earthlingAurora Underwater by Ruruka, Korea
A diver in the multicoloured waters of a #cenote, or sinkhole, in #Mexico.
Face Off by Shunsuke Nakano, Japan
‘This is a photo of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse fighting. The one on the left is the harem king, who has defended his territory for more than 10 years and is estimated to be over 30 years old, while the other one is a young challenger. Despite staying for a week during the breeding season, I was only able to observe this scene once, for just 10 seconds. And this was the only photograph I was able to take.'
*Social media #underwater
Radiant Bond by Alvaro Herrero, Spain
Herrero captured the special relationship between a mother humpback whale and her newborn calf in French Polynesia. ‘For me, this photo really shows a mother’s love and communicates the beauty and fragility of life in our ocean. The mother is accompanying her calf to the surface, because the baby is still so small and clumsy. The calf is releasing a few bubbles showing it is still learning to hold its breath properly.’
Amazon River Dolphin Silhouette by Hussain Aga Khan, Switzerland
#Botos look very unusual compared to other dolphins, with incredibly long rostra, with vestigial hairs on them, tiny eyes and thick bodies.
Curled Octopus with Soft Coral by Simon Temple, UK
An octopus perched high on the reef wall.
A Frondly Snoot Boop by Patrick Webster, US
‘The giant kelp forests of the Falkland Islands are among the lushest algal amphitheatres anywhere in the cold-water world. Their prodigious productivity supports a plethora of awesome aquatic animals, including this rambunctiously curious South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens).’
Kaleidoscope of Colour by Catherine Holmes, UK
‘#RajaAmpat, #Indonesia, is a magical destination where the colour, beauty, biodiversity and dense fish life can almost be an overload on the senses – a celebration of healthy reef life. I was lucky to find perfect conditions with clear water and schooling baitfish swirling among the canyons of a large coral bommie, adorned with verdant soft corals.'
