There’s underwater photography, and then there’s underwater photography—images that turn the everyday into art; high-speed collisions of skill and serendipity; dispatches from an alien world few will ever lay eyes on in person. These are the hallmarks of this year’s contest winners, chosen by our staff from 1,719 total submissions. Each winning photo possesses some sublime quality that caused our judges to stop in their tracks, forcing them to take it all in. We know you’ll find them just as captivating.

A very special thanks to our prize donors: Aggressor Adventures, Scubapro and SeaLife Underwater Cameras. Without your remarkable contributions, we could not continue our support of this contest and the photographers who inspire us.

CHECK OUT THE 2020 WINNERS HERE

Grand Prize

Lorenzo Mittiga

Behind the Shot
I live on Bonaire Island, and one of the most common fish I encounter during my shallow dives is the French angelfish. It’s an inquisitive, territorial fish that most of the time snakes into the frame while you are trying to photograph other creatures on the reef. In this case, I was totally concentrated to get a nice front portrait of a less common queen angelfish, shyer and faster, hiding intermittently behind a rock. This French angel looked like it wanted to be the prima donna, and it stole the scene.

Camera Gear: Nikon D810 in a Nimar Pro housing; Nikon 60mm f2.8 lens; two Sea&Sea YS-D2J strobes; Orcatorch D910V focus light

Settings: f/22; 1/250; ISO 80

Prize: Trip aboard Belize Aggressor IV

Behavior

Wild and untamed, the underwater world delights us with its many wonders—drawing us time and time again into its astonishing depths. To witness the forces of nature on full display—whether an act of symbiosis, a ritual of reproduction or an adaptation necessary for survival—is a privilege, but to capture that special moment and make it into a work of art, as these winners did, is a gift.

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First Place – Chris Gug

Behind the Shot
Although typically singular or in long chains, salps are by no means rare. But on this night, there were countless salp colonies coiled into these beautiful spirals—a shape far rarer. Oxycephalus amphipods are also exceedingly common on black-water dives, typically riding some larger gelatinous creature. But when I found the most perfect spiral, with one clinging on as if it were a life raft, I felt the two common subjects combined made for a portrait that explained the relationship of very different creatures navigating the void of the deep open ocean together.

Camera Gear: Nikon D850 in a Nauticam housing; Nikon 60mm 2.8 lens; Ikelite DS-161 strobes

Settings: f/22; 1/250; ISO 320

Prize: Trip aboard Roatan Aggressor

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Second Place — Cedric Peneau

Behind the Shot
During a night dive on a local site at my home island of Réunion, I was lucky to encounter this spectacular viper moray eel in the open. I noticed that there was a cleaner shrimp on its head, so I decided to wait for an opportunity. I was truly delighted and excited when I saw the eel open its jaw and the shrimp get on to clean it. Cleaning symbiosis is a mutually beneficial association between individuals of two species, where one (the cleaner) removes and eats parasites, debris and other materials from the surface of the other.

Camera Gear: Nikon D90 in a Nauticam housing; 60mm macro lens; two Inon Z-240 strobes

Settings: f/22; 1/200; ISO 125

Prize: Scubapro MK25 EVO/D420 Regulator System

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Third Place — Erika Miura

Behind the Shot
In Japan, coral spawns around May and June every year, but it is not an easy thing to see because corals are natural creatures and we never know when they will spawn. After many days at the ocean, I was finally able to see it happen. The corals release their pink bundles all at once. When the release peaks, the whole area turns pink. It only lasted a few minutes, so I frantically pushed the shutter.

Camera Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II in an Olympus housing; M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 macro lens; RGBlue System03 Premium Color video light

Settings: f/2.8; 1/400; ISO 2000

Prize: SeaLife Sea Dragon 2000F Photo-Video Light

Compact Camera

Today’s compact cameras can produce images that rival even professional rigs. Lightweight, affordable and accessible, these cameras continue to deliver in competitions. The winners on the following pages blew us away with these powerful captures, proving that no matter what type of equipment is used, at the end of the day, the photographer’s skills make the photo.

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First Place — Miguel Ramirez

Behind the Shot
This scene takes place in the lagoon of Réunion Island (near Madagascar), a French island where I live. I came across this reef squid that was resting under the surface of the water. The squid was calm, which is why I was able to approach it quietly without stressing it. I was lucky that it was positioned above the corals—this is what gave color around its reflection.

Camera Gear: I used only an Olympus TG-4

Settings: f/3.5; 1/80; ISO 200

Prize: Trip aboard Bahamas Aggressor

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Second Place — Wayne MacWilliams

Behind the Shot
This image was captured at Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach. It is a seaweed blenny that has taken up residence in a black sponge. I have always found these fish to be animated and adorable. And who doesn’t love the “eyebrows”? Feeling safe in its home, it was secure in allowing its curiosity to strike a pose.

Camera Gear: Olympus TG-4

Settings: f/6.3; 1/200; ISO 200

Prize: Scubapro MK25 EVO/D420 Regulator System

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Third Place — Maria Maksimova

Behind the Shot
I took this photo on a shore dive at Fort Lauderdale, which is commonly referred to as Florida’s shore-diving capital. The area is rich with life and easily accessible, being just 100 yards from the beach. On this particular day, I was exploring the nooks and crannies of the reef when a bright flash of yellow caught my attention. I lowered myself to get a better view and was met with the stare of a beautiful, brightly colored goldentail moray eel (Gymnothorax miliaris).

Camera Gear: SeaLife DC2000 camera and SeaLife housing; SeaLife Sea Dragon 2500 Photo-Video Dive Light

Settings: f/2.8; 1/400; ISO 125

Prize: SeaLife SportDiver Underwater Housing for iPhone

Macro

Macro is arguably the most competitive category in our annual contest, and this year was no different. Standing out in such a stacked category is quite the challenge, but this year’s winners did just that. Inevitably, it comes down to the little things—chromatic harmony, a hint of exquisite movement, or a combination of color and texture that makes it impossible to look away.

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First Place — Giacomo Marchione

Behind the Shot
Night dive, a colorful shoal just off the coast. On a coral bottom, while I was looking for organisms to photograph, I saw a Spanish dancer. I took some photos of this beautiful subject, then I realized that there was a tiny and colorful emperor shrimp, with a unique livery. From the images I immediately realized the chromatism that the shrimp had with the nudibranch, which gave the image the impression of a watercolor painting.

Camera Gear: Nikon D800; Seacam housing; Nikon 105mm macro lens; Sea&Sea strobe

Settings: f/29; 1/250; ISO 100

Prize: Trip aboard Turks and Caicos Aggressor

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Second Place — Steven Walsh

Behind the Shot
On night dives in Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay is when our local cephalopods truly come to life. Blairgowrie Pier is a prime example of this, with various endemic octopus, cuttlefish and squid species calling it home. I captured an image of this southern dumpling (aka bobtail) squid on a cold night dive. I remember this particular night well, with various dumpling squids mating, hunting and burying themselves in the sand!

Camera Gear: Nikon D850 in an Ikelite housing; Nikkor 60mm macro lens; Ikelite DS160 strobe with homemade snoot

Settings: f/9; 1/100; ISO 160

Prize: Scubapro MK25 EVO/D420 Regulator System

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Third Place — Yury Ivanov

Behind the Shot
I found this beautiful Trinchesia nudibranch while on a dive in the Tulamben area beside the famous shipwreck Liberty. The model was feeding on a hydroid, and I was just waiting for the right position. So now we can see this “vivid color of the sea” in its natural environment. The body length of this creature is only 20 mm. The photo was taken at a depth of 72 feet.

Camera Gear: Nikon D7200 in a Sea&Sea housing; two Sea&Sea YS-D2 strobes

Settings: f/22; 1/250; ISO 100

Prize: SeaLife SportDiver Underwater Housing for iPhone

Wide-Angle

“Go big, or go home.” This well-worn refrain perfectly sums up this year’s Wide-Angle winning shots. These captivating images are vast in scope, with every detail arranged just right. Wide-angle photography portrays the whole underwater picture—breathtaking backdrops, animal interactions, models for scale—which might be why they so often appeal to divers and nondivers alike.

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First Place — Viktor Lyagushkin

Behind the Shot
I dreamed of showing the difference between the surface and under-ice worlds in one shot. It was not an easy task: The difference in quantity of light under and over the ice was great. I also wanted to include a diver and something on the bottom of the frame. I did hundreds of dives looking for a place where I could combine all the details of my shot. Finally, I found it!

Camera Gear: Nikon D750 in a Subal housing; Nikon AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED lens

Settings: f/9; 1/100; ISO 200

Prize: Trip aboard Belize Aggressor III

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Second Place — Martin Strmiska

Behind the Shot
Alimatha Circus was a famous night dive where hundreds of nurse sharks gathered at sunset. Due to COVID-19, all dive operations suspended activities and food was no longer a reason for sharks to come. But they still form a huge school and cruise the reef. We were one of the first boats to dive Alimatha after pandemic restrictions lifted, and we witnessed this unique social behavior. Ilet the shutter open for one second to capture the movement and fired strobes at the end to freeze some details.

Camera Gear: Canon R5 in a Subal housing; 8-15mm FE lens; two Bigblue lights 15K; two Subtronic Pro 160s

Settings: f/11; 1 sec; ISO 800

Prize: Scubapro MK25 EVO/D420 Regulator System

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Third Place — Tom St. George

Behind the Shot
Diving through the incredible underwater caves of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, it is hard not to be mesmerized by this unique environment. This shot is of recently qualified cave diver Christine Tamburri as she hovers motionless and transfixed by a stunning wall of formations. The expert backlighting is provided by her cave-diving instructor Roger Williams to help isolate her from the dark back- ground and add a touch of drama. Photography in the caves is a team effort, and it is always a privilege to work with such talented divers.

Camera Gear: Sony A7SII in a Nauticam housing; Sigma 15mm fisheye lens; two Inon Z-330 strobes; Bigblue video light (off-camera)

Settings: f/8; 1/50, ISO 1600

Prize: SeaLife Sea Dragon 2000F Photo-Video Light