2010: Underwater Worlds - Highly Commended
Marcelo Krause (Brazil)
The piranha-eater
Most rivers in Brazil's Pantanal have zero visibility, and so photographing yacare caiman under water isn't easy, even though numbers have increased, following legal protection from hunting. In fact, photographing anything under water is difficult. When Marcelo entered the Vazante do Castelo river, it was the start of the dry season, when visibility is still reasonable. His intention was to photograph piranhas, but when he put out bait to attract them, several large yacare also arrived, probably attracted by all the movement and finding plenty of piranhas to eat. 'This huge one warned me off by opening its mouth,' says Marcelo. 'Then some of them started to bite my camera housing - time to get back in the boat.'
Nikon D2x + Tokina AT-X 107 AF 10-17mm f3.5-4.5 lens; 1/250 sec at f5.3; ISO 400; Aquatica D2 housing; Inon Z-240 strobe.
View other winners in this category
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Adult awards The big four Tony Wu
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Adult awards Bottom view Michel Roggo
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Adult awards It came from the gloom Patrik Bartuska
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Adult awards Manta-ray feast Michael Aw
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