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Close up head of a black-banded sea krait (Laticauda semifasciata)

Photographer Valerie Taylor (born 1935)

DateOctober 1988

Object numberANMS1468[747]

NamePhotographic slide

MediumColour transparency film

DimensionsOverall (inc carrier): 50 × 50 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Valerie Taylor in memory of Ron Taylor

Terms

DescriptionThere are about 65 species of marine sea snakes and they mostly live in shallow waters near to the shore. They come from the group of commonly known snakes that are descendants of lizards. The family of true sea snakes (family Hydrophiidae) evolved from Australian terrestrial snakes. Some species are venomous and their bodies are more streamlined than terrestrial snakes as they lack scales or are greatly reduced. Sea snakes still need to breathe air but they have specialised valves in their nostrils to prevent water entering and can therefore remain submerged for several hours. SignificanceValerie has a special connection with animals and this is best seen in her photography of marine species. As an accomplished photographer alongside her husband’s underwater filming, they have an amazing catalogue of films and images they created together. Valerie’s imagery has been published across books and magazines around the world. She has numerous prestigious honours for her contributions to conservation by using these pictures to help promote the importance and protection of the animals she has dived with and gotten to know firsthand. Valerie’s photographs also give you an intimate viewing into her career. Her images take you behind the scenes of filmmaking, epic seafaring journeys to remote spots and for many locations, capturing marine ecosystems often when they were much healthier than what can be seen today.