Eye of the beholder

Usually hidden within their burrows on a hot day, this red land crab on St Francois Island in the Seychelles decided to go for a lone wander over the sand flats, enabling this astonishing close-up with its sense of intimacy and feeling of shared recognition.

This is a bearded scorpionfish in the waters around Fiji’s Taveuni Island. It was perched on the reef in a position that made it perfect to take this portrait.

The Aldabra giant tortoise is a wise old reptile and iconic to the Seychelles, where I shot this close-up on Alphonse Island, where I am based. I consider myself fortunate to share my environment with such unique animals

The black cheek moray eel is one of the more aggressive moray species – as this shot suggests. They are a fairly common sighting when diving around Alphonse Island, where this picture was taken.

Octopuses are among the most fascinating and interactive creatures you can encounter when diving. This
day octopus, which I found on a dive off Alphonse Island in Seychelles, was no exception.

This picture was taken during a scientific survey examining fish biodiversity in the waters around Alphonse Island. Gobies, like this delightful whip coral goby, can be some of the best subjects for macro photography.

Taking a UV light underwater at night is one of the most magical experiences you can have, enabling you to illuminate some seriously psychedelic coral fluorescence. This is a mushroom coral shot in the waters around Seychelles’ Alphonse Island.