Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Ruben Smit (The Netherlands)

Common toad orgy

Each spring, common toads migrate in huge numbers to mate in the ponds of Veluwe, Holland - a spectacle that has always fascinated Ruben. What he wanted to reveal was the action under water. Wading into the cold, crystal-clear water, he held his camera as low as possible to the pond bottom to get a toad's-eye view of the squirming mass of mating toads and used a wide-angle lens to show as much of the action as possible and the resulting mass of egg strings. What he hadn't reckoned on was becoming part of the orgy himself. Mistaking his fingers for females, the muscular male toads gripped onto them with grim passion ('they squeeze very tightly'), finally putting an end to the photo session.

Canon EOS mark II with Sigma 20mm f1.8 lens; 1/25 sec at f18; 400 ISO; underwater housing (bag).