A smiling shark and bride-like fish are among the snapshots submitted to the Underwater Photography Guide’s Ocean Art Contest 2019.
Snooty, the female lemon shark captured in Florida’s Bonaire Wreck, has become a local celebrity with divers – and her stunning picture received an Honorable Mention in the Portrait category.
Another highlight from the 8th annual competition, which attracted submissions from 76 countries, includes the blackwater category’s fifth place winner, which appears to show a driftfish swimming under a Amakusa jellyfish, known to have venomous tentacles.
The image of a smiling shark is captured in Florida and receives an honorable mention in the portrait category
In the underwater art category, ‘Narcissism’ came in fourth. It is the work of artist working out of Daegu, South Korea
‘Victim’ came in first place in the Conservation category, showing a long-dead turtle trapped in fishing line in the Bahamas.
‘A Friendly Ride’ came in first in the Marine life category. It was shot in Queensland, Australia
In the Blackwater category, ‘Bride’ came in fifth place. It was shot in Anilao, Philippines. Right, ‘Radiography’ came first in Macro category. It was shot in Puerto Galera, Philippines
‘The Choir’ got an honorable mention in the Marine life category. It was shot in Baja California, Mexico
In the Macro category, ‘The Hyponotist’ came third place. It was shot in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
The creature appears almost bride-like as it carefully maneuvers underneath the jellyfish for protection, resembling a veil in the shot in Anilao, Philippines.
Sean lions in Mexico appear to sing, and a shot from Lembeh Strait, Indonesia captures the hypnotic eyes of a snake.
While coral reefs from South Africa to French Polynesia appear in beautiful landscape stills from the competition that handed out $85,000 in prizes.
In the Conservation category, ‘Sea Turtle Trapped’ came in fifth. It showed a loggerhead sea turtle entangled in abandoned fishing gear, off the coast of El Hierrop, Canary Islands
Conservation category – ‘Trapped’ – 2nd Place – an anglerfish trapped in a net in Punta Chiappa Camogli, Italy
Conservation category -‘Plastic Soup’ 3rd Place – A reef manta surrounded by plastics in Bali, Indonesia
Conservation category – ‘Acropora Robusta Coral Fragments at the Ocean Gardener Coral Nursery in Candidasa Bali’ – 4th Place – Shot in East Bali, Indonesia
Among the more unnerving shots of marine life in the competition which shows the best underwater photos of the year, the gaping skull of a dead turtle is seen at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Tangled in a knot of plastic fishing line, the photo was awarded first place in the Conservation category of the contest and the memorable shot was taken in Eleuthera, Bahamas.
The Atlantic Ocean image is not the only heartbreaking one that stood out.
A sea turtle trapped in El Hierrop, Canary Islands and an anglerfish trapped in a net in Punta Chiappa Camogli, Italy, were highlights of the Conservation category.
A reef manta surrounded by plastics in Bali, Indonesia also shows up in one of the world’s most prestigious photo contests.
Crabeater seals have developed a sieve-shaped tooth structure that filters krill, much like whale baleen. They suck up water containing krill, close their jaws, and push the water between their specialized teeth, trapping the krill inside. Location: Antartica Peninsula
Wide angle category – ‘Under the Pier’ Honorable Mention – A shoal of fish under a pier in Alor, Indonesia
Cold water category – ‘Icerock’ 2nd Place – Iceberg with a diver underneath it with video lights shining on the iceberg, supported by Northern Explorers A/S, Tasiilaq, East Greenland, Atlantic Ocean, Arctic, .
Wide angle category – ‘Eye of the Tornado’ – 3rd Place – A diver surrounded by fish in Baja, Mexico
Novice wide angle category – The Shepherd’ 1st Place – Shot in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Novice wide angle category -‘The Blue Arch’ 2nd Place – Shot in Cebu, Philippines
Novice wide angle category -‘Treats from Mooloolah River’ – 1st Place – Shot in Queensland, Australia
Wide angle category – ‘The Cave’ – Honorable Mention – A diver explores a cave in Tuscany, Italy
Conservation was one of the contest’s two new categories in 2019.
Blackwater diving images were some of the more striking among entrants which many elements of marine life appearing to almost glow in the dark thanks to a dark backdrop.
Humans make an appearance too.
Aside from incredible shot of divers, including one striking shot of swimming beneath an iceberg – the underwater art category’s fourth place entrant Narcissism, shows an underwater artist in Daegu, South Korea, recreating her own image.
Wide angle category – ‘Paradise’ 5th Place – A coral reef in Fakarava, French Polynesia
Reefscape cetegory – ‘Biodiversity’ 4th Place – Shot in Simon’s Town, South Africa
Underwater art category -‘Hairy at Sunrise’ 2nd Place – Shot in Ambon, Indonesia
Compact wide angle category – ‘Coconut Octopus’ Honorable Mention – Shot in Sipalay, Philippines
Compact wide angle category – ‘Boat Full of Bottles’ 4th Place – Shot in Dauin, Philippines
Macro cetegory – ‘The Story’ 2nd Place – Shot in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Compact macro category – ‘Reflection’ Honorable Mention – Shot in Monticolo Lake, Italy
Portrait category – Toads’ – 3rd Place – Shot in Bolzano, Italy
Compact wide angle category -‘Stretching’ 3rd Place – Shot in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Marine life category -‘Gigantic Aggregation of Munk Devil Rays in Baja California Sur’ – Honorable Mention – Shot in Baja California Sur, Mexico
Marine life category -‘Strange Encounters’ 4th Place – Shot in Baja California Sur, Mexico
The new Best of Show award went to a dramatic shot of a crabeater seal in the Antarctica Peninsula.
The Rising Star Photographer prize went to Jules Casey for a photo of six juvenile seahorses.
Tony Wu, Martin Edge, Marty Snyderman and Scott Gietler helped in the judging process.
Macro category – ‘The Indian’ – Honorable Mention – Shot in Anilao, Philippines
Novice macro – ‘Who is it?’ – 3rd Place – Shot in Anilao, Philippines
Novice wide angle category – ‘What Are You Looking At?’ Honorable Mention -Shot in Tulamben, Indonesia.
Macro category – ‘Flamboyant in Space’ 5th Place – Shot in Anilao, Philippines
Novice macro -1st Place – and ‘Best of Show’ runner-up Shot in Victoria, Australia
Nudibranchs category -‘Treats from Mooloolah River’1st Place – Shot in Queensland, Australia
Nudibranchs category -‘Orange UFO’ – 5th Place – Shot in Reunion Island
Novice wide angle category – ‘Chestnut Moray’ 5th Place – Shot in Kralendijk, Bonaire
Portrait category – ‘Cormoran Underwater’ Honorable Mention – Shot in La Paz, Mexico
Portrait category – ‘Silky Portrait and Sunset’ 5th Place
Portrait category -‘Look at me’ – 2nd Place – Shot in Saline Joniche, Italy
Super macro category -‘Clownfish Eggs’1st Place – Shot in Tulamben, Indonesia
Super macro category – ‘Spikefin Goby’ – 4th Place – Shot in Cebu, Philippines
Wide angle category – ‘Blur of Sweetlips’ – 1st Place – a shoal of Sweetlips fish in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Blackwater category -‘Lionfish’ 3rd Place – Shot in Florida
Blackwater category – ‘Long Lure Larval Flounder’Honorable Mention
Blackwater category – ‘Blanket Octopus’ 2nd Place -Shot in Anilao, Philippines
Blackwater category – ‘Snaketooth Swallower’ 1st Place – Shot in Tahiti Island, French Polynesia
Cold water category -‘Welcoming Committee’ Honorable Mention – Shot in Chubut Province, Argentina.
Cold water category -‘Catch’ – 4th Place – Shot in Shetland Islands, Scotland
Compact macro category -‘La Communication Non Verbale’ – 4th Place
Compact macro category -‘Telle Une Torpille Pelagia Cherche Sa Proie’ – 3rd Place – Jellyfish reflection in Cap d´Antibes, France
Compact macro category -‘Ponda Goby with Eggs’ 2nd Place -Shot in Lembeh, Indonesia
Compact behaviour category -‘Open Mouth Grouper’ 1st Place – Shot in Red Sea, Egypt
Compact macro category – ‘Dancing in the Garden’ Honorable Mention – Shot in Tulamben, Indonesia