UPY 2025

UPY  Behaviour - Commended
'The next generation'
Tammy Gibbs

This summer, I resurrected my obsession from a few years ago of capturing our endemic seahorses (West Australian Seahorse, Hippocampus subelongatus) giving birth at night. My local jetty is a ‘sure bet’ to find seahorses and during the summer they pair up to breed, not moving too far from their chosen territory. Over several weeks, I headed down to the jetty after work to see if I could again witness this remarkable event. I was super lucky, scoring births three dives in a row! For this shot, I angled myself to the side of the dad seahorse so I could photograph the unfurling babies in the clear black water. I feel so privileged to be able to witness the amazement of nature in my own backyard.

Judge's comment: Well framed with perfect eye contact and a complimentary background; all of the correct decisions about angle, lighting and timing make for a perfect behaviour shot.
- Peter Rowlands