Daniel Sly, Macro Creatures of Indonesia (ANIMAL & NATURE 2025)

The black volcanic sands of the Indonesia's Lembeh Strait are home to an astonishing variety of tiny, colourful, and unusual creatures. Here, frogfish lie in wait, ready to strike at unsuspecting prey. Pughead pipefish blend perfectly among coral polyps, while pygmy seahorses perch delicately on sea fans. Ghostpipefish drift silently over the sandy bottom, their bodies perfectly camouflaged among the halimeda algae. This macro world reveals the incredible diversity and strange beauty hidden in Lembeh’s unique underwater landscape.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.