Raphael Giraud, Flying over the desert (ANIMAL 2023)

These pictures were taken while freediving from a secret spot off the lighthouse in Byron Bay. It is a special place, with abundant marine life and beautiful sandy bottom, but not easily accessible due to big swell and very strong currents. However, sometimes, when the stars align, there is an opportunity to swim there and take some shots. It was particularly challenging because these animals were moving fast and I had to shoot while holding my breath and fighting against the current. The animals on these pictures are the Green Sea Turtle, the Spotted Eagle Ray, and the Spotted Wobbegong Shark. They seems to fly above a desert like an airplane in the middle of the Sahara.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.