Nate Kovo's Image

Nate Kovo (Israel) gets eye level with a common tern as it fishes off Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

Nate had been watching the birds from the shore of the largest breeding colony of terns in Israel. He wanted to show the tern in its element, so he left his jeans and hiking boots on the beach and waded in.

He spent two hours in the water, holding the camera high while standing on slippery rocks in a strong swell.

When they locate prey, terns swoop down. They then either level out to pick from the surface, which is known as ‘dipping’, or fold their wings to plunge-dive into the water. Terns can dive up to 50 cm (20 inches) beneath the water.

Monitoring and management of breeding colonies by conservation groups has increased numbers of terns on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.