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1. Beneath the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean lies a fascinating world. Among its treasures, sea fans attract attention with their small tree-like shapes and their red, yellow, or purple colors. These marine animals contribute to the richness of the underwater world, but they are fragile and sensitive to human activities.

The answer is more surprising than it might seem. When I first became interested in gorgonians, what struck me was their unusual appearance: they look like delicate underwater trees or fans, yet they are actually colonies of tiny animals.

Unfortunately, yes. The more I learn about these remarkable corals, the more I realize just how fragile they can be.

Can you actually see giant gorgonians beneath the waters of the Calanques of Cassis? Absolutely. It’s one of the things I love most about diving in this extraordinary part of the Mediterranean.

Whenever I see a large gorgonian while diving, I always wonder the same thing: how long did it take to grow this big?

Yes, gorgonians really are corals! More precisely, they belong to the group of soft corals, made up of colonies of tiny animals called polyps.

Gorgonians are a common sight when diving: these large, fan-shaped structures bring so much life to the seafloor. Yet they are quite fragile and can easily be damaged.