CAMOUFLAGED EEL
MORAY EEL, FAMILY: MURAENIDAE
Justin Gilligan, New South Wales
The Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve
offers some of the best temperate water
diving in the world. The kelp-covered
reefs provide shelter for a range of species.
This moray eel was barely discernible
among the kelp – the perfect cover for
an ambush predator.
Poor Knights Islands, New ZealandNikon D800, Nikon 10.5mm,
1/250, f/10, ISO 400, Ikelite housing,
twin DS161 strobes, handheld
ANIMAL HABITAT
Check out the full shortlist of
amazing images from the 2015
Australian Geographic ANZANG Nature
Photographer of the Year in this brand-
new, 120-page, hardcover book. Inside,
you’ll fi nd nearly 100 beautiful nature photo-
graphs from a region that includes Australia,
New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea.46 ANIMAL HABITATANIMAL HABITAT BLUEBOTTLE ARMYBLUEBOTTLE, PHYSALIA PHYSALIS
Matthew Smith, New South Wales Following strong summer northeast winds, hundreds of bluebottles blow in and are trapped, floating around the bay and sometimes clumping together
in huge rafts. After quite a few early mornings and lighting experiments I captured the striking contrast between their blueness and the orange sun rising in the background.
QQ100, Inon Z220 Substrobe at ½ power flash, handheld, Aquatica for Bushrangers Bay, Shellharbour, New South WalesNikon D300s, Nikon 10.5mm F2.8 Fisheye, 1/200, f/22, ISO
D300s with Aquatica 8” Acrylic Dome Port water housing ANIMAL HABITAT 47ANIMAL HABITAT THRIVING ON AGRICULTURE
BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE, Brendan Schembri, South Australia The black-shouldered kite is one of the lucky species to have ELANUS AXILLARIS
reaped the benefits of agricultural practices and the introduction of house mice in Australia. This stunning raptor was using the fence as a vantage point to spot its rodent prey, which is abundant in the wheat fields.
QQf/16, ISO 160, handheldRoma, QueenslandCanon EOS 7D, Sigma 105mm macro lens, 1/250,116 THREATENED SPECIESTHREATENED SPECIESWHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
MARY RIVER TURTLE, ELUSOR MACRURUSSTATUS: ENDANGERED
Gunther Schmida, QueenslandFreshwater turtles are a much neglected part of Austral-ia’s incredible fauna, mainly because they live an aquatic
lifestyle and are rarely encountered. Most of their habitats are unsuitable for in situ underwater photography – they are either not clear enough or home to creatures posing a
danger to humans like crocodiles.n Beechmont, Queenslandn Fully aqua-scaped 1500 litre aquarium, Lower Nikon D 80, Nikkor 24/120 at 120mm, 1/1000
sec (flash), f/16, ISO 100, 6 small slave studio flashes mounted above the tank at full out-put, master flash Nikon SB 24 mounted at 45° above the camera at front. 1/4 out-put. All manual, UV filter,
handheldTHREATENED SPECIES (^) MRS CASSOWARYSOUTHERN CASSOWARY,
CASUARIUS CASUARIUSSTATUS: VULNERABLE
Ofer Levy, New South WalesThis huge female wild southern cassowary was photographed while foraging at Etty Beach close to the sea. Due to ongoing
habitat loss, limited range and overhunting in some areas, the southern cassowary is evaluated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
n n f2.8 L IS, 1/320, f/8, ISO 800Etty Beach, QueenslandCanon EOS 1D IV, Canon 300mm
THREATENED SPECIES GOING HOME
SNARES CRESTED PENGUIN, EUDYPTES ROBUSTUSSTATUS: VULNERABLE
Doug Gimesy, VictoriaThe Snares crested penguin breeds only on the Snares Islands, about 200 kilometres
south west of New Zealand’s mainland. Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN’s red list, landing here is restricted to official researchers and of course the native wildlife. This one was
photographed offshore on its way home.n n Snares Islands, Southern OceanNikon d750, Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-
5.6, 1/1250, f/6.3, ISO 800, UV filter, handheld from a zodiac
THREATENED SPECIES 117
80 MONOCHROME
MASSED GREY-HEADED FLYING FOXESGREY-HEADED FLYING FOX,
PTEROPUS POLIOCEPHALUSAndrew Wallace, VictoriaAn infra-red view of threatened grey-headed
flying foxes in their summer camp along the Yarra River. These megabats, the largest in
Australia, were once found in vastly greater numbers. At dusk thousands head off to feed, several enjoying these figs in my backyard.
QQmodification, Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 12-Yarra Bend Park, Kew, VictoriaOlympus E-PM2 with 720nm infra-red
50mm f/3.5-6.3 E, 1/100, f/8, ISO 320, handheld
MONOCHROME
GREEN TURTLEGREEN SEA TURTLE, Tracey Jennings, SingaporeCHELONIA MYDAS
Diving in the Gili Islands in Indonesia it is common to see turtles on every dive. Although my camera was set up for macro, this turtle swam so close to me that it was possible to
capture a portrait as the turtle cruised by. QQGili Trawangan, Lombok, IndonesiaNikon D80, Nikon 105mm f2.8,
1/200, f/6.3, ISO 160, Ikelite underwater housing, with flat port and a single Ikelite 160 strobe
MONOCHROME
MONOCHROME 81
The year’s best wildlife and
landscape photos
AUSTRALASIAN NATURE
PHOTOGRAPHY:
$34.95
Available from 1 August, or for pre-order,
by calling Magshop on 1300 555 176
and quoting code AGR158.
240 x 255mm, hardcover, 120 pages.
PUBLISHED BY AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC.
BROWSE
Use the free viewa app to
scan this page and see all
the fi nalists in the Australian
Geographic ANZANG Nature
Photographer of the Year
competition. You’ll also
fi nd them on our website
at: http://www.australian-
geographic.com.au/ANZANG
68 Australian Geographic 圀漀爀氀搀䴀愀最猀⸀渀攀琀圀漀爀氀搀䴀愀最猀⸀渀攀琀
WorldMags.net