Mexican photographer Luis Javier Sandoval has taken first prize in the Cold Blood Marine Animals category in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 competition organized by the Natural History Museum in London, England. Sandoval’s image of an endangered green turtle, titled “Dive Buddy,” was taken in Cancun, where he says he earns enough money from tourism photography to allow him time to document his beloved wildlife.
Unfortunately, as Cancun has grown as a holiday and dive resort, development has reduced the area available to turtles. “The turtles are so used to seeing people in the water that they think we’re just part of the environment,’ says Sandoval, which means he has been able to get to know individuals, recognizing them from the markings on their faces. “This meter-long female, grazing on seagrass, took no notice of me, apart from glancing up briefly.” Recently, Sandoval has noticed what he suspects may be a new threat: at certain times of the year, a yellowish alga covers some of the seagrass. The suspicion is that the algal growth is the result of sewage from the resort, which has already affected the coral. What is clear is that the turtles avoid eating it.
From tens of thousands of international entries, 100 images were selected and are displayed in the exhibition gallery to dramatic effect on sleek backlit installations. The world-renowned annual exhibition is on show at London’s Natural History Museum until March 23, 2014.
The image was taken on a Nikon D7000, with a 10-17mm Tokina fisheye lens at 17mm; 1/125 sec at f10; ISO 100.