CRUNCH TIME

GENTOO PENGUIN
Pygoscelis papua

A gentoo penguin drinks fresh water from melting ice stalactites along the shoreline of the Antarctic Peninsula. Not satisfied with the water droplets alone, it breaks o a stalactite in a futile attempt to speed things up. After a few crunches, the penguin soon drops it to the ground.

Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

Canon EOS-1D X MkII, Canon EF200–400mm f4L IS USM, 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 640, handheld

FLIGHT OF THE P ENGUINS

GENTOO PENGUIN
Pygoscelis papua

The third-largest penguins in the world, gentoo penguins are considered to be flightless. But
they are the fastest-swimming penguins and at speed, breaching the water surface, they appear to be able to fly.

Lemaire Channel south of Jougla Point, Antarctic Peninsula

Nikon D850 DSLR, Nikon 70–300mm, 1/640, f/10, ISO 200, handheld from
moving ship

A FEVER OF COWNOSE RAYS

COWNOSE RAY
Rhinoptera sp.

A fever of cownose rays encountered on the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. The rays were in a writhing mass, moving throughout the water column – possibly demonstrating mating or courting behaviour. This was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a rarely seen species.

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

Nikon D810, Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG diagonal fisheye,
1/250, f/9, ISO 320, photographed using natural light whilst freediving

FAMILY WALK

EMPEROR PENGUIN
Aptenodytes forsteri

An adult emperor penguin is followed by two young chicks on the frozen sea ice at Gould Bay, Antarctica.

Gould Bay, Antarctica

Canon EOS 1DX MkII, Canon 300mm f2.8L IS MkII, 1/1600,
f/8.0, ISO 400, handheld

THE MARVEL OF FLIGHT

EASTERN HORSESHOE BAT
Rhinolophus megaphyllus

Bats are the only animals apart from birds that are capable of true flight. They have adapted their flight for an array of different habitats, prey and
conditions. As an insectivorous species, eastern horseshoe bats are agile and dexterous, able to catch and eat insects on the wing.

Kings Plains, Queensland

Canon 5D MkIV, Canon EF24–70mm f/2.8L II USM, 5, f/16, ISO 500, 5 x Yongnuo speedlites, tripod using Cognisys range IR

HUDDLE UP, IT ’S COLD!

RAINBOW BEEEATER
Merops ornatus

Rainbow bee-eaters migrate from southern Australia to the north for winter every year. In the Great Sandy Desert these bee-eaters have gathered to sit together as the sun rises. Winter can be very cold in Australian deserts, so they huddle together to stay warm for the first hour of the day, before heading out‚ to search for food.

Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia

Nikon D850, Nikkor 80–400 f/4.5–5.6G, 1/800, f/7.1, ISO
800, Hoya circular polarising filter, handheld

GANNET DISCIPLINE

AUSTRALASIAN GANNET
Morus serrator

Although this fledgling had just been fed, it was insistently tapping its parent’s bill and calling for more food. In what seemed to be a swift act of
parental discipline, the adult bird held its chick in a momentary headlock. It was an unexpected, and comical, glimpse into the private life of gannets.

Point Danger, Victoria

Canon EOS 5DSR, Canon
EF200–400mm f/4L IS USM,
1/2500, f/10, ISO 800, tripod

LIKE THIS MUM?

AUSTRALIAN PIED OYSTERCATCHER
Haematopus longirostris

There was a family of Australian pied oystercatchers feeding along the shore as the sun came up. I watched them for a long time as they moved closer to me. The adults took turns in helping the juvenile feed. Eventually, they fed together.

Peel Inlet, Erskine, Western Australia

Canon 1DX, Canon 500mm f/4L + Canon 1.4x teleconvertor,
1/2000, f/5.6, ISO 1000, handheld

CASCADE

BROWN JELLYFISH Phyllorhiza punctata

Jellyfish are older than the dinosaurs. They are 95 per cent water and lack bones, heads, hearts and brains. The brown jellyfish seen here take on the
colour of the early morning sunlight as they move under the reflected bridge superstructure. I enjoyed observing nature from a bridge, remembering childhood.

Swan River, Narrows Bridge, Western Australia

Nikon D810, Nikon 80–200mm @ 200mm, 1/500, f/4, ISO 400
(-.7 exposure compensation)

SHAKE YOUR TAIL FEATHER

CLOWN NUDIBRANCH
Ceratosoma amoenum

Nudibranchs are some of the most colourful creatures on the planet, they are also hermaphrodites that like to mate ‘top to tail’. This pair made me
chuckle as it looked like the one on the right was checking out the tail end of the one on the left, despite the fact they are blind!

Nelson Bay, New South Wales

Nikon D850, Nikkor 105mm F2.8 micro, 1/250, f/45, ISO 2

SPAWNING JEWEL ANEMONES

JEWEL ANEMONE
Corynactis australis

A female colony of jewel anemones release eggs into the water. This synchronised mass spawning is believed to occur twice annually in New Zealand. The colour of jewel anemones varies between colonies, rather than individuals, from pink, brown, fluorescent green, yellow and apricot. The different colour
varieties were once thought to be distinct species.

Deep Water Cove, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Canon EOS 5DS R, CanonƒEF 100mm F/2.8L macro IS USM, 1/100, f/11, ISO 100, twin Inon Z330 flashes

SALPY RIDER – FOOTBALL OCTOPUS RIDING INSIDE A
SALP

FOOTBALL OCTOPUS
Ocythoe tuberculata
SALP, FAMILY Salpidae

Searching through salp near the surface at the Poor Knights Marine reserve, I spotted one salp moving in the opposite direction to all the others. Closer inspection revealed a rare deep-sea football octopus was inside it, propelling the salp along!

Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand

Nikon D850 inside a Nauticam Underwater Housing, 60mm, 1/200, f/14, ISO 100, 2x Inon Z330 underwater strobes, handheld

FATAL ATTRACTION

GREYHEADED FLYINGFOX
Pteropus poliocephalus

During an extreme heat-stress event, grey-headed flying-foxes – in a desperate search for somewhere cooler – descend from the safety of the tree canopy. Known as clumping, this is often a precursor to mass deaths. Over 10 per cent of the
colony died that week from heat-stress.

Yarra Bend golf course, Victoria

Nikon D750, Nikon 24–70mm f/2.8, 1/60, f/10, ISO 800, 2x flashes through umbrellas, handheld, manual exposure

ROOSTING BEE

BLUEBANDED BEE
Amegilla cingulata

Each afternoon, this male blue-banded bee returns to his chosen twig and clings to it with his mandibles. He shakes his abdomen and legs, and eventually tucks them in to settle in for an evening rest before the next day of foraging and searching for a mate.

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Canon 7D MkII, Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro, 1/100, f/11, ISO 160, 2x Yongnuo 560 III flashes, Sirui T-1204SK tripod, SMDV 60 speedbox di—user, Yongnuo wireless controller

THE HEAT RUN

HUMPBACK WHALE, Megaptera novaeangliae

The ultimate wildlife encounter – multiple whales competing for a female – where the chase can last for hours or even days. The whales display a multitude of behaviours aimed at intimidating competitors: bubble netting, open mouth gulping, physical contact, loud acoustic sounds, and breaching. It is truly one of
nature’s great events.

Kingdom of Tonga

Canon 1DX MkII, Canon 8–15mm fisheye, 1/320, f/5.6, ISO 400