Nature’s Best Photography
Ocean Views
Experience the Ocean Through the Art of Photography
June 11, 2008 through November 2008
Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans)
and Sardines (Dussumieria)
Offshore Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
by Douglas David Seifert, Jupiter, Florida, USA
"Every winter Atlantic sailfish gather in groups of
a dozen or more off the coast of
Mexico to hunt for
sardines. Once they locate shoals of sardines and
drive them to the
surface, the action begins. The
sailfish raise their dorsal fins. Their bodies flash
vibrant colors
with the excitement of the chase as
they herd tiny sardines into tight balls and
rush in,
slashing their bills to stun and devour unlucky
individuals. The action is
rapid and chaotic,
making
it extremely difficult to keep up while pushing a
camera and
snorkeling through the
agitated seas. The scene is like nothing else I have ever witnessed
while diving!"
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