This isn’t a great shot technically, but it was one of the most satisfying images I have ever captured. While in Australia back in 2006, I had been waking every morning at 4 AM and searching for hours for the elusive platypus. The search took me from Daintree National Park in the northeast corner of the country, to the Atherton Tablelands further inland and down to Kangaroo Island off the south central coast. Each morning I was sacrificing the best light of the day while trying to find this strange creature. I finally decided to give up and concentrate on getting shots of the animals that were easier to find, like kangaroos. I packed up my gear and was heading back to my car when I decided to check one last water hole. It was there that I spotted this guy. Experience had taught me, however, that spotting a platypus was only half the battle. I still had to get a shot before it sensed my presence and dove under never to return. I knew I might only get one shot, and this was it. I was eventually able to habituate a second platypus but the thrill of the first shot is what I remembered most.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/5 at 1/60th of a second, SB-800 flash