Honorable Mention Cold Water
Simon Lorenz
Hong Kong
“Best Friends Forever“
The Story: While looking for Marine Iguanas at Fernandina Island in Galapagos we came across these inquisitive Galapagos Penguins. Given that they are hunted by many predators above and below the water it was surprising how close they came to us. These penguins are the only ones living north of the equator thanks to the ice cold Humboldt Current that hits the West side of Galapagos, and are therefore endemic to these Islands. Being the most endangered species of Penguin, seeing two of only 2000 breeding animals left in the world is truly special. They are one of the smallest penguins and zip fast in the water like all penguins. So catching a photo of them in murky, green water with a serious swell going on during an overcast day was not an easy task.
Location: Galapagos, Ecuador
Equipment Used: Nikon D850, Isotta Housing, Nikkor 16-35mm Lens, Dual Inon Z-330 Strobes
Settings: F10, 1/250 sec, ISO 400
