Simon Temple took “Grey Seal Contact” in the fleeting moment between when this photogenic seal surfaced to breathe off the coast of southwestern England and when it began its descent.
Simon Temple
Simon Temple has taken countless photos of seals while scuba diving off the coast of southwestern England. But he’s captured some of his favorite seal shots while snorkeling.
“It’s the light near the surface that transforms the scene,” the underwater photographer says. “In the top couple of meters, color and contrast are stronger, giving the images far more impact.”
Those visual elements converge in his captivating close-up of a seal gazing directly into the camera as it surfaces for air, its wide, dark eyes and fanned whiskers framed by the water’s light-speckled surface skimming the top of its head. The image exudes a calm curiosity, and it just won honorable mention in the Cold Water category of the annual Ocean Art Underwater Photography Competition. The contest aims to highlight extraordinary moments from beneath the surface that usually go unseen.
Wojtek Meczynski won third place in the portrait category for “Home Alone,” which captures a pregnant Denise’s pygmy seahorse in a quiet moment in Indonesia’s Lembeh Straight.
Wojtek Meczynski
Photographers from 90 countries submitted thousands of photos this year, with winners across 14 categories announced on Friday. The shots capture a range of fascinating underwater sights — a sea snake tying itself into a knot while shedding its skin in the Philippines, a mated pair of Sargassum crabs in Florida, a seahorse giving birth in Japan, and a trapped moray eel in Italy appearing to ask for help (fortunately, the photographer freed the creature after taking its picture).
The contest is sponsored by the Underwater Photography Guide, which offers tips, tutorials and gear reviews, among other guidance. This year’s winners netted more than $60,000 in prizes, including dive cruises and underwater photography gear.
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“These images are the result of obsession, patience and exploration,” Nirupam Nigam, editor-in-chief of the Underwater Photography Guide, said in a statement. “Many of this year’s winners spent weeks, or even years, chasing moments most people will never witness.”
One such winner is Steve Kovacs, who took first place in the Blackwater category, as well as the coveted best-in-show prize, for his whimsical image of a monkfish in Japan appearing to yawn. Kovacs knew he wanted to shoot this type of fish, one of his favorite subjects, and finally spotted one after nearly two weeks of nightly searching while diving in the deep waters off Kumejima, Japan.
See a sampling of the contest winners below. You can browse all the winning photos here, and learn more about how the photographers captured them.
Best In Show, First Place
After spending some time watching this monkfish, Steve Kovacs was fortunate that it opened its mouth in what appeared to be a yawn while facing the camera. He calls the image “Tired fish.”
Steven Kovacs
Wide Angle, First Place
Byron Conroy captured these surface-patrolling silky sharks at sunset in Cuba’s Jardines Del Reina marine park calling the image “Last Light.”
Byron Conroy
Macro, First Place
Tucked deep within coral polyps above the black volcanic sand of Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait, this pughead pipefish revealed itself for a brief moment that Daniel Sly was thrilled to catch.
Daniel Sly
Marine Life Behavior, First Place
In Jeon Min Seok’s image “Beautiful Birth,” a baby seahorse comes into the world in Japan. The photographer used a 35mm macro lens with a wide field of view and a continuous shooting function.
Jeon Min Seok
Portrait, First Place
While sea snakes have been known to twist themselves into knots to shed their old skin, the behavior has rarely been captured on camera. Galice Hoarau documented the sight during a dive in the Philippines.
Galice Hoarau
In “One Way Out,” a diver glides through the water beneath the frozen Lake Huron. “My goal was to capture the freediver as though they were suspended between two worlds,” the photographer says.
James Ferrara
Underwater Digital Art, First Place
For this abstract swirl, Michal Štros created a fractal of a pufferfish’s head using the Fractalius plug-in, then further edited the image with smoke brushes in Photoshop.
Michal Štros
Compact Wide Angle, First Place
“I instinctively captured this moment, highlighting the peaceful connection and coexistence between the marine life and the human observers,” Haemi Cho says of this image taken during a dive in Indonesia.
Haemi Cho
