Winners Gallery
Finalist Conservation (Impact) Photographer of the Year
Eduardo Santana de Vega Devon, United Kingdom
An octopus peers from inside a lobster pot off the coast of southwest England. While the scene initially suggests an animal trapped, the reality is quite different. Octopuses often enter pots to feed on the crabs and lobsters inside before escaping again. Their recent population boom, linked to warming seas, is reshaping local ecosystems and fisheries. The raised skin around this octopus's eyes is part of a remarkable display, revealing how these intelligent animals can change both colour and texture in response to their surroundings.
BEHIND THE LENS
Eduardo Santana de Vega Spain
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Coastal walk-in
- Taken while scuba diving
- (Sony a7 III) + (Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS) + (1 x Inon Z240 strobe)
- 1/200s, f10, iso400
Eduardo grew up in the Canary Islands, where the ocean was always part of his life, and where he is now working as an aerospace research engineer. At 17, he got his first scuba certification there, before moving to the UK. After years of avoiding cold water diving, he found his way back to the sea through his university dive club, eventually becoming an instructor. Underwater photography came later, after some time in Southeast Asia, swept up in the excitement of the dive community there. Through Eduardo´s images, he hopes to share a glimpse of a world most people never see first hand - and inspire a few to pick up a mask and fins and go exploring themselves.
