Description
LOCATION: Red Sea, Egypt
STORY BEHIND THE SHOT: Moments like this happen once in a lifetime, or shall we say, once in 1000 turtle encounters. This hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), classified as critically endangered, had only one thing on his mind: lunch! He was so hungry, that he completely ignored me for 30+ minutes with my camera practically pressed up against his face! He was crushing that coral like candy!
The dendronephthya soft corals he was chowing down on like candy have a defense which works well against many predators; when disturbed, it excretes a white mucus (think tree sap) that’s toxic to most things. But nature always finds a way, and the hawksbill is seemingly unaffected. You can even see some of the mucus floating through the water towards the bottom of the frame. And when I returned to the same reef at the same time the next week in Southern Egypt’s Red Sea, guess what? He was feeding in the exact same place, on the same corals! I shot him for another 30 minutes with some different techniques for a different perspective – an absolutely magical experience!
For the sea turtle lovers, be sure to also check out Spa Day, and if it’s the corals and colors that drew you here, take a look at Rainbow Reef, which is a very similar photo of the reef, but without a sea turtle.
TO PURCHASE THIS ALUMINUM PRINT: Candy Crush is offered here online as vertical prints in it’s original 3:2 ratio from 16×24″ up to 72×48″, but it is somewhat flexible to custom crop into different shapes. Contact our design team to inquire about custom sizing up to 200″ tall.