Pedro travelled to the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park off the east coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula to see the thousands of mobula rays that gather there each winter.
‘I wanted to raise awareness of these impressive creatures, which are increasingly being targeted by fishermen,’ says Pedro. His plan was to photograph them underwater while diving, but as he was snorkelling during a surface break he spotted an opportunity for a different composition. Although visibility was poor at the surface – 20 metres of murky water lay between Pedro and the rays swimming close to the bottom – the spectacle was impressive. It was perfect for a black-and-white composition. The 400 or more individuals, the largest school Pedro had ever seen, were moving as if they’d been choreographed. ‘To me this is a photograph about rhythm,’ he explains, ‘the synchronous opening and closing of the rays’ wings, their dark forms contrasting with the delicately textured white sand’.
Spain
Pedro is a freelance nature photographer specialising in the underwater world. He started diving in the Canary Islands 20 years ago and has since travelled worldwide. He aims to inspire a love for the ocean and its wildlife with his images, which blur the line between art and nature, capturing a symbolic perspective, an approach that has earned him more than 30 international awards.
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