2021 OPoY runner-up, Henley Spiers

2nd place The Ocean Photographer of the Year

Henley Spiers Scotland

60°08'43.8"N 1°01'10.9"W

Gannets diving for food. “Diving amidst the barrage of gannets, I witness the violent synchronicity of these impressive seabirds as they embark on fishing dives,” says photographer Henley Spiers. “Their piercing glare scans for prey, even as they hit the water at 60mph, an impact they can only withstand thanks to specially evolved air sacs in the head and chest. The agility of the birds transfers from air to sea, swimming with an incredible speed of reaction as other gannets torpedo into the sea.”

BEHIND THE LENS

Henley Spiers United Kingdom (UK)

ABOUT THE IMAGE

Slight swell
Captured while snorkelling
Cold conditions
Site accessed by boat

Henley Spiers, half British and half French, is a renowned photographer, writer, and trip leader who has fast become one of the most highly decorated underwater wildlife shooters in the world. Henley is perhaps best known for his black and white imagery, showcasing the beauty of the aquatic world with distinctive minimalism. Fine art prints of his work now adorn walls around the globe.