“Saupes Run” in Marseille

Delicately placed at a depth of 15m. The nose in the screen of my camera, I am absorbed by a lilliputian of the sea. From memory, it was a nudibranch, one of those small sea slugs with multiple colors which abound our Mediterranean dives. As long as you are interested in them, they are not that hard to find. However, in this moment of extreme concentration, a sudden drop in ambient light stopped me dead in the "action".

As if the sky was suddenly veiled by this beautiful yet imperturbable weather. As I rolled my eyes, a spectacle of a different magnitude took shape before me… A school of fish of an almost indescribable size was advancing above me, and extended for several tens of meters in length… Hundreds , what am I saying, thousands of saupes had gathered to form a ball of fish as it is rare to see in the Mediterranean!

Photo: Anthony Leydet

The saupe, of its scientific name Sarpa salpa, is one of the most common species on the shallows of the Provençal coasts and more generally in the Mediterranean. Anyone can see it, both snorkelers and divers, and sometimes it is enough to look underwater for a few seconds with a mask to see it. With her silver dress and fine yellow lines, you don't have to be a connoisseur to recognize her. From the Sparidae family, it is, unlike closely related species such as sea bream or sea bream, much less famous in terms of taste. This is largely due to his diet. Saupe is herbivorous and feeds almost exclusively on algae and Posidonia. Giving it a less savory taste than carnivorous fish. At certain times, its flesh can even have hallucinogenic properties, due to the presence of toxins from algae it consumes. It seems that it is thus possible to “shoot” yourself by eating fish!

Photo: Anthony Leydet

This first extraordinary meeting dates a few years now, it was in 2011. But at the end of summer 2017, the show repeated itself. The most incredible thing is that I had the chance to once again attend this rare spectacle in exactly the same place, on the Côte-Bleue, near Marseille. Same dive site. A real cloud of fish appeared and I relived with the same emotion a scene worthy of an animal documentary. The ball formed in the open water began to literally sink to the bottom, and in an instant, the sensation of seeing a rain of saupes falling on the seaweed and posidonia covered bottom. And here they are, grazing around, acting like real lawn mowers. This is also somewhat the effect they have on Posidonia meadows. Like a lawn that is regularly mowed to make it more beautiful and vigorous, these herbivorous fish are a boon for Posidonia, and do not represent a threat. As if they were busy maintaining their garden, saupes graze only a very short time in one place, and reform their bench quite quickly. A few tens of meters further, they will start their vertical ballet again… It is then time for me to turn back. Happy to see such a generous Mediterranean!

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Photo: Anthony Leydet

Text, photos and video:
Anthony Leydet - Naturalist Diver & Photographer - Underwater Stock Photos www.zesea.com