Wildlife Photographer 2023

Natural History Museum · Issue 135, Nov/Dec 2023 · pp. 27

Products mentioned: Nikon D5, Seacam housing, Seacam strobes, Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 A tri-spine horseshoe crab moves slowly over the mud. Its golden protective carapace hides 12 appendages. Above the horseshoe crab, a trio of juvenile golden trevallies are poised to dart down for edible morsels ploughed up by its passage. Laurent Ballesta went looking for horseshoe crabs in the protected waters of Pangatalan Island in the Philippines. The tri-spine horseshoe crab has survived for more than 100 million years but now faces habitat destruction and overfishing for food and for its blood, used in the development of vaccines. But, in the protected waters off Pangatalan Island, there is hope for its survival. Location: Pangatalan Island, Palawan, the Philippines Technical details: Nikon D5 + 13mm f2.8 lens; 1/25 at f22; ISO 800; Seacam housing; 2x Seacam strobes The ancient mariner by Laurent Ballesta, France Winner, Portfolio Award Hippo…