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Autumn has arrived on the Catalan coast. While the villages prepare to celebrate La Castanyada, the traditional festival of chestnuts, they have decided to look for a rather different kind of chestnut: the sea urchin, known in Catalan as garota, garoina or eriçó de mar.
Beneath the waters of El Port de la Selva, where the Mediterranean meets the rugged landscape of Cap de Creus, another world exists. It is a world of extraordinary beauty, but also one of constant danger. Every creature that inhabits it faces the same fundamental challenge: how to survive. In the ocean, being a predator does not prevent an animal from becoming prey. Evolution has therefore produced an astonishing variety of defensive strategies, from camouflage and poisonous spines to electric shocks and clouds of ink.
The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is one of the Mediterranean's most fascinating inhabitants. Without a protective shell, its soft body might appear extremely vulnerable. However, what the octopus lacks in physical armour, it compensates for with intelligence, flexibility and an extraordinary capacity for disguise. Specialised pigment cells called chromatophores allow it to change its appearance rapidly. By altering both the colour and texture of its skin, the octopus can become almost indistinguishable from the rocks and algae surrounding it. When camouflage is insufficient, it has another remarkable defence: ink. By releasing a dark cloud into the water, the octopus confuses its attacker and gains precious seconds to escape. Yet these abilities are not used exclusively for defence. The same camouflage that protects the octopus from predators also enables it to approach unsuspecting prey. In the underwater world, invisibility can be both a shield and a weapon.
Unlike the octopus, the sea urchin cannot rely on speed or sophisticated camouflage to escape danger. Instead, evolution has provided it with an impressive defensive structure: a rigid skeleton covered with movable spines. The Mediterranean purple sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) inhabits rocky seabeds, where it feeds mainly on algae and other organic material. Its spines discourage many potential predators and help protect its vulnerable body. Nevertheless, this defence is not infallible. Certain fish, including sea bream, have developed powerful jaws capable of breaking sea urchins apart. This illustrates one of evolution's most fascinating relationships: as prey develop better defences, predators may develop new ways to overcome them. Sea urchins also remind human visitors that the marine environment deserves respect. Their spines can penetrate the skin, break off and cause considerable discomfort. They do not attack divers. They simply possess an effective defence against unwanted contact.
Some Mediterranean rays have developed a particularly surprising survival mechanism: electricity. The marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata) possesses specialised electric organs capable of producing powerful discharges. These electrical shocks serve two essential purposes: immobilising prey and discouraging potential predators. Usually resting on sandy or muddy seabeds, the electric ray also benefits from camouflage. Its mottled colouring makes it difficult to distinguish from its surroundings. The combination of concealment and electricity transforms this apparently peaceful animal into an effective hunter. Unlike electric rays, manta rays do not possess electric organs. Although they belong to the broader group of rays, their survival strategies are very different.
The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is another extraordinary master of disguise. Like the octopus, it possesses chromatophores that enable rapid changes in colour and pattern. Its camouflage serves both defensive and offensive purposes, helping it disappear from the sight of predators while approaching smaller marine animals. When threatened, it can also release ink to confuse an attacker. What makes the cuttlefish especially remarkable is its ability to combine visual deception with sophisticated behaviour. It demonstrates that survival is not necessarily achieved through physical strength. Sometimes, the most effective strategy is to manipulate what another animal perceives.
The Mediterranean is not simply a battlefield where the strongest creatures defeat the weakest. It is a complex ecological system in which every species participates in relationships shaped by millions of years of evolution. The octopus hunts crustaceans but must avoid larger predators. The sea urchin grazes on algae but may become food for fish. The electric ray captures smaller animals while relying on camouflage and electrical defence to protect itself. Each creature has evolved within a network of relationships in which feeding, escaping, reproducing and surviving are inseparable.
These relationships help regulate marine populations and maintain ecological balance. When humans disturb this balance through pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing or climate change, the consequences can extend far beyond a single species.
As Claire Fontaine and The Grandma swim through the waters of Cap de Creus, they understand that the greatest lesson offered by the sea is not about danger, but about adaptation. Marine creatures do not possess spines, ink or electricity because they are aggressive. These characteristics are the results of evolutionary processes that have helped their ancestors survive. The underwater world is not ours to conquer. We enter it as visitors. Observing animals without touching or disturbing them, maintaining a respectful distance and protecting their habitats are essential responsibilities. And perhaps, as autumn arrives and the smell of roasted chestnuts fills the streets of Catalunya, Claire Fontaine and The Grandma will remember the little spiny creatures resting among the Mediterranean rocks. The chestnuts of the sea have their own story to tell.
In nature, survival is not simply about defeating others. It is about finding a way to live in a world where every creature is both part of the struggle and part of the balance.
More information: Pirates del Cap Creus
it produces this blackness and muddiness in the water,
as it were a shield held in front of the body.
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