Titled “Now You See Me”, it was taken by photographer Timothy Chew and has been shortlisted for the 2017 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year prize, which will be announced later this week.
“The Australian sea lion is an endangered species with active conservation efforts underway in Seal Bay,” he writes of the photo. “This playful pup was blissfully frolicking in the sand but became quite intrigued as I approached. Our gazes locked momentarily before the distractions of surf and sun proved too strong for this young Aussie.”
The competition is open to photographers from all over the world, who are encouraged to capture the beauty of the flora, fauna and landscapes of the Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea bioregions. Below is a selection of other shortlisted images:
Now You See Me, by Timothy Chew.
Jumping for Joy, by Beau Pilgrim: 'A bottlenose dolphin jumps high above the water after riding the bow wave of a boat moments before. The dolphin took off quickly away from the boat towards a wave and I was able to focus on the wave before capturing the whole sequence of the dolphin "jumping for joy".’
Unfurling Brilliance, by Janelle de Soza: 'Australian native flowers are amazing viewed through the macro lens, showing detail barely seen with the naked eye. Callistemon flower spikes are brilliant viewed from a distance with a luminous crimson colour, but to look closely at the unfurling styles, filaments, stigmas and anthers is quite another wonder to behold.'
Windblown Egret, by Jennie Stock: 'A little egret (Egretta garzetta) in breeding plumage was feeding in a shallow section of Herdsman Lake on a windy day when it turned and the breeze ruffled its feathers.'
Guthega Wombat, by Charles Davis: 'After three days of snow storms I knew the warm sunshine would bring the wombats out into the open. They’re very stubborn and once on a path they will stick to it. I positioned myself in the wombat’s path – it headed towards me without a care in the world.'
Ghost Forest, by Jason Freeman: 'Drought conditions reveal the longevity of past land-clearing decisions, with stumps remaining as memorials to their greener past. Getting in close allowed me to use the roots to lead the viewer’s eye through the image, telling the story, with the background kept sharp to convey scale and give depth.'
First Wave, by Matty Smith: 'A young and critically endangered hawksbill turtle ducks under its first wave just minutes after hatching. Its struggle will be long and tiresome and the odds of survival are sadly stacked against it. A slow shutter speed used with a flash enabled me to capture the amazing ambient light.'