Cheng Kang, Fish out of water (ANIMALS 2025)

Australian Pelicans typically hunt by herding fish into shallower waters, using their sensitive bills to catch their prey. However, I was deeply concerned to witness a pelican encountering a discarded plastic bottle instead of a fish. Thankfully, the pelican seemed to recognize that the plastic was not food. Yet, it’s alarming to think about the potential harm if it hadn’t. Each year, Australia contributes 130,000 tonnes of plastic to its oceans, which endangers countless marine mammals, birds, and other wildlife. This highlights the urgent need for action to reduce plastic pollution and protect our marine ecosystems.

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