An Auckland photographer has taken out the top award at NIWA's annual photograph competition with his photograph of two moray eels sharing an underwater crevice.
The eels were photographed by Auckland-based scientist James Williams near an underwater cliff at the Mokohinau Islands, off the northeast coast of the North Island.
Each year NIWA holds a photographic competition for its staff, many of whom work in some unusual and stunning environments.
Judges said of this year's winning shot: "This is a great shot with excellent lighting and finely focused detail bringing out the pair of eels and their surrounding habitat. Cute, humorous and colourful."
Other winners in the competition were Crispin Middleton, Jean Keddy and Daniel Leduc.
Their photographs featured a pre-dawn start for scientists on New Zealand's most northerly harbour, Parengarenga, a male nematode seen through an interfence contrast microscope, a John Dory cruising past the entrance to Northern Arch at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve and a spotlight on Tapu te Ranga.
