“Its prey was still alive.” Photographer captures blue dragons feeding in unbelievable element

You’d be forgiven for pondering that the weight loss plan of an ocean creature smaller than a grape wouldn’t be very fascinating. But, within the case of the blue dragon, you’d be very improper. 

In an astonishingly detailed video, a wildlife photographer has proven simply how fascinating the mealtimes of those beautiful nudibranchs are.

Blue dragons feed on venomous creatures, together with Portuguese males of struggle, by-the-wind-sailors (Velella velella) and blue buttons (Porpita porpita). They steal their victims’ venom and retailer it to make use of themselves for self-defence.

Nature and conservation photographer Alex Basha has shared this sea slug’s sensational snack time with the world by way of an beautiful video captured in Gran Canaria within the Canary Islands.

Basha has been photographing the wildlife of Las Canteras Beach for a number of years. When robust winds pushed a number of open ocean species – together with blue dragons – nearer to shore on this Special Area of Conservation, he took the chance to doc the occasion. 

Thanks to recommendation from fellow photographer Pablo Moratalla, Basha was capable of seize hypnotic close-up footage of a blue dragon munching on a blue button. Somewhat horrifyingly, its prey was nonetheless alive because the tiny predator nibbled on its tissue. 

“I used a Sony A7 IV with a 90mm f/2.8 macro lens,” says Basha. “To bring out the colours of the nudibranch and capture its behaviour in detail, I worked with external lighting from the shoreline using a tripod and a LED video light.”

“Seeing a blue dragon feeding at such close range was quite striking,” says Basha. 

But he describes the second as bittersweet. “These species belong to the open ocean, and when they reach the coastline, it often means they won’t make it back offshore,” he says. “Although it feels like a privilege to witness it up close, in most cases it’s the final stage of their journey.”

Image and video credit score: Alex Basha, alexbasha.com

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