2nd Place Cold Water
Yannick Gouguenheim
“Jaws“
The Story: I made this picture in the only pond of the south-east of France where the species is present.
I am passionate about urodeles and this species is in my opinion the most beautiful marbled newt.
The shots are quite difficult because this animal is fast and the water is very cold during the reproduction period. It took me many hours of waiting underwater to succeed in capturing this picture.
This species has a very wide range and is still locally common, but it has experienced a very strong regression and has become more or less rare in most of its range. The important rarefaction of the great crested newt is due to multiple factors: intensive agriculture and agricultural consolidation, urbanization of plains, road development, water pollution, lowering of the water table and first of all the filling of ponds or their artificialization as fishing areas. It disappears quite quickly from ponds where fish have been introduced.
Location: Department of Gard, South East of France
Equipment Used: Nikon D7000, Hugyfot Housing
