UPY 2025

UPY  Portrait - Commended
'Snooty the lemon shark'
Galice Hoarau

Snooty is a large female lemon shark inhabiting the wrecks in front of Jupiter FL. Her smile and her ease around divers have made her a local celebrity. She always one of the first sharks to come on greet you when diving the Bonaire and she stays close by until the end of the dive. She is particulary interested in photographers and will come very close to check the camera. Taking advantage of this, I spent the dive focused on her, trying to capture her "smile", enjoying her willingness to play along.

Judge's comment: Excellent shark portrait. The image frame as been dictated by the author and not the other way round. It's a tight crop which works particularly well. This shot in my opinion is all about the lighting of the mouth/teeth. Notice the shadows of the strobe within the mouth. It's brightness inside that makes the teeth stand so strongly.
- Martin Edge