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21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Sunset Catch

Photo shows an Anhinga with a fish it caught in a river along the La Chua Trail in Payne's Prairie. While walking back to my car at sunset, I spotted this lone, backlit anhinga diving and looking for food. Suddenly, the bird got ahold of a large fish, spearing it with its dagger-like beak. However, the fish was indeed a slippery one, constantly freeing itself from the bird, forcing the anhinga to dive repeatedly until it finally secured it. I was fortunate to capture a brief moment where the silhouetted predator and prey were facing one another, the fins of the fish glistening in the evening light, before the anhinga tossed the fish in the air and swallowed it whole.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Copyright: © Mitch Walters