UPY 2025

UPY  Behaviour - Commended
'Take Cover'
Luke Gordon

This particular reef manta is affectionately known as ‘Coco’ to researchers in the area and she is always accompanied by Golden Trevally. One particular day I was lucky enough to be alone with 3 or 4 mantas somersault feeding, Coco was one, as I began to take some shots, I could see that one particular golden trevally would take cover in Coco’s huge mouth every time she somersaulted towards me. Coco would spit the fish out at the bottom of every turn but as she got back to the top again the fish would be back inside her mouth. The timing was key to this image, I had to time the free dive down and position myself correctly without spooking Coco or the trevally, luckily for me Coco somersaulted once more right in front of me, allowing me to frame this image.

Judge's comment: This amazing behaviour shot might be overseen easily, but if you see the image on a big screen, it reveals it's uniqueness. Very nice minimalistic shot with a colorful 'dot on the i'. - Tobias Friedrich