BAHAMAS BENEATH

A dive into the waters of this famous island nation with the creatures that call it home

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Rays of light

A group of 14 spotted eagle rays, some as large as 3m in wingspan, glides through the waters off Egg Island. Knowing how shy these creatures are, photographer Shane hid behind a rock and held his breath as they 'flew' overhead, so as not to spook them with air bubbles.

Squid squad 

Resembling tiny torpedoes, a small shoal of Caribbean reef squid hovers just beneath the surface. "They were communicating with each other using colours, patterns and body positioning," recalls Shane. "I did wonder whether they were trying to communicate with me, too."

Seeing green 

A close-up of the peculiar mouth of the solitary artichoke coral. Like other corals, the artichoke uses stinging tentacles to immobilise and capture passing prey, which is then passed to its mouth for digestion.

Fan base 

A coral reef burgeoning with gently undulating sea fans - soft corals known as gorgonians. Named for their fan-like appearance, these corals play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, providing habitat and shelter for a diversity of small sea creatures.

Behold the blenny