TITLE: "The Boss"


“The Boss”
A large male bull sea lion, Los Islotes, near La Paz, Mexico.

I had been privileged to spend a considerable time with this male and his harem, surrounded by playful pups regularly coming close by to investigate my camera and fins. The protective male, always nearby, regularly made close passes looking directly at me, inquisitively, confirming I was no threat.
Harem of sea lions framed by the schooling sardines and the power of their majestic protector.

The sea lions at Los Islotes are thriving in this protected Unesco Biosphere

This image was taken with a Nikon D500, in a Nauticam housing, with two retra pro strobes.
I was using the 8-15 (F3.5-4.5) Nikon fisheye lens with Zen dome.
Settings 1/125 - f11 - ISO400.

AUTHOR: Catherine Holmes (United Kingdom)

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Catherine Holmes is an underwater photographer, dentist and watercolour artist who through her imagery hopes to inspire people to nurture and protect our fragile underwater world for future generations to enjoy. Catherine spent her early life in Australia close to the sea. She now lives in England, working as a Dental Surgeon, and travelling widely across the globe, venturing underwater to capture images wherever she goes. Her work features images from Indonesia, Red Sea, Galapagos, Maldives and the Caribbean. In her work with watercolours she would describe herself as a colourist, which shines through in her photographic work. She strives to portray images that capture the vibrant colours and light underwater in overall painterly compositions. As a member of the British Society of Underwater Photographers, Catherine has won awards in many international competitions, most recently the Underwater winner of GDT European Wildlife photographer of the year 2023, as well as recognition in the Siena International photo awards the Underwater Photographer of the Year, Ocean Art, Ocean Geographic and the World Shootout. Catherine’s imagery and articles have been widely published in Underwater magazines. She states: “I am always at my happiest underwater, a place of beauty, calm and silence – perhaps I was always meant to be a mermaid.”