Thomas Peschak's Image

Thomas Peschak (Germany/South Africa) documents the relationship between endangered Amazon river dolphins – also known as botos, or pink river dolphins – and the people who share their watery home.

An Amazon river dolphin takes a catfish from a fisher’s net. The dolphins have learnt to associate the sounds of fishing boats and nets with an easy meal. Some, however, get entangled and drown.

Many fishers think of the dolphins as being bad for finances, because of the damage they cause to their nets.

This photo, the result of a collaboration between Thomas and researcher Dr Mariana Paschoalini Frias, is the first time such behaviour has been visually documented.

This could help conservationists devise strategies to reduce these incidents.