2nd Place Underwater Conservation
Steven Kovacs
“Smoke Break“
The Story: During a dive at a popular local dive site, I was stunned to come across this small Lizardfish that had mistaken a cigarette butt drifting by for a fish. Even more shocking was that the Lizardfish did not realize its mistake and continued to swallow the discarded butt as I photographed the spectacle. Fearing it would ultimately kill the unfortunate animal if it succeeded, I decided to intervene and take away its harmful meal choice. Sadly, I think this photograph illustrates how people can negatively impact and harm the environment with even the smallest of actions.
Location: Blue Heron Bridge, Florida, USA
Equipment Used: Nikon D7000 Camera, Canon 105mm Macro Lens, Ikelite Housing , Dual Ikelite DS160 Strobes
Camera Settings: F25, 1/250 sec, ISO 250
