Cod you not! Fish photobombs diver as she snaps underwater selfie
A diver captured an amusing underwater photograph in which a pufferfish appeared to merge with her body, creating the illusion of a "pufferfish human" hybrid. The photograph was taken off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, and has since become a memorable moment shared for its comic timing rather than any planned effect.
Photographer Sumire Kamiya, visiting from Okinawa, Japan, was taking underwater selfies while surrounded by a large group of pufferfish when one swam directly between her face and the camera at the precise moment the shutter clicked. The result lined the fish's head up perfectly with her body, and Kamiya said she only noticed how well the alignment worked when reviewing the photo afterwards, calling the unplanned coincidence "even funnier" for being accidental.
- Pufferfish swam across a diver's face during an underwater selfie
- Photo appeared to merge fish's head with her body
- Taken off Baja California by visiting Japanese photographer Sumire Kamiya
New here? Start with this
Pufferfish are known for puffing up when startled, but they can also draw a laugh simply by drifting into shot at the wrong moment, as happened here. The image was taken in the waters off Baja California, a diving spot in north-west Mexico popular for its rich marine life, including large groups of pufferfish that divers can swim among.
The photograph was taken by Sumire Kamiya, a visitor from Okinawa in Japan, who was taking underwater selfies while surrounded by the fish. It is the kind of shot that has become common in the age of underwater and action cameras, where divers and snorkellers capture unplanned, comic moments simply by being in the right place at the right time.
Stories like this tend to circulate because they are lighthearted rather than because they involve any wider controversy or issue. Their appeal lies in the coincidence of timing and the visual illusion created, rather than in any deeper significance.