دﺎﻄﺻأ ﺖﻨﻛ ﺪﺟ ﻞﻳﻮﻃ ﺖﻗو ﺬﻨﻣ ،هﺎﻧﺮﺘﺧا يﺬﻟا ﻊﻗﻮﻤﻟا ﻲﻓ ﻖﻓﻮﻧ ﻢﻟ ﺎﻣﺪﻨﻋو ،نﺎﻤﻋ ةﺎﺳﺮﻤﻟا نأ ﺎﻫﺪﻨﻋ ﺎﻨﻔﺸﺘﻛﺎﻓ ،ﺎﻨﻌﻗﻮﻣ ﻞﻳﺪﺒﺗ ﺎﻧر ﺮﻗ فﺪﻬﺑ ﺲﻄﻏأ نأ ﻲﻤﻋ ﻲﻨﻣ ﺐﻠﻄﻓ ! ﺔﻘﻟﺎﻋ ﺖﻧﺎﻛ ﺖﺴﻄﻏ ،اﺬﻜﻫو ك ّ ﺮﺤﺘﻟا ﻊﻴﻄﺘﺴﻧ ﻰﺘﺣ ﺎﻫﺮﻳﺮﺤﺗ ﺖﻌﻠﻄﺗ ﻢﺛ ةﺎﺳﺮﻤﻟا ﺮﻳﺮﺤﺘﺑ ﺖﻤﻗو ﻲﺘ ّ ﻤﻬﻣ ﻲﻓ مﺪﻗ 36 لﻮﻄﺑ برﺎﻗ ﻢﺠﺤﺑ ءﻲﺸﺑ اذﺈﻓ قﻮﻓ ﻰﻟإ ﺾﻴﺑأ ﻪﻨﻄﺑو شﺮﻘﻟﺎﺑ ﻪﻴﺒﺷ ءﻲﺷ ﻲﻗﻮﻓ ﻮﻔﻄﻳ ﻼﻴﻠﻗ ﺪﻌﺘﺑا ﻰﺘﺣ ﻲﻧﺎﻜﻣ ﻲﻓ ﺘﺒﺜﻣ ﺖﻴﻘﺑ !! نﻮﻠﻟا ﻰﻠﻋ ءﺎﻀﻴﺒﻟا ﻊﻘﺒﻟا ﺖﻳأرو ﺢﻄﺴﻟا ﻰﻟإ ﺖﺤﺒﺳ ﻢﺛ يﺮﻋﺎﺸﻣ ،شﺮﻘﻟا تﻮﺣ نﺎﻛ ﻪﻧأ ﺪﻤﺤﻟا هﺮﻬﻇ ﻰﻟإ ﺖﻋﺮﺳأ سﺎﻤﺤﻟا ﻰﻟإ فﻮﺨﻟا ﻦﻣ ﻣﺎﻤﺗ تﺮﻴﻐﺗ ﺐﻧﺎﺟ ﻰﻟإ ﺖﺤﺒﺳ ﻢﺛ “ اﺮﻴﻣﺎﻛ

What advice do you have for anyone who is interested in the ocean?

A lot of people say they love the ocean despite the fact that they are not divers, they love to relax by the beach with the soft white sand and rich blue colour of the water, the hypnotizing sound of the waves putting them to sleep. As magical as it may sound, it’s not even close to how beautiful the ocean really is. Being an ocean lover who does not dive is like someone who enjoys the view of circus tent from the outside; they are missing the fun part!

My advice to everyone is to get to know the real planet earth, everything on the surface is nothing but 21% of the planet, the other 71% of the “real world” is underwater and you can only have access to it if you become a diver.

What is the place you’d most like to dive, but never have?

The Arctic –I know that sounds weird coming from someone who lives in the desert. The challenge of diving in freezing water is so tempting, to be able to do that and photograph the amazing creatures that live their whole lives in this impossible environment is a dream that I hope will come true one day, and that day should be soon as the Arctic is sadly melting because of global warming and will not wait for long.