UPY 2025

UPY  Behaviour - Highly Commended
'The Survivors'
Richard Barnden

The spawning of the moorish idol is still a bit of a mystery! Every year hundreds of Moorish Idols gather together in large schools around a few sites in Palau. They spend hours schooling together during the day time, attracting hundreds of sharks as they dance up and down the reef. At some point when the timing is right, they form a yellow and black tornado swirling upwards towards the surface being chased by every shark in the area. Most of the school will be decimated within minutes, except a few survivors, who just continue swimming far into the open ocean on what looks like a one way ticket!

Judge's comment: I love the surprise that people get when they spot the shark! Although this behaviour has been on the telly, this is the only still photo we’ve seen capturing the action, showing the dangers these fish face to spawn the next generation.

Alex Mustard