MARK CARWARDINE - The Beast in the Sediment

The BBC News site has the results of the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, organized by BBC Wildlife Magazine and London's Natural History Museum. One of the competition judges was Douglas Adams' co-writer on Last Chance To See, the zoologist and broadcaster Mark Carwardine.

The winner of the competition this year is Goran Ehlme from Sweden. His winning photograph is a spectacular shot of walrus feeding on clams on the sea floor.

[Goran] caught the magic moment on a digital camera and deleted many unwanted shots.

"My finger was poised to delete this one too, and then I noticed something special," he told the BBC News website.
[...]
It was while the walrus had gone to the surface for air. Underwater, with a mask on, with a housing around the camera, it was really hard to see the little screen; but I suddenly thought 'wow!, there's his head in the cloud'.

"It looked really great."

The judges certainly thought the image was very powerful.

"It's got everything, the feel of the picture is interesting, your attention goes straight to the eye. A very simple graphic image showing interesting behaviour," said chairman of the judges, Mark Carwardine.

Read the full background behind this amazing wildlife photograph and the other four winners at BBC News - Beast in Sediment .