Strange seal 'ballet' underneath Antarctic iceberg revealed in breathtaking photo
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
A stunning image showing a group of seals swimming in sync beneath an Antarctic iceberg has captured a major photography award.
The ethereal photograph, taken by French photographer Greg Lecouer underneath an iceberg, shows four crabeater seals drifting in the frigid waters.
Lecouer's picture, titled "Frozen Mobile Home," was selected by judges from among more than 5,500 submissions representing photographers from 70 countries, according to the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2020 website.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
TWO DROPLETS BECOME ONE IN STUNNING VIDEO
"The balletic rhythm of these crabeater seals and the ethereal landscape of the pitted iceberg creates a composition that draws you into a corner of the world that few people have witnessed. The multiple subjects take my eyes on a journey through the frame and into the icy ocean of Antarctica," said Alex Mustard, one of the contest judges, in a statement.
Lecoeur said in a statement that "little is known about how wildlife thrives around these mobile homes. Icebergs fertilize the oceans by carrying nutrients from land that spark blooms of marine life and also provide homes for larger animals, like these crabeater seals."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Nicholas More, who won the British Underwater Photographer of the Year, snapped a gorgeous picture of a group of rabbit fish underneath a jetty in Indonesia.
WEIRD 'WATERMELON SNOW' PICS SHOW ANTARCTIC TURNING RED
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"I have been taking motion blur pictures for a few years now. I like how the technique adds dynamism to pictures" More said in a statement.
All of this year's winners can be seen in the UPY image gallery online.