honorable mention
daniela dirscherl germanyPhoto © daniela dirscherl
title
Munks Devil Ray feeding on plankton at night
After a third hour of anxiety waiting - finally - we spied a few shadows below us. Quickly I jumped in the water and positioned myself a few meters under the boat for the light. Suddenly a few isolated mobulas fluttered past me. I was irritated; They are very small, hardly larger than a pizza plate. There are dwarf manta rays (Munk's Devil Ray - Mobula munkiana). As swift as bats, they swirl with lightning speed through the water with constant changes of direction. It was not until another hour later that they formed a flock. From now on it became easier for me to photograph the rays in the dark.
Daniela is based in Munich and always loved water since she can remember.
She started diving in the early nineties and worked as diving instructor on Maldives for a couple of years. Since she met her husband Reinhard Dirscherl in 1998 she is working as an underwater photo model.
In 2005 she opened up her stock photo library WaterFrame which is today one of very few high quality stock agencies in Germany specialized in marine wildlife, nature and travel.
In the same time she started taking underwater images and gradually she was learning and improving by persistent practice and always observing those better than her.
Since she is diving she has travelled almost all over the world and has dived the most fantastic places and habitats. Still she loves every moment under the sea……..
Her new passion now is paragliding. With her wing she overflies borders just with the power of wind and sun.
Camera Equipment: EOS 5D Mark II with Seacam Housing & Seacam Strobes
Diving Equipment: sponsored by SCUBAPRO
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entry description
The Sea of Cortez, Mexico is known for its large swarms of rays. With a diving boat I anchored in a shallow lagoon. With fluorescent light I wanted to attract plankton - and with the plankton Mobulas. That was the plan. The boat crew attached a special device: three large fluorescent tubes were lowered into the water. It was getting dark and all eyes were looking in the water. I waited 1 hour, 2 hours - slowly I got nervous. Is it going to work? Plankton is here, but where are the mobulas?After a third hour of anxiety waiting - finally - we spied a few shadows below us. Quickly I jumped in the water and positioned myself a few meters under the boat for the light. Suddenly a few isolated mobulas fluttered past me. I was irritated; They are very small, hardly larger than a pizza plate. There are dwarf manta rays (Munk's Devil Ray - Mobula munkiana). As swift as bats, they swirl with lightning speed through the water with constant changes of direction. It was not until another hour later that they formed a flock. From now on it became easier for me to photograph the rays in the dark.
about the photographer
Daniela DirscherlDaniela is based in Munich and always loved water since she can remember.
She started diving in the early nineties and worked as diving instructor on Maldives for a couple of years. Since she met her husband Reinhard Dirscherl in 1998 she is working as an underwater photo model.
In 2005 she opened up her stock photo library WaterFrame which is today one of very few high quality stock agencies in Germany specialized in marine wildlife, nature and travel.
In the same time she started taking underwater images and gradually she was learning and improving by persistent practice and always observing those better than her.
Since she is diving she has travelled almost all over the world and has dived the most fantastic places and habitats. Still she loves every moment under the sea……..
Her new passion now is paragliding. With her wing she overflies borders just with the power of wind and sun.
Camera Equipment: EOS 5D Mark II with Seacam Housing & Seacam Strobes
Diving Equipment: sponsored by SCUBAPRO
back to gallery