Winners Gallery

A whale shark swims alongside the Sharkwater research vessel, a ship that was initially used by the Japanese fishing fleet and is now used for research. “I was on a shark tagging expedition with Fins Attached, CREMA and Pelagios Kakunjá aboard the Sharkwater,” explains Herreño Parra. “When we got back from one of our dives, the crew spotted a friendly whale shark. We jumped in to install an acoustic tag, took tissue samples and measured the individual, while I was documenting everything. After the researchers went back on the boat, I stayed in the water with the shark for almost an hour, trying to take an image of the endangered species below the scientific vessel. It all came together, and the moody light and the rough sea add to the image’s special appeal.”