A river dolphin, or “boto,” preens just below the water’s surface at dusk in the winning image for this year’s Underwater Photographer of the Year competition.

The picture was taken in the Amazon, where local legend has it that, at night, dolphins transform into handsome men, or “botos encantado,” to seduce women.

“Though I did not witness this elusive boto transformation, at dusk I was enchanted by these beautiful mammals in a different way, recalled Kat Zhou, the photographer behind the shot. “After seeing how botos would sometimes bring their beaks above water, I knew I wanted a split shot at sunset.”

“Though the water was so dark that I was shooting blind, this dolphin gave me a perfect pose and smile!”

Zhou’s picture was chosen from the 6,000-some photographs submitted to the competition from 72 different countries.

“Like a chef reducing his sauce, this powerful image improved with each viewing and saw off the incredibly high-quality images that this competition attracts,” said one of the competition’s three judges, Peter Rowlands.

“At first glance simple, then simply perfect. In dark, tannic waters, Kat has created a striking composition capturing this rarely photographed and vulnerable species at the perfect moment,” echoed another judge, Alex Mustard.

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