Thanks to the exceptional biodiversity of the Mayotte Lagoon, one of the most beautiful in the world, Gabriel Barathieu is able to take photographs of an incredible variety of underwater flora and fauna – all the more so because manta rays, marine turtles and dolphins inhabit these waters all year round.
Skunk clownfish
Detail from a squid taken during a night dive
Focus on the teeth of a striped triggerfish. It was hidden in a hole and was unable to get out. I took the opportunity to take a close-up of its mouth.
An Atlantic stargazer, a fish straight out of a horror film. It hides in the sand and waits for its prey to pass before gobbling it all up!
Detail of a soft coral taken on a night dive.
A tiny little Thor shrimp 'dancing' on its anenome. Photo taken in the Mayotte lagoon, opposite the village of Bouéni, at a depth of 20 metres.
A Javanese moray eel in a fault of the Sada pass in Mayotte. The Javanese is one of the biggest moray eels. Some can be up to 2.5m long and about 35cm in diameter.
Little harlequin crab and the sea cucumber. This is a symbiotic relationship between two animals.
Photo of a turtle half in the air, half in the water just after sunset. The colours of the sky are still warm and vibrant. The turtle surfaces to take in air, giving me a unique chance to take this hard-to-get shot.
Yellow clownfish in a blue sea Amphiprion latifasciatus anemone. It was first time I'd seen a blue anemone in the S pass in Mayotte.
A gorgeous leopard moray eel by its sponge.
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By Gabriel BARATHIEU
Professional underwater photographer <strong>Gabriel Barathieu</strong> photographs the treasures in the watery depths of Mayotte.
