11 Fin-tastic Sharks from Our Underwater Photo Contest

Judging the Through Your Lens photo contest is one of our favorite parts of the year at Scuba Diving — but it’s also one of the most challenging. For the 2017 contest, we sifted through more than 2,500 awesome entries to find the best of the best in underwater photography. We wanted to highlight some of our favorite images that didn’t make the winner’s circle, but that blew us away nonetheless. While many folks are afraid of these "man-eaters," divers know the truth: sharks aren't scary — they're AWESOME. In fact, humans pose more of a threat to sharks than sharks do to humans. Seeing a shark on a dive is an instant highlight, be it a majestic whale shark, a bullet-fast mako or even a sleepy nurse shark. Here are some of our favorite shark photos from this year's contest.

See the 2017 winners here. The 2018 Through Your Lens photo contest is currently accepting entries. Learn more about the image categories and prizes here.

Lemon shark in mangroves Bahamas

Jillian Morris

The mangroves provide critical nursery habitat for juvenile lemon sharks in the Bahamas. Protecting sharks also means protecting the habitats they use.

Reef shark swimming in bahamas

Katherine Lu

A reef shark takes off like an airplane in the Bahamas.

Dan charity whale shark

Dan Charity

A whale shark swims through a cleaning station at a remote reef in the Gulf of Thailand. The graceful giant appeared briefly before descending out of sight near the island of Koh Pah Ngan, Thailand.

Fakarava reef sharks

Christophe Lapeze

French Polynesia is famous for its sharks, but especially one place: Fakarava South. This pass is home to more than 700 sharks, looking like a wall when they all stand in the current.

Reef shark with hook in mouth

Magdalena Burba

A reef shark swims by with a hook in its mouth. Indeed, man is more dangerous for sharks than sharks are for man.

Blue shark setting sun

Steve Hinczynski

A blue shark cruises below a setting sun.

Black and white shark

Colby Bignell

This photographer enjoyed the incredible chance to coexist and interact with sharks in the open ocean off Cape Town, South Africa.

Whale sharks Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia

Whale sharks Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia

Prue Wheeler

Whale sharks are seen on Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.

Great hammerhead bahamas

Holly Wilmarth

A great hammerhead in soars through the waters of Bimini in the Bahamas.

Hammerhead school sharks galapagos

Sumer Verma

Diving with such large schools of hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Islands is an epic experience. We’re so glad to know places like this still exist.