Thomas Peschak's Image

For years, I have been trying to make a photograph that foreshadows a world without fish,’ says Tom, ‘and this one evening, all the elements aligned’.

He had been photographing Cape fur seals off South Africa’s western coast, when the current propelled a large swarm of Cape box jellyfish into a sheltered bay. The effects of overfishing and climate change are causing jellyfish populations to increase. Warmer waters boost their reproductive potential, while overfishing reduces the number of fish that prey on the juveniles. In turn, jellyfish eat the eggs and larvae of fish. The loss of fish will have serious consequences for their predators, including these seals.