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Curious Giants

Kaushiik Subramaniam

United Kingdom

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A male Asian elephant lies completely submerged under a watering hole, periodically raising his trunk to breathe and survey the surroundings for unfamiliar smells.

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Nominee

Pachyderm Persicope

The second largest animal in the world, the Fin Whale, comes up for a breath off the coast of Mexico. These whales are easily identifiable by their enormous size and iconic chevron on their backs.

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Chevron

The fastest shark in the world, the Mako shark bears the scars of a tussle with humanity. These sharks are valued for their long fins, with millions of them fished out of the oceans every year.

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Hooked

A trio of Eagle Rays cruises through the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Maldives in search of their next meal.

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Formation

The curiosity the Grey Whales of Mexico show towards humans in their birthing lagoons is truly unique. Here a group of four individuals vies for the attention of a boat full of excited tourists.

Bronze

A critically endangered Giant Guitarfish is dragged to shore by fishermen in Mozambique. Growing to over 10ft long and weighing over 200kg, this individual is an important source of protein for the local community. This was one of the hardest moments that I have had to document so far.

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Catch Of Th Day

Najin, one of two remaining Northern White Rhinos in the world, looks out over her paddock. She now lives under 24-hour armed watch along with her daughter Fatu. The last members of a dynasty.

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Legacy

A fever of stingrays glide over each other in the dark waters of the deep.

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The Fever

A lone reef manta ray takes a moment to itself during a feeding frenzy in the shallow waters of the lagoon.

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Solitary

There is no other feeling like being in the middle of a stingray tornado. This fever of rays was on the hunt for some food and I managed to sneak a few moments as one of the group as they passed by.

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Honorable Mention

Silver

People’s Vote Award

One of the most striking patterns in the ocean, an Ocellated Eagle Ray stands out amongst an otherwise plain ocean.

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Patterns In The Deep

A lone whale shark rises from the abyss. The largest fish in the world, these gentle giants spend most of their lives in the deep, far from any light. I was lucky enough to take this shot whilst this shark came up to the surface to sunbathe for a while, before returning to the deep.

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Isolation

A lone whale shark emerges from the dark abyss. The largest fish in the world spends most of its time in solitude, wandering the seas in search of its microscopic prey. In the age of shark finning, will this shark meet another of its kind? Or is it destined to wander the ocean alone?