Amazing beauty: the winners of the underwater photography competition

What lies in the depth? Underwater photographers help people see ecosystems and their incredible elements that are hidden from our view under water. And since 1965 a contest for the best underwater photographer has been held, which awards awards in eight categories. This year, the winner Gabriel Baratier bypassed underwater photographers from 67 countries to get the title of the best underwater photographer of the year in the world. His picture, which brought him the victory, "Dancing Octopus", is the perfect combination of bright colors and the use of a wide-angle lens. Jury member Alex Mastard was delighted: "At the same time, graceful and aggressive, this picture shows that the octopus is not joking when hunting in a shallow lagoon. The way it moves is very different from the movements of any predator on earth, it could easily be mistaken for an alien from another world. It's really a memorable creature, which was incredibly beautifully captured in the picture. " It's time to look at some of the most outstanding shots, as well as on photos that have won in certain categories. And if you seem a little, you can always get acquainted with the full set of photos that participated in this contest. Please note that each underwater photographer shared a small story about the photo taken.

"Dancing octopus", Gabriel Baratier (France) - the best underwater photographer

"There is very little water in the Mayotte lagoon during the spring tides. Only thirty centimeters of depth. That's when I took this picture. I had to get as close as possible to create a similar effect. I used an ultra wide-angle 14mm lens to achieve such a close focus and create a similar effect of large size. The octopus looks bigger, and the water seems deeper. I also did not need a flash, because there was enough natural light. "

"From the depths," Nick Blake (Great Britain) - the best underwater photographer in the UK

"Senot Kukulkan on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is part of the Chuck Mool system, and he is known for incredible light effects when light penetrates to the very depths. I left the gates behind in order to get natural light, and myself was placed in the shadow of the cave. Moving the viewfinder, I found that in a certain place the outlines of the cave create an ideal symmetry, after which I chose the right position to balance the frame. "

"Pond of killer whales", Nikolay Gheorghiu (Great Britain) - the most promising underwater photographer of Great Britain

"Orcas are the most beautiful, intelligent and confident animals with whom I have the honor to spend time. This photo was taken when I spent a week in Norway diving with killer whales. "

"One in a Million", Ron Watkins (USA) - Wide Angle

"Last summer I went to Alaska in search of salmon sharks. We sailed on a boat in search of traces of their dorsal fins when they discovered a huge cluster of lunar jellyfish that stretched for several hundred meters. "

"The fragments of the" Lilla "at sunset, Saba Tokoli (Hungary) - wreckage of ships

"These are fragments of the ship" Luilla, "which lie on top of the Gordon reef in the Tiran Channel near Sinai. Under them lies a mountain of anchor chains, which formed in the shape of a whale. "

"Your Home and My Home", Qing Lin (Canada) - Behavior

"Clown fish and anemones have a symbiotic relationship. Parasitic isopods spend a lot of time in the mouth of a clown fish. "

"Hunting of dolphins", Greg Lekor (France)

"Since last year, sardines have been victims of overfishing and climate change. They are also the main source of marine fauna: penguins, sea lions, sharks, dolphins and so on, the survival of these creatures depends on sardines. During their migration along the coast, predators co-operate to hunt sardines, and each time such situations become increasingly unpredictable. I spent several days in the ocean to get one chance to make such a photo. "

"Watch", Jade Hawksbergen (Great Britain)

"My hobby for sea dogs began in the winter of 2016, when I lived in St. Lucia and first took up the underwater camera. Since I used to live in the Philippines, the sea dogs were something amazing for me, despite their wide distribution. "

"Shrimp with light", Fabio Freitas (Brazil)

"Shrimp is a complex object for photographing, it is necessary to convey their beautiful colors and shapes, and also to focus on their eyes. In the evening I dived at my favorite place in Bonaire, when I noticed a shrimp under the stone, which was in the ideal position to take a photo with illumination. "

"Aterinoobraznye in the twilight", Tony Myshlyaev (Canada)

"When I discovered this place, the pier and fish were constantly on my mind. And when the monsoon rains stopped briefly, I immediately went to dive to realize my idea. "

"Mating the toads", Luc Roman (Belgium)

For several years we observed the mating of toads in the fresh Lake Turnhout, usually in March or April, when the temperature exceeds eight degrees, and the weather is wet. Toads usually mate in shallow water, where we can take photos with natural light when we are engaged in scuba diving. "

"Demon of Darkness", Damien Morik (Great Britain)

"When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, he was impressed by the appearance of the local animals, writing:" Black rocks on the coast are most often occupied by large, hideous, clumsy lizards. They are as black as the porous rocks, on which they creep in search of prey from the sea. I call them demons of darkness. " But they are amazing. "

"Struggle", Richard Shaksmith (Great Britain)

"I sailed along the coast and took photos for a project that proves that Scotland is a country with a rich world of wild flora and fauna. Hundreds of cormorants circled around the boat waiting for the fish that I threw overboard. "

"Cleaner", Liang Fu (China)

"I found this cleaning station at a depth of 26 meters. At the first dive I made some front photos of how the shrimps cleaned the mouth of a moray eel. When I surfaced, an idea occurred to me, and on the second dive I took pictures in profile. "

"Green turtles in the sun", Greg Lekor (France)

"During a trip to Tenerife to dive, I found these green turtles. It was early in the morning, and the sun's rays pierced the surface of the water. "

"Nudibranch art", Catherine Lou (Singapore)

"I took this picture in the local waters of Singapore, where visibility is about three meters. My friends scuba diving always wonder why I dive there, but they do not know that there is a lot of material for macro photography. "

"Sacrifice?", So Yat Wai (Hong Kong) - macro photography

"This photo was taken during a diving into great depths in Anilão, Philippines. Despite the fact that the larva of the shrimp-mantis is very small, it still remains a predator, which uses special appendages for hunting. Did she notice the prey and are preparing to attack? ".

"The larva of the lionfish", Stephen Kovacs (USA)

"This image was taken during a deep water drift into Palm Beach, Florida, in order to study the appearance of the pelagic animals, plankton, as well as the larval stages of many creatures whose larvae drift in the open ocean in the early stages of development."