May the best bird win! Incredible photos show gannets diving for their next meal
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By ELEANOR MANN
Published: | Updated:
These incredible underwater photographs reveal the frantic world beneath the waves as Northern Gannets plunge into the sea in pursuit of food.
Photographer Joshua Galicki shot the stunning images around the Isle of Noss in the Shetland Islands in Scotland, which is famous for its towering 180-metre red sandstone sea cliffs and over 150,000 breeding seabirds.
The images capture the birds diving, chasing prey and competing for their next meal just below the surface.
Mr Galicki was out with Shetland Seabird Tours when dozens of gannets gathered around the boat during a feeding session.
He seized the opportunity, positioning himself as close to the waterline as safely possible.
Ingeniously, he then used a camera inside a glass housing with strobes to illuminate the action underwater.
This striking image captures two gannets going for the same fish, their long bills crossing almost perfectly
Another shows a battle above the surface for a fish dinner
This stunning image captures a gull hunting down a fish by diving vertically into the dark sea
Other gannets chase one diving bird in hot pursuit as he grasps a fish between his bills
A wide angle zoom, meanwhile, captured the feeding frenzy above the surface - a recognisable scene to most viewers who live by the sea.
The birds moved at extraordinary speed, often changing direction in an instant as they chased fish through the water.
One of the most striking moments came when two gannets went for the same fish, their long bills crossing almost perfectly as they competed for the prize.
Mr Galicki said: 'Everything was happening so quickly that I didn't fully appreciate the alignment until afterward.'
The resulting image showed the remarkable symmetry of the birds while capturing the split second chaos of their underwater hunt.
Another image showed silhouettes of other gannets appearing like shadows behind one single gannet, who had dived underwater in a bid for food.
The images create a sense of dramatic speed and frenzy as the birds plunge into the dark sea, hungrily chasing fish.
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