By Daily Mail Reporter


Swan dive: Photographer Victor Lyagushkin, 40, took these incredible underwater pictures of swans diving for food at the Blue Lake in southern Russia. Because they can't dive like ducks, they need their long necks

These eye-popping underwater pictures of swans stretching for their food show just why swans have such beautifully long necks.

By putting their long necks to good use by ducking underwater and reaching for food at the bottom of a lake these mute swans are showing not just their looks - but also how well adapted they are.

National geographic photographer, Victor Lyagushkin, 40, took these incredible underwater pictures of a group of five swans ducking for food at the Blue Lake in southern Russian.

Looking for food: Before they put the effort in to stretch down the swans have a good look around

'Swans cannot dive as ducks do,' explained Victor.

'Instead they use their long necks to reach deep water weeds.

'These swans spend winter on the Blue lake, because it never freezes.

'There are a lot of algae, which is the swans' favourite food and they feel themselves safe in the water.


Ducking, not diving: An above-surface view of the swan bobbing for its dinner. Algae at the bottom of the lake is one of their favourite foods

All the way down: With a strong kick from its webbed feet, the swan can get down to hard-to-reach places

'There are a lot of algae, which is the swans' favourite food and they feel themselves safe in the water.

'That is why this is the best place for swans.'

The Blue Lake is the third largest karsk spring in the world, which means that it gets its amazingly clear water from a much larger network of caves deep underground.


Having a breather: A pair of swans take a break from bobbing down in the clear water of the Blue Lake, the world's largest karsk spring

By putting their long necks to good use by ducking underwater and reaching for food at the bottom of a lake these swans are showing not just their looks but also how well adapted they are

While they look delicate swans are large and powerful birds that can have have wing spans of up to six feet wide and can weigh up to 30 pounds.

In the wild they usually live seven years but have been known to survive in captivity for 50 years.

Swans are naturally cautious creatures so Victor had to use a special underwater breathing technique over the course of a week to win the graceful birds' trust.

National geographic photographer, Victor Lyagushkin, took these incredible underwater
pictures of swans diving for food at the Blue Lake in southern Russian

'It was not easy to take these pictures,' said Victor.

'Although I fed the birds daily and they became almost tame, the swans were still very shy and they watched what is going under water.

'They were not afraid of a person on the surface but saw the photographer underwater and escaped each time.


The Blue Lake is the third largest karsk spring in the world, which means that it gets its amazingly clear water from a much larger network of caves deep underground

'I had to change from the usual apparatus onto re-breather.

'This kind of underwater technique does not exhale bubbles, which gave me the opportunity to come more close to the birds.'



source:dailymail