Mangroves, like these in Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina, are aquatic trees that straddle the salty boundary between land and sea · Cristina Mittermeier
While most photographers cringe at mangroves’ commonly held reputation as murky, mosquito-ridden swamps, for us this is, in Andy’s words, “Heaven on Earth.”
From the tops of the trees to the sandy bottom below the water, a rich diversity of plants and animals inhabit mangrove lagoons · Cristina Mittermeier
“Swimming side by side, but at a distance, we let the current carry us, eyes peeled for big sharks or crocodiles that might be lurking nearby, and in search of prey.” · Cristina Mittermeier
In this tight space, I must not touch anything — not the wildlife, not the branches, not the sea bottom. Especially not the sea bottom, as the moment a fin or a finger so much as grazes the sediment lying there, a cloud of velvety silt will envelop me and my gear, and the opportunity to photograph anything in this magnificent mangrove forest will be gone.
A young lemon shark takes shelter in the mangrove roots · Andy Mann
Thousands of tiny sardines swim in unison in the calm waters of a mangrove pool · Cristina Mittermeier
Sardines hide themselves in a mangrove forest, to avoid predators out in the open sea · Cristina Mittermeier
Rustling sardines maneuver in and out of the twisted roots of mangroves · Cristina Mittermeier
This sizeable grouper is at least 50 lbs in weight, but it’s only a baby. Adult groupers reach enormous sizes of up to 8 feet in length and weigh up to 800 lbs · Cristina Mittermeier
Mangroves are one of the most at-risk ecosystems on the planet. We’ve lost half of all mangroves in the past 50 years. If we don’t take action to address this, the remaining mangroves could be gone this century. These extraordinary aquatic trees are necessary for our shared future. We must work to protect them and support those who depend on them.
Time flies when you are in the company of these humble sardines, sparkling like silver beads · Cristina Mittermeier
