El Hierro Open Fotosub 2013

Peter Rowlands · Issue 75, Nov/Dec 2013 · pp. 42–47

I was delighted when I was invited to be a judge at the 17th Open Fotosub in El Hierro this October. A few days in a warm climate with the prospect of clear water diving at a time when the British summer was showing signs of moving into autumn with darker nights and uncertain weather, I jumped at the chance. El Hierro is the smallest island in the Canarias chain just of the east coast of Africa; more famous for the tourist magnets of Tenerife and Lanzarote. As with all the islands in this chain it is of ‘v’ origin. I use the word ‘v’ because I don’t want to spell it out in full and put you off going to this delightful island in case a ‘v’ goes off as it did a couple of years ago but it was underwater at a depth of around 300 metres. When it had spent its force a new seamount had been created which rises up to 90 metres; a shame it couldn’t have gone a bit higher and created an amazing ne…