Reunion Island

"During a night dive on Reunion Island, I saw a huge Spanish dancer. And when I looked closer, I noticed that there was an emperor shrimp hidden in its gills!

I was happy because it's the first time I've seen this association on a dive on Reunion Island (rarer to see it than in Indonesia!).

I tried to put my camera at gill level to get the black background. The shrimp was just above her head, giving the impression that she was in the middle of flames!"

Porta Lake, Tuscany, Italy

"In the photo, an Italian green frog is seen devouring an insect, specifically a scolopendra. This remarkable moment occurred during lunchtime at Porta Lake, a protected natural area—a muddy swamp teeming with aquatic plants, insects, and amphibians located in Tuscany, Italy. I couldn't believe my eyes as I witnessed this unique and swift scene unfold. The entire sequence lasted only a few seconds. In an instant, the frog skillfully captured and consumed the scolopendra, resulting in a sophisticated yet fortuitous photograph!"

Lembeh Strait, Indonesia

"While I was on a blackwater dive in Lembeh, Indonesia, I noticed a bright pink worm swimming by me. Since I hadn't seen a worm of this color before, I stopped to snap a few shots. It was only after I went and looked at my photos afterwards that I realized the pink coloration was due to the worm's eggs, and it was releasing them into the water column!"

Mornington Peninsula, Australia

"In the shallow waters of Naarm (Port Phillip Bay), sparse colonies of Tubular Hydroids poke their heads out of the sand in cold, shallow water. There are hundreds of individuals, but at just 4cm or so tall it's easy to dismiss these tiny animals which are endemic to the Great Southern Reef of Australia. Each individual here is either male or female and extend their outer tentacles to catch passing plankton.

Blairgowrie Pier is a sheltered site, well known to local divers for the spectacular colours of sessile and invertebrate creatures. After 90 minutes in 12°C water, my fingers were becoming numb. Usually, I exit the site at the dive platform, but this time I began a shore exit, noticing tiny hydroids on the sandy bottom. After inspecting several groups, I chanced on this beautifully arranged colony of ‘Underwater Fireworks’. Trying not to disturb the sand was challenging in this environment. I watched the tentacles move delicately in the water, making small adjustments until I was happy with the composition."

Magdalena Bay, Mexico

"When I went out to sea in the morning, I passed a small island and saw the fishermen on the island cutting up the sharks and tossing the useless parts on the beach. When I was back from diving in the afternoon, the abandoned parts were washed into the sea due to the high tide, allowing me to go underwater and capture this heartbreaking scene. I hope that through this photo, more people can work together to protect sharks. There will be no killing if there is no trading."

Anilao, Batangas, Philippines

"We found this flying gurnard near the surface at the end of a blackwater dive in Anilao. I count myself exceptionally lucky, since this fish is very rarely seen on the surface. The unusually calm sea made it possible to take a photo of the gurnard’s reflection. I have tried to take a picture of a sea creature and its reflection a few times before, but was never satisfied. This time, as I looked at the LCD, I momentarily thought I had found two gurnards..."

Anilao, Batangas, Philippines

"I noticed this clownfish kept coming back to the same spot, and when I looked closely I found there were babies. The parent clownfish nurtured them using its pelvic fins. I used Backscatter miniflash with a snoot just to highlight the eggs and the face of the clownfish."

Sea of Cortez, Mexico

"I came across this Gulf Signal Blenny (Emblemaria hypacanthus) displaying frequently on a dive in the Sea of Cortez. After approaching slowly I positioned my snoot so as to backlight the fish when its dorsal fin was fully unfurled. After just 3 attempts I was rewarded with this image."

Quarry Westbruch near Leipzig, Germany

"Every year in the spring time the sunbass are mating. At this time, I got a chance to get close to them. Normally they move away. For this shot, I was using a wide-angle macro wet lens, the Nauticam EMWL 160 degrees field of view. I attached this lens to my compact camera and it works great."

Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

"Exploring new environments, especially seldom visited ones, is one of the greatest pleasures of underwater photography for me. The Everglades is a rightfully foreboding environment, but also one of great beauty and interest. To capture this image, I was careful about avoiding risks, like alligators, in the area that I was snorkeling. Shooting with my GoPro made getting the camera close to my subjects easy. In this frame, I sought to capture a beautiful, native, Florida Gar against the backdrop of a cypress dome with light rays filtering through the trees. As a fish nerd, observing the many beautiful species that call this environment home is another joy. This image also features native largemouth bass in the background. Although not featured here, many of my frames from this day of shooting also captured invasive fishes, illustrating just one of the many impacts human actions have had on this imperiled ecosystem."

West Palm Beach, Florida, USA

"Larval-stage jacks sheltering in various species of jellyfish are somewhat common in blackwater diving off coastal Florida, and after shooting them countless times over the years, I nowadays hunt for both quality and quantity. The quality comes from a jellyfish that is perfectly round, with aesthetically perfect tentacles, with an unbroken bell, and the quantity comes from the number of jacks living within it - the more the better, and while one or two is the norm, nine is exceptional! Always striving to "do no harm", I've learned that with these particular subjects, the jacks may be somewhat resistant to the jelly's sting, but definitely not immune. I therefor limit myself to 2 or 3 rapid shots, then I avert my lights and swim away, so as not to disorient the jacks, causing them to bump into the tentacles. Similarly, I've learned the best way to approach, is to immediately shut off all but the dimmest light upon locating such a subject, and approach with only the bare minimum light needed for the camera to focus by. To the best of our knowledge, this is commensalism symbiosis, wherein the jacks receive the benefit of a dangerous shelter while drifting through the open ocean as they mature, but the jellyfish is neither helped nor harmed."

Reunion Island

"Bornella anguilla is a very elegant nudibranch, well known for its capacity to swim like an eel, hence its name. It is not common where I live so I was delighted to find it during a night dive, seeing it moving and raising its head as is pictured in this shot. The night conditions and a fast shutter speed helped me get a black background, which puts the slug's colors and patterns in their best value."

Vattern, Sweden

"Birds play a crucial role as scouts for underwater activities, and this holds true for the small creek I've been observing for days in anticipation of spring spawning. The signal to enter the water came during a confrontation between goosanders and brook lamprey. The spawning event unfolded within a compact one-square-meter area over a couple of hours. The scene resembled a chaotic ball of yarn, presenting the challenge of capturing a simplified composition."

Sund Rock, Hoodsport, Washington, USA

"While GPOs are a common sight here in the Pacific Northwest, seeing a female nesting is rare enough that when someone does find one, word of mouth spreads quickly. In this case, my dive group had heard a couple nests were found at Sund Rock, an excellent site for finding GPOs in general. Since their dens tend to be in crevices and cuts in the rocks, getting a well-lit and well-composed photo with a large full-frame camera can be difficult (and risky if you’re shooting with a dome). Although the female will spend months caring for her eggs, we can never predict when they'll hatch and she'll die. I was intent on making the most of my opportunity since it may have been my only one.

Therefore, I decided to bring my TG-6 instead of my normal SLR. With the smaller form factor and very short minimum focusing distance, I was confident I could get the camera and the strobes close enough to capture a striking image. It turned out to be a good call because this particular nest was tightly ensconced in a pile of rocks. I captured a series of close-ups of the mama octopus circulating water through her eggs before getting distracted by another GPO wandering out in the open. This specific image best portrayed the tightness of the quarters and balanced the mama and her eggs. From the RAW file, my edits were focused primarily on boosting the contrast to make the colors and textures pop."

Papeto'ai, Mo’orea, French Polynesia

"Professor Jodie Rummer releases a newborn blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, after tagging it, and collecting biometric data. Professor Rummer leads Physioshark, a research team headquartered at James Cook University in Australia that investigates the impact of climate change on the physiological performance of newborn sharks in tropical shark nurseries. These habitats typically occur in shallow waters and are therefore highly exposed to rising temperatures and lower oxygen concentrations. Scientists are untangling the challenges newborn sharks face in such rapidly changing environmental conditions. Professor Rummer and her students have so far been able to show how despite the burden climate change is placing on the physiology of young sharks, these are displaying an exceptional resilience to these changes, giving scientists hope that they will be able to adjust to a warming ocean."

Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines

"During the dive, I saw this little subject and I decide to take the picture using a snoot with technical backlighting."

Seattle, Washington, USA

"Pacific spiny lumpsuckers make for fascinating macro subjects. With every color variety imaginable (we adoringly refer to them as "flavors") and their large, expressive eyes, one could spend an entire dive following a single individual as they hop and hover around the dive site. Lumpsuckers are particularly difficult to photograph since they are little bundles of energy who are constantly searching for the perfect perch on which to rest. They have specialized pelvic fins that create a modified suction cup, allowing them to anchor themselves to kelp and various debris on the ocean floor. My favorite thing about lumpsuckers is that they are very picky with what they will and will not hang on to. Watching them land on an undesirable object never ceases to make me laugh, causing my mask to flood. They tend to suddenly shoot straight up and away in the water columns when this happens - Safely floating back down elsewhere!"

Raja Ampat, Indonesia

"In Raja Ampat, there's a dive spot that holds a special place in my heart. Near the village of Sawandarek, at approximately 30 meters depth, lies a magnificent cluster of Turbinaria coral. Thanks to its substantial size, numerous fish species congregate here, finding shelter effortlessly among the coral formations. Among the diverse species, a small group of Sweet Lips is often encountered, and with a bit of patience and skill, they can be approached quite easily. Moving in slowly, I managed to capture them in a picturesque setting, surrounded by many other fish and the stunning blue hues of the water."

Eleuthera, Bahamas

"The mating ritual of nurse sharks is quite violent! A male shark will grab onto the pectoral fin of a female and try to flip her over to her into a state of tonic immobility. Female nurse sharks end up with many scars from the mating process. Though the timing of the mating period for nurse sharks is difficult to predict, we found a few male nurse sharks chasing females around on the first afternoon that I was in Eleuthera. This was the only mating attempt I saw that ended successfully for the male, and we did not see any other mating attempts for the rest of the trip, so I was lucky to get this chance!"

Red Sea, Egypt

"I framed the motorcycle and the water to achieve a contrast of complementary colors, also using the torch of another diver as a compositional element.

It was necessary to increase the ISO to allow the flashes to illuminate the entire motorcycle, and use a slow shutter speed to render a pleasant blue of the water."

Sataya Reef, Marsa Alam, Egypt

"While on assignment in Marsa Alam, Egypt I was fortunate to capture this family portrait of a local pod of nearly hundred majestic spinner dolphins. Known for their acrobatic displays, they exhibit intricate social behaviors that strengthen group cohesion and communication, indicating a high level of social intelligence. While respecting their boundaries, I observed and photographed the pod coming in for a closer look at that strange human object hovering in front of them, resulting in this photograph. Ever so thrilled I was seeing the capture afterwards. A mind-blowing, emotional and humble encounter never to forget. One of those precious and ever so intriguing ocean moments where you forget who is actually investigating who."

Shetland,United Kingdom

"There are some fantastic gannets colonies in Shetland and they aggressively hunt herrings or mackerels in the morning. Normally Shetland has very rough sea conditions even summer time, and you could have very small chance to see this great Gannets feeding action. I was really lucky to capture this moment. In 2022 60% of Gannets suffered bird flue and it had a big impact on the gannets population in Shetland. They recovered very well in 2023. I was so happy to see that great numbers of gannets are fighting to get herrings for survival."

San Carlos Beach, Monterey, California, USA

"Summer’s rich bounty of sardines, squid, and anchovies bring an increased concentration in the number of California sea lions in the Monterey Bay. They haul out along jetties, harbors, and rocky areas throughout the bay between their fishing expeditions. Hundreds of sea lions congregate on and around the breakwater at the Monterey harbor which also happens to be one of the most visited dive sites in Monterey. It’s nearly impossible to dive here and not catch at least a glimpse of a sea lion out of the corner of your eye. I noticed a pattern of sea lions swimming parallel to the wall, navigating through the kelp forest to return to the end of the breakwater where they haul out and socialize. Imagining this photograph in my head, I determined I would need a bright sunny afternoon for the light to be right and patience to wait for a sea lion to swim through the kelp forest scene I had selected."

Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines

"This image isn't stacked; I was able to photograph the two fish close together, which is unusual for this species. I approached them gently and slowly to avoid frightening them, ensuring they maintained their position. The image was achieved by using a snoot to backlight the subjects from an appropriate distance and angle. The resulting elliptical light, which passed through the bodies of the subjects, created the desired atmosphere. The seemingly affectionate behavior of the fish adds a unique touch to the photo."

"Caught the nudibranch on a hydroid with a newly described Hannan Pygmy squid. Some slight cropping and lighting of this photo."

Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia

"As a scuba diver and underwater photographer, I'm constantly in pursuit of those moments that define the beauty and mystery of the underwater world. At a modest depth of 18 meters, nestled within the vibrant ecosystem of a tropical coral reef, I was fortunate enough to capture this image of a Durban Dancing Shrimp, scientifically known as Rhynchocinetes durbanensis. In this photo, the body of the shrimp glows with delicate colors of red and white, a stark contrast to the blues and greens of the surrounding waters. The calm of the ocean allowed for a clear shot, focusing on the eye of this tiny creature—a glistening orb that seemed to hold the vastness of the sea. This serene encounter was a game of patience. As I hovered, motionless, the shrimp seemed to grow comfortable with my presence. It was a dance of trust as it positioned itself, allowing me to capture its portrait. The eye, especially, with its magnificent detail, became the center of this visual story. This image is a reminder of the intricate, often unnoticed lives that thrive beneath the waves. It speaks to the artistry and resilience of marine life, and to the deep, personal connection I feel with the ocean every time I dive into its depths."

Ginnie Springs, Florida, USA

"'Water Sprite' was captured in the crystal-clear waters of Florida’s natural springs. I’ve been traveling to Florida to shoot for years, as the springs' clarity and natural beauty create a breathtaking canvas for underwater portraits. For this image, I worked with professional mermaid and underwater performer, Abbey Blake.

Everything in this image was shot practically and captured in-camera. Abbey wore a mesh bodysuit to which we attached the fairy wings, and together we ventured out into the springs in early January.

We captured this shot in fairly shallow waters, late in the afternoon after the sun started to dip below the tree line. I used mostly natural light, using the sun as a backlight, and just a small amount of front fill light from my on-camera strobe.

Abbey and I would submerge simultaneously using a breath-hold technique, capturing multiple photos before resurfacing to review and discuss. To achieve a comfortable pose on the crevasse's edge, Abbey had to exhale most of her air to fully descend.

The water temperature was a brisk 72 degrees, giving us a narrow window to capture the shot before the risk of hypothermia set in. Additionally, this location presented another hurdle, being a favored spot for local cave divers. We frequently had to pause our attempts, waiting for divers to pass through the frame. This is where working with someone as talented as Abbey really helps. Her ability to perform under such demanding conditions and limiting time constraints made all the difference in our success in capturing the shot.

The majority of post-processing done was blending in the harsh, noticeable lines of the body suit as well as overall color toning and levels adjustments to bring focus to the subject and enhance the overall drama of the underwater landscape."

Eleuthera, Bahamas

"This photo shows a baby lemon shark cruising through red mangroves in the Bahamas. Lemon shark pups spend up to the first 4 years of their lives in shallow mangrove environments, where they are more protected from predators. I particularly loved the scene created by red mangrove roots in this area, and I was hoping a shark pup would swim over these roots. Luckily, one did, and I was able to snap this shot!"

Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines

"The coconut octopus is famous for being one of the few animals that can use tools. For instance, it often covers itself with shells that it uses as shields. However, this octopus encountered a plastic bag thrown into the sea, and took refuge in it, unaware that its transparency does not help it to escape predators. This is a sad symbol of the impact that humans have on the seas and the planet in general. I used the selective lighting of my snoot, held in front, to isolate the subject from the sandy bottom."

South Maui, Hawaii

"In the waters off South Maui, our boat was approached by two adult humpback whales. From the surface, they were so close together that they appeared to be one. When we saw two exhalations, we knew there were two. As we are not allowed to enter the water, I laid on the back swim step, and with my mask, snorkel and camera, dipped my head and arms into the water (engines are shut down when whales are close by). To my amazement, I saw two whales that appeared to be frolicking. Upon closer inspection, and after them circling the boat several times, it was determined that one of the whales was seemingly very ill. It was covered in whale lice and appeared to have a broken jaw. The other whale seemed to be using the injured one as “target” practice, not allowing it to come up for air, and constantly harassing it. It is believed that the injured whale came close to the boat as a way to try and deter the aggressor. They circled the boat a half dozen times and then went on their way. In this image, the whales are approximately 15 yards from the boat and the aggressor has successfully penetrated the victim, which was later determined to be a male as well. "

Gilchrist Springs, High Springs, Florida, USA

"This photo was taken at Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, in High Springs, Florida. I shot with natural light and a safety diver dropped the train of the dress to make it flow. I used Lightroom and Photoshop to bring the colors back."

Tustna, Kristiansund, Norway

"Do you know how mating cucumbers look like? I did for sure not have clue when I took this picture. But I did now that night dives often surprise with unusual subjects. So was also the case this cold night in Norway. When I got back after the dive and showed the picture to a Marine Biologist, he got extremely enthusiastic and called it a unique shoot. "

South of Madalena Bay, Mexico

"Every year, in the South of Magdalena Bay, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, a sardine run occurs between October and November and millions of Pacific sardines (Sardines sagax) gather over sea mounts. Whales, striped marlin, mahi-mahi, Pacific sea lions and other predators are attracted by the feast.

This year the mahi-mahi was particularly abundant and sometimes limited access to resources to other predators. Striped marlins remained under the bait balls and preferred to hunt isolated sardines. This abundance could be due to the El Niño phenomenon but has already been observed in the past.

Although mahi-mahi is a common species in offshore tropical waters, sightings by photographers are rare. However, that day and faced with such abundance, my concern was rather to photograph them in an orderly movement.

By swimming quickly and pointing my camera backwards, I was able to photograph the mahi-mahi coming towards me, as well as the variety of changing colors of the fish intrigued by the agitation of the water."

Prague, Czech Republic

"This photo is part of my project Once Upon a Dream in Waterland, which I have been working on since 2017. All the scenes are real, including the food and cakes, which were made from concrete and covered with special colored foam, photographed underwater. Costumes, props, and scenes are hand made by me.

About my project Once Upon a Dream in Waterland:

Once upon a time, in magical, enchanted depths, in the land of the endless water, there lived a girl named Stella. When she was born, her godmother, the Sea Angel, gave her the book “Once Upon a Dream in Waterland”.

While Stella is sleeping, she is dreaming stories from her favorite fairytale book. Alice in Waterland is one of those stories.

The project represents a return to my childhood, to the stories that I imagined as a child and these are the stories, I wanted to tell one day to my daughter. Unfortunately, she was never born.

This is the reason I am working on my project, to tell the underwater stories and in the time this project became my baby."

Prague, Czech Republic

"This photo is part of my project Once Upon a Dream in Waterland, which I have been working on since 2017. All the scenes are real, including the food and cakes, which were made from concrete and covered with special colored foam, photographed underwater. Costumes, props, and scenes are hand made by me.

About my project Once Upon a Dream in Waterland:

Once upon a time, in magical, enchanted depths, in the land of the endless water, there lived a girl named Stella. When she was born, her godmother, the Sea Angel, gave her the book “Once Upon a Dream in Waterland”.

While Stella is sleeping, she is dreaming stories from her favorite fairytale book. Alice in Waterland is one of those stories.

The project represents a return to my childhood, to the stories that I imagined as a child and these are the stories, I wanted to tell one day to my daughter. Unfortunately, she was never born.

This is the reason I am working on my project, to tell the underwater stories and in the time this project became my baby."

Tulamben, Indonesia

"Teamwork makes the dream work! I captured this spotlight nudibranch as a silhouette on the back of a fallen leaf in the beautiful warm waters of Tulamben, Bali. My exceptionally talented guide (and torch shiner), Ajiex Dharma, and I, discussed our aims for this image before we submerged. However, underwater we were faced with interesting obstacles, such as angle of torch beam, leaf vein thickness, and size of nudibranch. Expressive underwater communication and signaling between Ajiex and I (whilst underwater), was key to us getting the shot."