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Shane Gross's Image
Shane Gross (Canada) witnesses a peppered moray eel very much in its element hunting for carrion at low tide.
It took Shane many attempts over several weeks to document this rarely photographed behaviour.
At first the eels were elusive. Once Shane realised that they were scavenging for dead fish, he waited.
His patience was soon rewarded when these three eels appeared.
Peppered moray eels are well adapted to the intertidal zone, which is underwater during high tide and exposed during low tide.
They hunt both above and below the water’s surface using their keen senses of smell and sight. They can stay out of water for more than 30 seconds.
Behind the lens
Shane Gross
Canada
Shane is a professional marine conservation photojournalist. He’s photographed everything from sharks, whales and crocodiles to seahorses, nudibranchs and tadpoles. Through his work, Shane wants to shine a light on the impact, both positive and negative, people are having on the oceans and on freshwater ecosystems. He’s an Associate Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers and a founding member of the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective.
Image details
- Nikon Z6
- 24–70mm lens at 24mm
- 1/250 at f5.6 • ISO 2500 • Godox AD400 Pro flash with 24-inch diffuser • light stand
- D’Arros Island, Amirante, Seychelles
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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