The Most Dazzling Ocean Photos of the Year
The oceans remain one of the most unexplored places on the planet. But every once in a while, we get a glimpse of the beauty and terror they contain. This month, the Underwater Photography Guide announced the latest winners of its Ocean Art Contest, filled with plenty of these fascinating peeks under the water’s surface.
The contest, now in its 11th year, honors a variety of different photo techniques, from wide angle to macro shots (extreme close ups). This year’s contest saw thousands of entries submitted from 96 countries, and it also debuted the new category of cellphone photos. The winners were selected by a panel of experienced underwater photographers and will split a prize pool of free cruises and other water-related goodies. Here are the winners of each category, along with the Best of Show: a photo documenting an octopus mother’s last days with her eggs.
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“Nest”
This photo, taken by Galice Hoarau in Saltstraumen, Norway, is the winner of the Marine Life Behavior category. It depicts a wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) watching over a nest of eggs. Though usually solitary, male and female wolffish will pair up toward the end of the summer in the Arctic. The female will lay eggs in a secluded location soon after, and the male will stay behind to protect them until they hatch by the end of spring.
“Shark Trio”
This photo by Renee Capozzola is the winner of the wide angle category. It shows a trio of sharks and other sea life living in a remote atoll of Fakarava in French Polynesia. Capozzola was fortunate—and skilled—enough to get this shot just as sunset concluded.
“Cassiopea in the Blue”
This photograph was taken by Buzzichelli Alessandro and is the winner of the mobile phone category. It was shot in the waters of Sardinia, Italy and shows a species of Cassiopea jellyfish illuminated by sunlight.
“A Male Weedy Seadragon Carries Pink Eggs On Its Tail”
The winner of the Compact Behavior category comes from PT Hirschfield, who snapped the pic in the Flinders Pier off Victoria, Australia. Though a shot of a weedy sea dragon wouldn’t be too unusual on its own, Hirschfield took the unique step of photographing the creature from behind. He was also lucky to capture a shot just as one of the many pink eggs it was carrying was about to hatch.
“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”
This otherworldly winner of the Compact Macro category was taken by Eunhee Cho in the Philippines. It shows a species of shrimp looking out from inside a sea squirt, a tube-like animal that is usually permanently stuck to a surface. Squirts tend to feed on very small plankton and debris, and relatively larger animals like shrimps will often use them a safe hiding spot.
“Octopus Mother”
The winner of the Macro Category and overall Best in Show, this photo was taken by Kat Zhou. It shows a species of Caribbean reef octopus guarding her eggs, somewhere off the coasts of West Palm Beach, Florida. These octopuses don’t feed during this watchful period and will die soon after their young hatch, meaning that this protection is their final gift to their children.
“Mirror Reflection”
The first place winner of the Portrait category, this photo was taken by Kuo-Wei Kao. It’s a perfectly timed shot of a crab and its reflection, captured in the waters of Pinglin, Taiwan.
“The Rare Spotted Hand-Fish from Tasmania”
The winner of the Cold Water category, this was taken by Nicolas Remy in the waters of Tasmania, Australia. It depicts the rarely observed spotted handfish, a type of anglerfish. Sadly, the fish is one of many critically endangered marine species, with only 3,000 or so remaining in the wild.
“Peace”
The winner of the Compact Wide Angle category, this photo was taken by Enrico Somogyi in Leipzig, Germany. Somogyi was able to capture a shot of this toad during the end of the mating season in March, when they’re abundant and less fearful of people coming close by.
“Long Shadows”
The winner of the Black and White category is by Martin Broen, taken in Yucatan, Mexico. It depicts a diver in the middle of an underwater section of the famous Cenote Dos Pisos caverns.
“A Happy Bunch”
The winner of the Underwater Art category, this snazzy photo was taken by Sarah Teveldal in one of Miami, Florida’s many private pools. To get the shot, she worked with champion synchronized swimmer and underwater performer Kristina Makushenko. The balloons required just the right mix of air and water to appear the way they did.
“A Sad Catch”
The winner of the Underwater Conservation category, this was taken by Lawrence Alex Wu. Seahorses have been overfished for their alleged medicinal purposes.
“Ribbed”
This is the winner of the Nudibranch category, taken by Aleksei Permiakov in Bali, Indonesia. Nudibranchs are a group of mollusks known for shedding their shells once they leave their larval stage. Like many species, this gloomy nudibranch (Tambja morosa) has a vivid appearance and coloration.
“Octopus Attack”
The winner of the Black Water category, this was taken by Dennis Corpuz in Janao Bay of the Philippines. It shows off a paralarvae octopus about to devour a larval mantis shrimp in the pitch black of night.
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