Honorable Mention Coldwater
Celia Kujala
“Welcoming Committee”
The Story: South American sea lions are very curious and I never experienced a dull moment during my time diving with them in the Punta Loma Reserve in Argentina. However, there was one instance that was extremely special. I was photographing one young sea lion who had a small scratch between her eyes when all of a sudden about a dozen more sea lions appeared all also curious and eager to welcome me to their domain. At this point I was way too close and backed up as quickly as I could while readjusting my camera from the portrait shots I had been taking before the welcoming committee arrived. All of them followed me, but I was able to create enough distance to capture this beautiful once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.
Location: Punta Loma Reserve – Chubut Province, Argentina
Equipment Used: Nikon D500 Camera, Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye Lens, Nauticam NA-D500 Housing, Dual Sea & Sea YS-D2J Strobes
Camera Settings: 1/160 sec, F14, ISO 400
