Çağdaş Şaşmaz, while spearfishing in Gazipaşa, had a terrifying encounter during an earthquake while under water. Documenting the moment with his camera, he recalled feeling the seismic tremors and mistaking them for explosive fishing methods due to the intense noise.
“The noise was so intense, it rattled my entire body,” Şaşmaz recounted. “As I approached a stone for a better angle, sudden thunderous noise startled me. I thought it was a herd of trawlers or explosives thrown into the water. It felt like an explosion.” Describing the harrowing experience, he explained, “I swiftly ascended, fearing someone had used dynamite. It was an unimaginable force that left me puzzled, as I had never encountered such a situation before.”
The earthquake, registering 4.2 in magnitude and originating off the coast of Alanya on November 11, 2023, became an unexpected part of Şaşmaz’s diving expedition.
Geylani Topaloğlu