Michael Tropiano, The Sharks of Lord Howe Island (ANIMALS 2023)

Galapagos whalers are found almost no where else in Australia, yet at Lord Howe Island they thrive. Their abundance gives them confidence and makes them an incredible photographic opportunity. Turning this image mono highlighted the ampullae of lorenzini along the nose and behind the eye of this individual. These are pores which give sharks their incredible senses and abilities as apex predators and are really key to their evolution and success in our oceans.

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