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Hassan Ali Khan

@casaumi

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Filming aquatic/underwater sequences: global baitballs, predation, migration, and pelagic life.

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Digestive reset by a humpback— a passing glance of self awareness from a hungry giant is impossible to forget. by @casaumi

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4 months ago

An isolated event & forever thought— offshore in the middle of nowhere on a windy, bright gray day, a pile of birds were working a crimson blob on the choppy ocean surface. Not knowing what to expect before dropping in, what I witnessed gets replayed in my brain almost every day… A tightly formed ball of squid was trying to outrun a relentless group of what I think were black skipjack (Euthynnus lineatus) that had pushed them to the surface from the deep. Eventually the speed and targeted aggression of the fish made it impossible for the squid to escape. In their last stand together, this group of squid took on a look of fear and acceptance in their eyes as they took a pause. Ejecting whatever ink was left in a coagulated mess while flashing colors of pain and/or distress, they let themselves go in front of my camera. It was a unique moment because I never imagined witnessing such an artful slaughter unfold between two of my favorite species.

Watching the squid show a bit more sentience while the skipjack just operated purely by raw instinct is something that I immediately realized no human being can ever organically create. Perhaps that is the addiction and the connectivity. A baitball of any kind, or in this case a squidball, is something profoundly special because of this. There is / isn’t a structured narrative to it and never will be when thinking about them. To me, the scarcity of both the occurrence and the rationale in relation to these seldom captured moments is what dictates their value, consequently leading to the offshore obsession.

For what it’s worth, I don’t doubt this has happened in mass numbers before and been witnessed by those who live off the high seas or those who recreationally fish them. I’ve even seen some aerial footage of it much further north of the equator from this location, but nothing underwater yet. I’ve even seen squid take off like flying fish when running offshore, but again, nothing like this— and can only maybe dream of finding something like it again in the future... severed mantles, tentacles, ink, eyes, copper blood and all. by @casaumi

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6 months ago

The ugly side of risk— pelicans lunging in slow(er) motion trying to catch sardines. Unfortunately, this competitive effort can lead to injuries (rips + holes in gular pouches, eye damage, etc). Most of their efforts may look aimlessly driven by what I call “bird greed,” but nonetheless highlight how opportunistic sea birds must be when it comes to any chance to feed. This whole thing lasted for hours as its own beautiful dark twisted fantasy of sorts. by @casaumi

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5 months ago

The sky was bait by @casaumi

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19 hours ago

For the love of the game— no strobes, no chum, no shot lists. The reason the baitball is unlike any other predation moment on earth is that anything can happen when you least expect it, and absolutely cannot be controlled. by @casaumi

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3 days ago

Voracity driving interspecies dominance— humpback whale v silky shark. by @casaumi

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10 days ago

The cautious elegance of Kajikia audax — they tend to show a bit more confidence around the camera when free swimming in the darker depths. by @casaumi

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3 days ago

Double big gulp— for this humpback one lunge feed attempt wasn’t ever enough. Aside from looking like a submarine diving down what hits me most in this footage are the skipjack immediately striking at whatever sardines are left after each lunge. If you look closely on the turnaround you can see a single sardine trying to hide on the back of this giant. These sequences always invoke a feeling in me that being a small fish is so important yet terrifying— you either end up as part of a multi-course meal for something higher up on the food chain, on the end of a line as bait, in a tin can, or panicking to survive in a big, blue gauntlet of chance. Regardless they are a huge component of the global food web / economy, which is a point that often gets overlooked since we are naturally in shock and awe of the megafauna that they attract.

#lungefeeding #earthcapture #niffeature #humpbackwhale #bbcearth by @casaumi

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4 months ago

Running scared by @casaumi

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a month ago

Imperfectly perfect— this #sailfish is still gorgeous even with her battle torn sail because they’re just anatomically perfect forever.

#sailfish #offshore #saltwaterfishing #naturecaptures by @casaumi

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a month ago

Humpback lunge feed on display— while energy efficient, it doesn’t always hit with accuracy. The sharks and skipjacks use the opportunity to strike in the aftershocks. Seeing the throat pleats expand on the whale gives a better perspective on their size and capability. by @casaumi

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7 months ago

An unfortunate opportunity— floating in the middle of the open ocean, a plastic bin drifting south with the current became a refuge for smaller fish being hunted by black skipjack. As the skipjack struck the bin with speed they eventually spooked the baitball enough to where they attempted to make a run for it which for most didn’t end well. by @casaumi

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7 months ago