Rowan Dear, The Cuttlefish Mating Game (ANIMAL & NATURE 2022)

These images were taken during the giant cuttlefish mating season in Whyalla, South Australia. Cuttlefish are such fascinating animals to dive with, each one has its own character and can display their personalities and moods, my changing colour, or shape, or with their arms and tentacles, During mating season, you get to see it all, and more. I love the use of natural sunlight in my images, and at around 4m depth and clear skies, this weekend in Whyalla was perfect. The images show how the male giant cuttlefish goes through the process to find a mate. From battling with another male one on one-in ''the mating dance'' To making themselves look bigger, by spreading arms and tentacles out, ''Make yourself look big'' To guarding two females- "Mr Greedy'' And finally the end result ''success'' I hope these images help tell their story

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