Wonders Below the Surface

Amazing images of lake life we do not often see.
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Apollo 17 Earth Shot

It was almost forty years ago since those first complete, full-color portraits of planet earth floating in the vast sea of space were beamed back to earth by Apollo astronauts. The photos had an instant and dramatic effect on many of us who saw them. They helped us to see, as if for the first time, the wonder, beauty, and fragility of the planet we thought we knew so well. Not surprisingly, this collective sense of awe inspired by the Apollo photos is now largely credited for kick-starting the environmental movement here in the United States and around the globe.

Dennis Roberge’s photos of the littoral life in Maine lakes have the ability to elicit a similar experience. As lake monitors and plant patrollers we know, perhaps better than most, the remarkable nature of these shallow, sun-filled areas of Maine’s lakes, ponds and streams. But one’s sense of the beauty, intricacy, wonder and fragility of these areas is suddenly intensified when one gets a chance to see these areas as a fish, or a turtle, or a diving bird may see them. As we saw in the 1970’s, such an experience has the power to inspire not only awe, but action. And though it is too early to know for certain what kind of “movement” may result from the release of Dennis's amazing photographs, there is little doubt the potential for a positive and lasting impact is here.

So please sit back for a moment to view these lovely images of life in the “fertile fringe.” Each glimpse is unique, and each, as you will soon see, speaks eloquently for itself. Words have been kept to a minimum on these pages in order to allow more space for the images. And one last thing . . . what you see here is a very small sampling of the thousands of photos Dennis shot during the summer of 2007.

Enjoy!

Photos

by Dennis Roberge
Volunteer Monitor on Mousam Lake