Diver Crispin Middleton observes the annual Jewel anemone spawning event in the Bay of Islands.
This image of principal technician Crispin Middleton was captured by his wife Irene – who also works at NIWA – on the Canterbury Wreck in the Bay of Islands, at about 25m depth.
It shows a female jewel anemone releasing eggs during a mass spawning event, which happens once a year just after the full moon in the middle of winter.
“The spectacle is always super exciting and is so short lived, so the dives and photography are a bit frantic,” said Irene.
“I planned this shot a whole year ahead of time, so with lots of hand signals and head shaking I managed to line up Crispin perfectly as he watched the spawning anemone. I didn't get chance to check the shot until I was back on land, so I was really proud of the outcome. The colours are beautiful and the fact that he is looking right at it makes it eye catching,” said Irene.