PORTFOLIO Two oceans, all angles

Marine conservation photographer Jean Tresfon shows us a Cape Town few people will ever experience. Going both deep below the surface of the sea and up into the skies in a gyrocopter, he presents a fresh perspective on the Mother City

Every summer feeding humpback whales numbering hundreds (also known as supergroups), gather off the Cape coastline to feed on krill in our nutrient-rich waters. As part of a documentary film crew, with a permit from the Department of Environmental Affairs, Jean had the privilege of diving into the middle of a feeding supergroup to document the action. Although the water was clean, visibility was very limited inside the krill patch and without warning he was surrounded by nearly 50 whales, massive mouths wide open as they engulfed mouthfuls of the tiny crustaceans. Trying to remain calm, avoiding being swallowed, and finding some order within the chaos to compose a shot, wasn’t easy.

About the Photographer

Jean Tresfon is a Cape Townbased marine-conservation photographer specialising in underwater and aerial images. He is both a qualified diver and a pilot, spending much of his time either underwater or in the skies. Jean’s passion is showcasing both his city and his country as a superb photographic destination for capturing alluring and unusual wildlife images. It’s his belief that the official lack of protection for many of our underwater ecosystems stems from their inaccessibility and an out-ofsight-out-of-mind mentality. He hopes that images like these will inspire more people to visit and conserve beautiful places and their inhabitants.

how he got the shots

The underwater shots were all taken using Nikon cameras inside Nauticam underwater housings with lighting provided by Sea & Sea and Inon underwater strobe lights. Some images were shot free diving and others with scuba gear.

The aerial shots were all taken from his open-cockpit Autogyro MTOsport gyrocopter. Jean shoots with a handheld Nikon SLR camera while flying either one-handed or with his knees when conditions allow.

ABOVE After a big swell and high tide, the lagoon on Noordhoek Beach fills with seawater. It eventually turns a rusty brown colour, which made for a remarkable abstract aerial view.

BELOW Jean travelled far offshore from Cape Point into the warm blue waters of the Agulhas Current to spend several hours surrounded by blue sharks, like this one pictured with a pilot fish.

BELOW The kelp forests of Cape Point are a habitat filled with life and colour. Apart from the plentiful urchins, it’s possible to see a huge variety of fish and shark species on a single dive.

ABOVE The trek-net fishermen at Strandfontein have strict permit conditions which limit them to human-powered boats. Rowing their heavy nets out through the surf requires skill and timing.

Roman Rock Lighthouse in False Bay is the only lighthouse in South Africa built on a rock that is awash at high tide. Building started in 1861 and took four years, as fierce winds and seas allowed only 96 working days during this period. Originally two keepers manned the lighthouse and rotated every seven days, while a third keeper remained on shore. In 1914, the mechanism was replaced and the tower was no longer manned. The South African Navy requested it to be electrified in 1992, as it was being overshadowed by the lights from the shore. This aerial image shows the sort of conditions the original keepers were subjected to.

Duiker Island near Hout Bay is a fantastic place to dive with and photograph Cape fur seals. Most people only ever see these charismatic animals on land where they appear clumsy and slow. But in water, they are liquid motion itself, zooming around in an amazing display of flexibility, grace and speed. On days with a bigger swell, the waves break with lots of white water and the seals seem to really enjoy playing in the surf.