Mister Whiskers

Valter Bernardeschi, Italy

Curious young walruses approach the camera in the icy ocean around the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Valter noticed the walruses from his dinghy and jumped in, extending his camera safely ahead of him using two monopod poles and a float. These walruses are likely to live for up to 40 years. They spend their days trawling the sea floor, using their whiskers and muzzles to forage for molluscs like clams. They are well adapted to the cold: Their thick skin insulates them and blood flow is restricted to the skin surface. Valter’s photo was highly commended in the “Animal Portraits” category.

HOW? Sony ILCE-7RM2, 28 mm lens with an ultrawide converter, shutter speed 1/800 second, aperture f8, ISO 1 250, in a Nimar II housing with a Nikonos remote control and two Feisol monopods.