3rd Place Compact Behavior
Mohd Shakir
“The Drifting Feast“
The Story:
This image was captured unexpectedly during a safety stop at the end of second dive at Tenggol Island, a remote Island off the coast of Dungun District in Terengganu, Malaysia. Throughout the dive, conditions were challenging, with surge and limited opportunities for compelling subjects. As the dive was coming to an end, I noticed a hawksbill turtle gliding effortlessly through the blue, moving with purpose against the surge.
What initially appeared to be a simple pass-by quickly revealed itself as a feeding moment. The turtle was actively feeding on a drifting jellyfish, timing its movements with the surge as both predator and prey floated freely in open water. With limited time and buoyancy to manage, I had to quickly reposition myself and rearrange my camera, knowing this moment wouldn’t last long.
The scene unfolded naturally—no interaction, no interference, just a brief window into the delicate balanced ecosystem of marine life. Hawksbill turtles are more commonly associated with feeding on sponges along reefs, making this open-water feeding behaviour particularly striking to witness.
The Drifting Feast image represents the unpredictability of the ocean and serves as a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful moments occur when expectations are let go—an unplanned reward at the very end of the dive.
Location:
Tenggol Island, Terengganu, Malaysia
Equipment Used:
- Camera – OM System TG-6
- Housing – Olympus OM System PT-059 Underwater Housing
- Strobe/light – 2 Sea&Sea YS-D3 Strobe
- Lens – AOI wide angle Wet Lens
Camera Settings:
- ISO 100
- F/3.5
- Shutter speed 1/250s
