2006: Underwater Worlds - Highly Commended
Willem Kolvoort (The Netherlands)
Swimming for life
This newly hatched green turtle on Aldabra Island, in the Seychelles, had a bleak outlook. Even if it had managed to climb out of the pit it was stuck in, it would then have had to scramble over a sand ridge and cross a wide beach before facing sharks in the shallows. But when the weary turtle was rescued from its hole and released into the sea, it seemed to perk up. 'I swam out with it, beyond the blacktip reef sharks I was photographing,' says Willem. Following the baby turtle into deeper water, he took lots of pictures of it using a fisheye lens, 'and then watched it disappear into the blue beyond'.
Nikon D70 with 10.5mm fisheye lens; 1/800 sec at f14; 200 ISO; Seacam housing.
View other winners in this category
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Adult awards The swirling shoal Manu San Felix
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Adult awards The great mimic Michael Aw
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Adult awards Big fish, little fishes Gavin Parsons
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Adult awards Pigfish in kelp Ross Armstrong
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Adult awards King swimmer Tobias Bernhard
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