Dive into an ocean photographer's world | Thomas Peschak

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

As a kid, I used to dream about the ocean.

Kao dečak sam sanjao okean.

It was this wild place full of color and life,

Bila je to nekakva divljina puna boja i života,

home to these alien-looking, fantastical creatures.

dom za ta vanzemaljska, bajkovita stvorenja.

I pictured big sharks ruling the food chain

Zamišljao sam ajkule kako vladaju lancem ishrane

and saw graceful sea turtles dancing across coral reefs.

i video sam ljupke morske kornjače kako plešu po koralnim grebenima.

As a marine biologist turned photographer,

Kao morski biolog, koji je postao fotograf,

I've spent most of my career looking for places

proveo sam veći deo moje karijere tragajući za mestima

as magical as those I used to dream about when I was little.

jednako magičnim kao ona o kojima sam kao dete maštao.

As you can see,

Kao što vidite,

I began exploring bodies of water at a fairly young age.

počeo sam da istražujem vodene prostore prilično rano.

But the first time I truly went underwater,

Međutim, prvi put sam uistinu zaronio

I was about 10 years old.

kad mi je bilo oko 10 godina.

And I can still vividly remember furiously finning

I još uvek se živo sećam kako žestoko perajam

to reach this old, encrusted cannon on a shallow coral reef.

da bi dosegao taj stari, okoštali rog na plitkom koralnom grebenu.

And when I finally managed to grab hold of it,

Kad sam konačno uspeo da se uhvatim za njega,

I looked up, and I was instantly surrounded by fish

podigao sam pogled i momentalno sam bio okružen ribama

in all colors of the rainbow.

u svim duginim bojama.

That was the day I fell in love with the ocean.

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,

Tokom 40 godina na ovoj planeti,

I've had the great privilege to explore

imao sam veliku čast da istražujem

some of its most incredible seascapes

neke od najneverovatnijih morskih pejzaža

for National Geographic Magazine

za časopis "Nacionalna geografija"

and the Save Our Seas Foundation.

i za fondaciju Spasimo naša mora.

I've photographed everything from really, really big sharks

Fotografisao sam sve od zaista, zaista velikih ajkula

to dainty ones that fit in the palm of your hand.

do onih delikatnih koje vam stanu na dlan ruke.

I've smelled the fishy, fishy breath of humpback whales

Mirisao sam smrdljivi riblji zadah grbavih kitova

feeding just feet away from me

koji su se hranili tik do mene

in the cold seas off Canada's Great Bear Rainforest.

u hladnim morima pored kanadske kišne šume Veliki medved.

And I've been privy to the mating rituals of green sea turtles

Bio sam svedok rituala parenja zelenih morskih kornjača

in the Mozambique Channel.

u Mozambičkom kanalu.

Everyone on this planet affects and is affected by the ocean.

Svi na ovoj planeti utiču na okean i on utiče na sve.

And the pristine seas I used to dream of as a child

A netaknuta mora o kojima sam maštao kao dete

are becoming harder and harder to find.

je sve teže i teže pronaći.

They are becoming more compressed

Sve su zbijenija

and more threatened.

i ugroženija.

As we humans continue to maintain our role

Dok mi ljudi i dalje održavamo našu ulogu

as the leading predator on earth,

vodeće grabljivice na zemlji,

I've witnessed and photographed many of these ripple effects firsthand.

posvedočio sam i fotografisao iz prve ruke mnoge od ovih efekata domina.

For a long time, I thought I had to shock my audience

Dugo sam smatrao da moram da uzdrmam publiku

out of their indifference with disturbing images.

iz njihove ravnodušnosti uznemirujućim prizorima.

And while this approach has merits,

Iako ovaj pristup ima svoje prednosti,

I have come full circle.

napravio sam pun krug.

I believe that the best way for me to effect change

Verujem da je najbolji način da utičem na promene

is to sell love.

tako što ću da prodajem ljubav.

I guess I'm a matchmaker of sorts

Valjda sam nekakav provodadžija

and as a photographer,

i kao fotograf

I have the rare opportunity

imam nesvakidašnju mogućnost

to reveal animals and entire ecosystems

da otkrivam životinje i čitave ekosisteme

that lie hidden beneath the ocean's surface.

koji leže skriveni ispod površine okeana.

You can't love something and become a champion for it

Ne možete da volite nešto i da njime ovladate,

if you don't know it exists.

ako ne znate za njegovo postojanje.

Uncovering this -- that is the power of conservation photography.

Razotkrivanje ovoga - to je moć fotografije očuvanja prirode.

(Music)

(Muzika)

I've visited hundreds of marine locations,

Posetio sam na stotine morskih lokacija,

but there are a handful of seascapes

ali postoji nekoliko morskih pejzaža

that have touched me incredibly deeply.

koji su me dotakli neverovatno duboko.

The first time I experienced that kind of high

Prvi put sam iskusio taj vid ushita

was about 10 years ago,

pre otprilike 10 godina,

off South Africa's rugged, wild coast.

blizu južnoafričke hrapave, divlje obale.

And every June and July,

A svakog juna i jula,

enormous shoals of sardines travel northwards

ogromna jata sardina putuju ka severu

in a mass migration we call the Sardine Run.

u masovnim migracijama koje zovemo begom sardina.

And boy, do those fish have good reason to run.

I, čoveče, ala te sardine imaju razlog da beže.

In hot pursuit are hoards of hungry and agile predators.

Za njima ljutito tragaju horde gladnih i žustrih grabljivica.

Common dolphins hunt together

Kljunasti delfini love zajedno

and they can separate some of the sardines from the main shoal

i mogu da odvoje neke sardine od glavnog jata

and they create bait balls.

i da naprave loptice mamaca.

They drive and trap the fish upward against the ocean surface

Teraju ribu na gore i zarobljavaju je pri površini okeana

and then they rush in to dine

a potom se zaleću da bi obedovali

on this pulsating and movable feast.

ovu treperavu i pokretnu gozbu.

Close behind are sharks.

Odmah iza njih su ajkule.

Now, most people believe

Sad, većina ljudi veruje

that sharks and dolphins are these mortal enemies,

da su ajkule i delfini smrtni neprijatelji,

but during the Sardine Run, they actually coexist.

ali tokom bega sardina oni zapravo koegzistiraju.

In fact, dolphins actually help sharks feed more effectively.

Zapravo, delfini pomažu ajkulama da se hrane učinkovitije.

Without dolphins, the bait balls are more dispersed

Bez delfina, loptice mamaca su raštrkanije

and sharks often end up with what I call a sardine donut,

i ajkule često završe sa onim što ja zovem sardinskom krofnom,

or a mouth full of water.

iliti ustima punim vode.

Now, while I've had a few spicy moments with sharks on the sardine run,

Sad, iako sam imao nekoliko škakljivih momenata s ajkulama tokom bega sardina,

I know they don't see me as prey.

znam da me ne vide kao plen.

However, I get bumped and tail-slapped just like any other guest

Međutim, dobijem koji udarac i šamar repom kao i svi drugi gosti

at this rowdy, rowdy banquet.

na ovom surovom, surovom piru.

From the shores of Africa we travel east,

Selimo se istočno od obala Afrike,

across the vastness that is the Indian Ocean

preko prostranstva Indijskog okeana

to the Maldives, an archipelago of coral islands.

do Maldiva, arhipelaga koralnih ostrva.

And during the stormy southwest monsoon,

A tokom olujnog jugozapadnog monsuna,

manta rays from all across the archipelago

raže iz svih krajeva arhipelaga

travel to a tiny speck in Baa Atoll called Hanifaru.

putuju do ove sićušne tačke u Ba Atoliju, koja se zove Hanifaru.

Armies of crustaceans,

Vojske ljuskara,

most no bigger than the size of your pupils,

većina ih nije veća od vaših zenica,

are the mainstay of the manta ray's diet.

glavni su izvor ražine ishrane.

When plankton concentrations become patchy,

Kada se rasparčaju koncentracije planktona,

manta rays feed alone

raže se hrane same

and they somersault themselves backwards again and again,

i prave salta unazad iznova i iznova,

very much like a puppy chasing its own tail.

prilično liče na kuče koje juri svoj rep.

(Music)

(Muzika)

However, when plankton densities increase,

Međutim, kad se poveća zgusnutost planktona,

the mantas line up head-to-tail to form these long feeding chains,

raže se poređaju od glave do repa kako bi obrazovale duge lance ishrane

and any tasty morsel that escapes the first or second manta in line

i koji god ukusni zalogaj pobegne prvoj ili drugoj raži u redu

is surely to be gobbled up by the next or the one after.

sigurno će ga dograbiti sledeća u redu ili ona posle nje.

As plankton levels peak in the bay,

Kako nivoi planktona dostižu vrhunac u zalivu,

the mantas swim closer and closer together

raže se sve više i više zbijaju

in a unique behavior we call cyclone feeding.

u jednistvenom ponašanju koje zovemo ciklonskim hranjenjem.

And as they swirl in tight formation,

I kako se kovitlaju u zbijene formacije,

this multi-step column of mantas

ova višestruka kolona raža

creates its own vortex, sucking in and delivering the plankton

stvara sopstveni vrtlog, koji usisava i isporučuje planktone

right into the mantas' cavernous mouths.

direktno u ražina pećinolika usta.

The experience of diving amongst such masses of hundreds of rays

Iskustvo ronjenja među tolikom masom stotina raža

is truly unforgettable.

je uistinu nezaboravno.

(Music)

(Muzika)

When I first photographed Hanifaru,

Kad sam prvi put fotografisao Hanifaru,

the site enjoyed no protection

prostor nije bio zaštićen

and was threatened by development.

i ugrožavao ga je ljudski razvitak.

And working with NGOs like the Manta Trust,

Radeći s NVO, poput fonda Manta,

my images eventually helped Hanifaru

moje slike su vremenom pomogle da Hanifaru

become a marine-protected area.

postane zaštićeno morsko područje.

Now, fisherman from neighboring islands,

Sad, ribari sa susednih ostrva

they once hunted these manta rays

su nekad lovili ove raže

to make traditional drums from their skins.

kako bi pravili tradicionalne bubnjeve od njihove kože.

Today, they are the most ardent conservation champions

Oni su danas najrevnosniji šampioni očuvanja prirode,

and manta rays earn the Maldivian economy

a raže doprinose ekonomiji Maldiva

in excess of 8 million dollars every single year.

preko 8 miliona dolara svake godine.

I have always wanted to travel back in time

Oduvek sam želeo da putujem nazad kroz vreme,

to an era where maps were mostly blank

u doba kad su mape bile uglavnom prazne

or they read, "There be dragons."

ili je na njima pisalo: "Tu ima zmajeva".

And today, the closest I've come is visiting remote atolls

A najbliže sam se tome primakao tokom posete udaljenim koralnim ostrvima

in the western Indian Ocean.

u zapadnom delu Indijskog okeana.

Far, far away from shipping lanes and fishing fleets,

Daleko, daleko od trasa brodova i pecaroških flota,

diving into these waters is a poignant reminder

zaranjanje u ove vode je snažno podsećanje

of what our oceans once looked like.

na to kako su naši okeani nekad izgledali.

Very few people have heard of Bassas da India,

Nekolicina ljudi je čula za Basas da Indija,

a tiny speck of coral in the Mozambique Channel.

sićušno parče korala u Mozambičkom kanalu.

Its reef forms a protective outer barrier

Njegov greben obrazuje spoljnu zaštitnu barijeru

and the inner lagoon is a nursery ground

a unutrašnja laguna je plodno tlo

for Galapagos sharks.

za galapagoske ajkule.

These sharks are anything but shy, even during the day.

Ove ajkule su sve, samo ne stidljive, čak i tokom dana.

I had a bit of a hunch that they'd be even bolder

Imao sam predosećaj da će da budu čak i hrabrije

and more abundant at night.

i brojnije noću.

(Music)

(Muzika)

Never before have I encountered

Nikad pre nisam naišao

so many sharks on a single coral outcrop.

na toliko ajkula na jednoj koralnoj obali.

Capturing and sharing moments like this --

Beleženje i deljenje ovakvih trenutaka -

that reminds me why I chose my path.

to me podseća zašto sam odabrao ovaj put.

Earlier this year, I was on assignment for National Geographic Magazine

Ranije ove godine sam bio na zadatku za časopis "Nacionalna geografija"

in Baja California.

u Donjoj Kaliforniji.

And about halfway down the peninsula on the Pacific side

I na nekih pola puta niz poluostrvo sa pacifičke strane

lies San Ignacio Lagoon,

počiva laguna San Ignasio,

a critical calving ground for gray whales.

kritično mesto za porađanje sivih kitova.

For 100 years, this coast was the scene of a wholesale slaughter,

Tokom 100 godina ova obala je bila poprište velikog pokolja,

where more than 20,000 gray whales were killed,

na kom je ubijeno preko 20,000 sivih kitova,

leaving only a few hundred survivors.

preostavši svega nekoliko stotina preživelih,

Today the descendents of these same whales

Danas potomci tih istih kitova

nudge their youngsters to the surface

podstiču svoje najmlađe da izrone

to play and even interact with us.

i da se igraju, pa čak i da se druže s nama.

(Music)

(Muzika)

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,

Sad, s druge strane poluostrva se nalazi Kabo Pulmo,

a sleepy fishing village.

uspavano ribarsko selo.

Decades of overfishing had brought them close to collapse.

Decenije iscrpljivanja zaliha ribe su ih dovele skoro do kraha.

In 1995, local fisherman convinced the authorities

Godine 1995, lokalni ribolovci su ubedili vlasti

to proclaim their waters a marine reserve.

da proglase njihove vode zaštićenim morem.

But what happened next was nothing short of miraculous.

No ono što je usledilo je prosto bilo čudnovato.

In 2005, after only a single decade of protection,

Godine 2005, nakon svega jedne decenije zaštite,

scientists measured the largest recovery of fish ever recorded.

naučnici su izmerili najveći oporavak ribe ikad zabeležen.

But don't take my word for it -- come with me.

No, nemojte da mi verujete na reč - pođite sa mnom.

On a single breath, swim with me in deep,

Jednim udahom, zaplivajte sa mnom duboko

into one of the largest and densest schools of fish

u jednu od najvećih i najgušćih ribljih naseobina

I have ever encountered.

na koje sam ikad naišao.

(Music)

(Muzika)

We all have the ability to be creators of hope.

Svi imamo mogućnost da budemo tvorci nade.

And through my photography,

A svojim fotografijama

I want to pass on the message that it is not too late for our oceans.

želim da prenesem poruku da nije prekasno za naše okeane.

And particularly, I want to focus on nature's resilience

A naročito želim da se usredsredim na otpornost prirode

in the face of 7.3 billion people.

suočene sa 7,3 milijarde ljudi.

My hope is that in the future,

Nadam se da ću u budućnosti

I will have to search much, much harder

morati da tragam mnogo, mnogo više

to make photographs like this,

da bih napravio ovakve fotografije,

while creating images that showcase

istovremeno praveći slike koje prikazuju

our respectful coexistence with the ocean.

naš saživot s okeanom ispunjen poštovanjem.

Those will hopefully become an everyday occurrence for me.

Nadam se da će to da postane moja svakodnevica.

To thrive and survive in my profession,

Kako biste uspeli i preživeli u mojoj profesiji,

you really have to be a hopeless optimist.

zaista morate da budete beznadežni optimista.

And I always operate on the assumption

A ja uvek krećem od pretpostavke

that the next great picture that will effect change

da je sledeća važna slika, koja će da utiče na promene,

is right around the corner,

odmah tu iza ugla,

behind the next coral head,

iza narednog koralnog vrha,

inside the next lagoon

unutar sledeće lagune

or possibly, in the one after it.

ili, pak, u onoj posle nje.

(Music)

(Muzika)