WINNERS GALLERY

"In early autumn, vast sardine shoals surround the rocks at Los Islotes," says Spiers. "This bounty attracts seabird predators. As we dived amidst the shoal, the peace was occasionally shattered by the loud crashes of pelicans, cormorants, and boobies hurtling underwater in pursuit of a meal. Most of the time, the action is so swift that by the time you turn to see it the bird is already back at the surface. Predicting exactly where an attack will happen is impossible, and yet I dreamed of capturing this spectacular natural act. Picking a single spot amidst the sardines, I waited patiently as the sunset approached, hoping to get lucky. After a long wait, a crash came down close to my right hand side, spinning around and clicking the camera instinctively, I finally captured the elusive shot of a blue-footed booby rising up with a sardine in its beak."