Henley Spiers. Midnight Munkiana.
Born during the great mobula ray aggregations of spring, Juvenile Munk's devil rays (mobula munkiana) remain in the Sea of Cortez long after their parents have left, using the shallow bays of Espiritu Santo as a nursery. By autumn, the water is clear, a bonus for underwater photography but also signifying less food for the filter feeding rays.
Hanging a green light from the back of our boat, plankton gathers around it and the mobula rays gratefully swoop in for a microscopic buffet. The munkiana seem to fly through the water as they pursue their dinner. Entranced by their grace, I used a 2 second exposure to capture their movements which to my eye, felt like an aquatic ballet. Espiritu Santo Island, Unesco World Heritage site and national park, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Henley Spiers is a renowned underwater photographer, writer, and expedition leader who has fast become one of the most highly decorated wildlife image-makers in the world.
Follow Henley on Instagram @henleyspiers.
