Whip coral shrimp, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia. Photo © David Curry
Grand prize winner Through Your Lens category, Scuba Diving Magazine Photo Contest 2023
At first glance it looks like a wreath of exquisite orange and yellow spring flowers. But look closer — notice the long light green fronds in the bottom right? That’s a tiny sea creature, a whip coral shrimp (Dasycaris zanzibarica), and the seeming flowery wreath is actually its habitat, whip coral.
This stunning shot is a testament to our incredible modern photography tools and to photographer David Curry’s patience, skill, luck … and some pre-owned camera gear. David was on an All Star Red Sea liveaboard trip in Indonesia when he snapped this pic. In his words:
I spotted this whip coral shrimp sitting on the very tip of the coral on a shore dive in Bali while on holiday with my wife, Ellen. After waiting patiently, the shrimp worked his way down the spiral and I took the shot just as he reached the bottom. This was my first trip using a DSLR—I managed to find a used setup just before setting off. ~David Curry
David entered this photo in Scuba Magazine’s contest only because a friend convinced him. His advice to people entering their first photo contest? “…take a chance on the next competition. I didn’t expect to come close!”
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