Surfing Hippos (2000) – Michael Nichols

Lensmen Michael Nichols and Michael Fay headed to Gabon, where the former spotted these creatures swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Although hippos live in water, they are usually spotted in swaps and rivers and rarely in the sea. Moreover, what made this picture impactful was that it inspired the country’s president to form a parks system for wildlife.

Hippopotamus, which comes from the Greek word river horse, is a species that is native to Africa. They are the third-biggest land mammals, next to elephants and rhinos. A famous one named Fiona celebrated her fourth birthday at the Cincinnati Zoo in January 2021.