Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 58

L
oughran Cabe was raised in an
outdoorsy family in Virginia's
Shenandoah Valley and had an
over-the-top love for nature-but
when he discovered river snorkeling
around age 15, something clicked.
" I'd been fishing and swimming all
my life, but this was different, " says Cabe,
who just turned 20. With the right conditions,
you can strap on a diving mask,
dip your head into a Blue Ridge stream
and spot 30 to 50 species of fish alone.
" It's like a different world. The water is so
clear you can see the sunlight dancing in
the riffles. There's so much life, so many
colors: It's like a magic trick. "
Cabe was hooked. But when he talked
about the wonders of what he'd seen,
people seemed skeptical: Wasn't snorkeling
meant for coral reefs?
58 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
" It's like that old conservation saying,
'You can't care about what you don't
know about,' " says Cabe. Online research
led him to a small community of enthusiasts
using underwater photography to
showcase freshwater ecosystems on social
media. " I thought, 'So this is what I need
to do.' "
Cabe reached out to experts like Tennessee-based
documentarian Casper Cox
for tips.
" It was crazy how welcoming they
were, " says Cabe. " Here I was, this kid
and total novice, and [the pros] were taking
the time to answer all of my dumb
questions. "
With their guidance, Cabe bought a
cheap underwater casing and borrowed
his mom's old DSLR camera. He dug
out a vintage wetsuit that belonged to his
dad-a Washington and Lee biology professor-and
hit the water.
Time, practice and obsessive tweaks
led to big results. Friends, family and
teachers were blown away. Area nature
camps reached out about volunteer
teaching opportunities. Mentors encouraged
him to join organizations like the
Native Fish Coalition and publish photos
in magazines like Virginia Wildlife. The
enthusiastic reception inspired Cabe to
pursue a conservation-related degree at
Oberlin College.
" This is my passion, " he says.
" There's this whole facet of nature that
almost nobody pays attention to. My
goal is to get people interested in the
beauty and importance of these waterways
and, ultimately, convince them
they're worth protecting. "
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM

Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024

Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 3
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 4
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 5
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 6
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Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover4
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