Photographers capture stunning images of underwater life
It took French photographer Nicolas Remy three days to capture this image of the elusive spotted handfish in Tasmania's Derwent River. Critically endangered, the handfish "walks" using its pectoral fins and attracts its prey with the fluffy lure above its mouth. The photo took first place in the 11th annual Ocean Art 2022, showcasing the world's best underwater photography. Look through the gallery for more winning images from the competition.
Nicolas Remy/Ocean Art 2022
This male Atlantic Wolfish from Norway is protecting its partner's eggs until spring. The photo by Galice Hoarau won first prize in the Marine Life Behavior category.
Galice Hoarau/Ocean Art 2022
This image of a protective Caribbean reef octopus guarding her eggs in West Palm Beach, Florida won the Best in Show overall. According to Ocean Art, photographer Kat Zhou spent three weeks trying to get the best angle.
Kat Zhou/Ocean Art 2022
Martin Broen's atmospheric "Long Shadows" won first place in the Black and White category. The photo presents stalactites hanging from the roof of Cenote Dos Pisos, Mexico.
Martin Broen/Ocean Art 2022
In Pinglin, Taiwan, this crab found itself seeing double -- and won photographer Kuo-Wei Kao first place in the Portrait category. The photographer told Ocean Art that it took many attempts to capture the "perfect reflection."
Kuo-Wei Kao/Ocean Art 2022
With categories such as Underwater Conservation, the competition also highlights the difficulties facing our oceans -- like this California sea lion pup in Mexico with a fishhook stuck in the corner of its mouth. "At the least, his story can be a message of the impact of humans on the inhabitants of our ocean," said photographer Celia Kujala.
Celia Kujala/Ocean Art 2022
Winning first prize in the Compact Wide Angle category, Enrico Somogyi's photo gets up close and personal with a toad in Leipzig, Germany, during mating season. "It lasts only a few days," the photographer told Ocean Art, "and only at this time is it possible to get very close to them."
Enrico Somogyi/Ocean Art 2022
Renee Capozzola's photo shows an over-under image of South Fakarava, a remote atoll in French Polynesia. As this area has strong legal protection, there is a thriving ecosystem, featuring a variety of species. This photograph took first place in the Wide Angle category for 2022.
Renee Capozzola/Ocean Art 2022
This image of a shrimp, taken in the Philippines, reminded photographer Eunhee Cho of a certain cinematic space alien. "I thought of E.T., the big-eyed alien in the movie I saw as a child," Cho said. "It was a lucky day when a small sea creature was considerate of me and I was able to shoot."