The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

This was Leo's first real voyage at sea, and he was very excited.

They were full of fighting spirit from the very first step of pushing the boat.

Rosalia's wooden boats are the smallest you can find in Sicily, just over four meters long and one meter wide, just the right size for one person.

Pushing it into the sea was quite strenuous for Rosalia, but not difficult for a grown man.

It was indeed difficult at first, but it became easier once we got into the seawater.

Once most of the hull had floated up and was free from resistance, Leo quickened his pace.

Thinking it was about time, he pushed forward with all his might, then braced himself with one hand and jumped stylishly onto the deck.

As the boat rocked violently, he stomped on the bow and shouted in a childish, over-the-top manner:

"set sail!"

Starting today, my journey to become the supreme ruler of the Sicilian seas officially begins!

A gentle breeze blew, blowing Leo's hair back and revealing his stunning profile.

The swaying of the boat from side to side added an unexpected touch of ferocity!

Three seconds later...

With power lost, the small boat came to a standstill.

Leo's moment of showing off has come to an end.

He sheepishly picked up the oars and began rowing with heavy effort.

The ship was too small and was not equipped with any propulsion system.

"I'll show off when I get a bigger ship," Leo said with a bright smile.

......

Their destination was the same sea area Rosalia had visited last time.

In 1995, GPS had already appeared but was not widespread, and there were no particularly cost-effective marine ranging instruments.

Small fishing boats rely entirely on experience and landmarks when going out to sea.

There was no difference on the sea level; everything looked pretty much the same. The only "navigational beacon" was the fishing village behind us.

However, for Leo, a novice fisherman, the buildings behind him could only provide direction; using them to measure distance was too difficult.

Fortunately, the last time they returned to Marzamemi, Rio rowed the entire way, and he timed it to 15 minutes.

It was the eve of a heavy rain, and the sea was already slightly rippling. Today, the sea was calm and still. Leo rowed for 13 minutes and then stopped. He estimated that he had reached the vicinity of that area, and then looked down at the shape of the reefs underwater, preparing to go into the water.

Solberto has repeatedly emphasized that you must check your equipment before going into the water, as every single item is crucial for survival.

When I went to inform Rosalia yesterday that we needed equipment today, she specifically reminded Leo to check it several times before going into the water.

So Leo put on his gear and began to carefully inspect it.

He had already changed into his wetsuit beforehand; he chose a two-piece wetsuit, which provides sun protection, warmth, and effectively prevents scratches from rocks or stings from jellyfish.

"Diving mask".

A diving mask is crucial for observing underwater topography, and Leo specifically chose a mask with a black silicone skirt to reduce glare and disturb fish.

The lens is a single-piece type, which is not easy to get water in, but it is not recommended to use it beyond 10 meters, as the pressure will be too great and it will chafe your face.

"Breathing tube."

The snorkel is mostly used when floating on the surface for observation. The waters around Sicily are clear, and during the day, the underwater terrain can be clearly seen to a depth of more than 10 meters, which is helpful in preparing for the selection of a work area.

The pipe is equipped with a float valve that automatically closes when submerged and automatically opens when surfacing to prevent water from entering.

"Flippers".

Fins are essential equipment for nearshore operations. Sicilian fishermen mostly use rubber fins, which are slightly heavier but more durable in rocky nearshore waters.

"Rope cutter."

Leo placed the knife within easy reach of his calf, relying on it for everything from cutting the counterweight belt to surfacing, getting tangled in fishing nets, to dealing with emergencies involving dangerous fish.

Cut-resistant gloves.

Rocks, shells, and sea urchins all pose a risk of injuring your fingers, so this is something you need to be prepared for.

After checking the most important pieces of equipment, Leo put on his weight belt, grabbed a flashlight and a net, and jumped into the sea.

He didn't rush to dive down, but floated on the surface to observe the sea conditions below. After only a couple of glances, he started blowing bubbles.

If someone understands underwater language, they will definitely be able to understand what he is saying.

"What a nice view!"

The water was very clear; it was the clearest water Rio had ever dived in.

The best diving areas are between 30° North and 30° South latitude, and the Mediterranean Sea falls right in that range.

The Mediterranean Sea is a closed waterway, so you'll rarely encounter the violent waves of the open ocean, making it an excellent choice for diving.

Sunlight pierces through the water's surface, being shimmered by the fine waves into countless golden-white beams that float gently in the crystal-clear blue sea—carving silk-like patterns on the white sand and casting a soft halo on the rocks.

Leo held his breath and eagerly dived down.

Rosalia dared not go to the rocky areas, so she chose a relatively flat and open area.

During the day, the sea urchins hide, so Leo's destination is naturally those beautiful reefs.

It is called "beautiful" because the reef provides an environment for sponges and corals to attach and rely on.

Therefore, the reefs appear to be colorful, though the colors are not particularly striking, they add vitality to the seabed.

The reef in front of Rio is mostly covered by a type of orange-red sponge called the spiny sponge, which is very common in the shallow waters of the Mediterranean.

Preferring shade and avoiding light, being active at night and hiding in rocky crevices, and tasting delicious—this is all Leo knows about sea urchins.

He first parted the clumps of fluffy sponges, searching for them by touch.

I touched every side of the three rocks and went up to breathe several times, but I still couldn't find a single sea urchin.

As he surfaced again for air, Leo summarized his experience and encouraged himself:

Sea urchins prefer to stay in rocky crevices, and the chances of them appearing on the surface of the reef are indeed relatively low. This time, we went straight to their "nest".

Having devised a new plan, we dived down again, our target the largest red rock.

This time, Leo swam slowly along the edge of the reef, his eyes carefully scanning every crevice.

You can feel the shallower bumps with your hand to check them, but when you encounter deeper areas, not even light can penetrate them, let alone your hand.

Leo held his flashlight and shone it in a 360-degree spiral pattern in front of a deep crevice, but he couldn't see anything except for the red and purple corals and sponges swaying from side to side.

After struggling for a long time, his chest began to feel tight, so he had to float up again to rest.

This time, Leo's rest time was longer because there was a lot of experience to summarize:

Sea urchins like to hide in the crevices of reefs, but they can't be found by light alone; you need some tools to help you find them.

Although Rosalia didn't bring much with her, she had a lot of equipment and fishing gear—shovels of various sizes, crowbars of various lengths, and first aid supplies.

Sea urchins are very fragile, and shovels are the most common tool for harvesting them.

Leo went to the boat, found a suitable sea urchin shovel, and dived down again.

This time, he used a long-handled shovel to gently pry aside the unsightly sponges and corals in the crevices of the reef, and then used the relatively smooth side to touch the rock wall, feeling the texture on his hand.

However, after searching for a long time, they still couldn't find anything.

While using his tools, Leo also turned on his flashlight and pressed his face against the rocks to look inside—using a two-pronged approach to find his target.

Suddenly, something silvery-white with hints of red, green, and yellow shot straight at his face through the gap.

Leo blew out countless bubbles and swam backwards with a whoosh.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a false alarm—the startled little fish had been disturbed by the shovel and flashlight and rushed out from inside.

This unexpected situation made Leo's heart pound. He still had plenty of breath, but he gave up the search and floated to the surface to rest.

Leo returned to the surface and checked the time; he had been submerged for more than 30 minutes.

Although I still have plenty of energy and could work for several more hours, it would all be in vain...

"Finding sea urchins during the day is too inefficient."

However, Leo can only come out during the day, while Rosalia needs to use these devices at night.

Without hesitation, the little fox boarded the boat and began rummaging through the tools again.

As the saying goes, play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses.

Finding sea urchins is his weakness... so let's avoid that for now.

It clearly has such a long, long, long place.