The Selected Images Of The “Through Your Lens” competitions Are A Fascinating Collection Of 13 Spectacular Winning Images And Several Honorable Mentions That Will Change The Way You Look At The Underwater World.

Some say that discovering space and heavenly bodies is fantastic, But why travel to the skies as long as there are vast oceans with many parts still unexplored? It is estimated that only about 20% of the oceans are known, and 80% have not yet been discovered, so why shouldn’t human science be used to do this?

According to the Bored Panda report, Scuba Diving magazine has announced the winners of the 2020 underwater photo contest; An attractive collection including 13 winning images and several honorary options. Together, these photos have the same goal: to show as much aquatic wildlife as possible. Of course, many people are currently trying to discover and depict other parts of the waters.

Through Your Lens is a photography competition organized by Scuba Diving. 2020 is the 16th year this competition has shown the beauty of oceans and seas. With more than 2,600 photo submissions this year, the contest has the highest photo submissions in history.

Among the 2,636 submitted photos, the jury selected 13 winning images and 15 honorary winners in four categories: behavior, compact camera, macro, and wide-angle.

It is written on the website of this magazine:

Among the 2,636 photos submitted for the contest, some images pushed the boundaries of our four defined categories and sometimes left the judges wondering how anyone could take such a photo in the world.

The 2020 Grand Prize winner was Evans Baudin, who captured a stunning photo of a school of remoro stickleback fish in the mouth of a 12-meter female whale shark in Baja, California, Mexico.

 The first-prize winners of the other four categories are as follows:

• Jules Casey won in the “Behavior” category with a photo of a short seahorse feeding in Port Phillip Bay, Australia.
• Tobias Friedrich won the “Compact Camera” category with his photo of a juvenile creature on a palm leaf in Anilao, Philippines.
• Jeffrey Hines won the “Macro” category with a photo of a seahorse in West Palm Beach, Florida.
• Martin Stremiska won the “Wide-Angle” category with a photo of underwater sun rays in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.

Selected images can change your view of the world of creatures in the oceans and seas. Below each image is a description from the artist who recorded it.

Honorary winner

Martin Stremiska, Styria, Austria

In early spring, while the mountain peaks around the village of Tragus are still covered with snow, the meadow cover of the Grüner See blooms. In the following months, when nighttime temperatures do not drop below freezing, the snow melts and flows down the streams to fill the lake with crystal-clear water. The meadow, with freshly blooming flowers and beautiful green grass, will be filled with water, creating a fantastic underwater park for the next two months.

Grand prize winner

Evans Baudin, Baja California, Mexico

In June 2020, I went on a trip with a special permit to capture images of marine life and the effects of reduced sea traffic due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. After two hours in the water and seeing a group of silky sharks swimming close to the surface, our boat captain shouted:

Whale shark, right behind you!

An object more than 12 meters long was precisely what this person pointed out. Seeing this creature was surprising enough, But seeing over 50 sticky remora fish calmly enjoying a free ride in this creature’s mouth multiplied my surprise.

Honorary winner

Chris Gough, Bonaire

After an eternity, the flamingos finally started feeding again in the sand where I had been lying motionless since sunrise. As the critters passed, they moved the slime back and forth, a small portion of which landed on my camera. This one flamingo, who seems to be a brave creature, came forward when he saw the mud on my camera and started moving it. This bird gave me a concise opportunity to take a picture of the flamingo’s beak, stunning underwater, and its yellow eyes.

First place in the compact camera category

Tobias Friedrich, Anilao, Philippines

As a brand ambassador for SeaLife cameras, in addition to my DSLR, I always have a DC2000 with me for special occasions. It’s interesting to see what I can shoot with a tiny camera like the SeaLife and how close I can get to DSLR quality with them. Sitting on a palm leaf, this unique juvenile creature seemed like an excellent subject for testing—diving near Anilao, Philippines, courtesy of photographer Mike Bartik.

Honorary winner

Mark Henauer, Amorgos Island, Greece

This picture was taken on the Greek island of Amorgos. There are many such caves along the coast. The darkness contrasts with the typical blue color of the Aegean Sea. Greece is also a paradise for freediving. This issue provides complete freedom for imagination and the creating of poetic images in this place.

 Honorary winner

Massimo Georgette, Jardines de Larina, Cuba

A small American colony of American alligators lives in the Cuban archipelago among the mangrove trees. To create a series of photos, I had to spend three days with them in the water and check different features of the environment, such as light and water clarity. Then I waited until the crocodile was in the correct position against the background light. The final idea was to have the best contrast between the sun’s reflection and the water’s color in the recorded image.

Third place in the compact camera category

Enrico Samogui, Anilao, Philippines

While diving in Anilao, Philippines, I spotted an empty drink bottle in the sand; But something lived inside. I started photographing the creature that lived there. I pressed the shutter button as the beast began yawning and looking directly at the camera. After a while, I noticed a shadow in the background, and a few seconds later, I saw a fish coming out of its hiding place.

Honorary winner

Martina Andres, Red Sea

As a diver, you will never forget seeing your first great shark. I am pleased to see this beautiful Great White Shark in the Red Sea. As we approached the last minutes of the dive, the shark and its entourage slowly circled our group. They calmly looked at each of us before continuing their journey.

Third place in the macro category

Robert Stansfield, Banco Chinchuro, Mexico

In November 2019, one of my good friends named Haiku and I signed up for 14 days of diving at Banco Chinchorro. Haiku set a goal for me as a joke. The plan was that I would be able to photograph some of the offending species during my time there. So even though diving there required more wide-angle lenses, I also took a 105mm lens with me. On the second dive, I was preparing to photograph a group of eels when I felt something under my arm. I slowly went up and down and moved my strobes to get several shots. When I looked down, I saw this 7-foot nurse shark looking at me with complete confidence. Seeing this type of shark around Banco Chinchorro is very interesting and enjoyable.

Second place in the compact camera category

Marcelo Johan Ogata, Lembe Strait, Indonesia

Have you ever felt like a fish could laugh at you? The funniest thing about this dive was that it took me a long time to realize that there was a porcupine in this sea sponge! I had my eyes fixed on this sea sponge to take a photo of a particular species of lobster, But after some time, I realized that this fish camouflaged in that place with a smile on its face.

First place in the wide-angle category

Martin Stremiska, Puerto Morelos, Mexico

At the entrance level of the cenote, I had no idea what space lay beneath that tiny place. The darkness became apparent as I descended and stood outside the sunlit area. As my eyes adjusted to the night, I realized the vastness of space. My friend, illuminated by the sunlight, looked so small that the whole time I was diving, I tried to capture the best picture of him and the vast space around him.

Third place in the wide-angle category

Rafaele Livorense, Baja California, Mexico

I took this photo last October in Baja, California. This was the first time I was there; it took me a few days to gain more trust in the sea and the animals that live there. I was fortunate; Because there were a lot of sardines there, and the sea lions were constantly playing and hunting them. To take this photo, I was floating in the shallow depth for a long time, looking for the right moment to press the button. When that moment came, I saw two sea lions coming toward each other after swimming in two different directions. Sardines move the same way to escape predators and form two lines like parallel waves. I quickly captured this beautiful scene of their charming movement.

Third place in the behavior category

Thomas Van Pembroke, Marsa Alam, Egypt

While we were on our honeymoon, we couldn’t resist swimming in the water, so my wife and I went snorkeling every morning. One day, a lot of mud caught my attention in a part of the water. On the ground, this beautiful table fish appeared. This photo was taken in very shallow water. Since the land was spreading to other places, the time to take pictures was minimal. The table fish was feeding on the tiny creatures in the sand. After a few seconds, this beautiful creature disappeared, and we continued to enjoy the fabulous Red Sea and our honeymoon.

Honorary winner

Enrico Samogui, Anilao, Philippines

I used a slow shutter technique along with a flashlight and colored lights to capture this image.

Second place in the macro category

Yuri Ivanov, Bali, Indonesia

These sea hares are one of my favorite species to photograph underwater. I call them “living colors of the sea” or “snow queens.” Here Phyllodesmium iriomotense is seen feeding on one of its favorite foods, the gorgonian spindle coral. This photo was taken at 32 meters (105 feet). The time to photograph at that depth is minimal, So I dived four times to take this photo.

Second place in the wide-angle category

Mark Henauer, Amorgos Island, Greece

The sinking of the Olympia can be seen in Luc Besson’s 1988 film The Big Blue. The ship ran aground near the coast of Amorgos Island in Greece. The secret of this picture lies in the simultaneity of the events. When it was recorded, a ray of sunlight shone through to illuminate the underwater landscape; then, a wave arrived at the right angle to multiply the beauty of the image. Finally, the diver had to be positioned, so his face was towards the shipwreck. We practiced many times to record this photo.

Honorary winner

Enrico Somogyi 

Honorary winner

Andrey Shpatak, Sea of ​​Japan

Sepiola birostrata is one of the two species of marine fish living in the northern Sea of ​​Japan. This fish hides under the sand during the day and can only be found if you are lucky. But this creature starts hunting at night. Despite their small size of only about an inch, these fish are skilled hunters and can catch shrimp and crabs with great skill. There are usually large numbers in July, above the sandy bottom, at depths of 15 to 40 feet. I managed to meet this beautiful creature during a night dive. The color was fantastic.

Honorary winner

Sean Steininger, Tonga Island

A baby humpback whale was swimming in Tonga’s emerald and blue waters, accompanied by its mother and escort. As the leviathans circled directly below me, this little whale would come up to the surface for fresh air. Gathering my freediving fins, I was ready to capture the image. Moments later, the mother appeared to pull her child away from the stranger who was taking pictures.

Honorary winner

Lorraine Ferretti

 Honorary winner

Dennis Wheatstone, Palm Beach, Florida

I captured this image of the Squadron flying fish on May 31, 2020, while snorkeling around a patch of Sargassum. As I was entering the water, my friend Lazaro Roda informed me that a group of flying fish was on the surface. I was able to take the picture within a few minutes.

First place in the behavior category

Jules Casey, Port Phillip Bay, Australia

The seahorse, pictured during a day of diving at Blairgowrie Wharf in Port Phillip Bay, Australia, was feeding near the surface, moving freely from one floating weed to the next. The tube fish immediately tried to free itself from the seahorse’s grip. This conflict lasted only about 10 seconds, enough to record this moment. I’m not sure if the seahorse mistook the pipefish for weed or did it on purpose.

Honorary winner

Franco Tolli

Male and female Sudantia fish generally do not fight with each other over the place to live, But at some times of the year, we may see males fighting for reasons such as where to live.

First place in the macro category

Jeffrey Hines, West Palm Beach, Florida

You never know what you’ll find when black water diving. One night you may see a small larval fish in your path, and another, you may see a mako or silky shark. But most of the time, you look for tiny organisms and plankton. Persistence and concentration are the keys to finding your subject while moving. About 45 minutes into the 90-minute dive, I started spotting the small clumps of Sargassum that are always seen on a black water dive. I found this seahorse in the third pile I checked.

 Second place in the behavior category

Jerry Arriaga, Ambon Bay, Indonesia

We were diving in the beautiful bay of Ambon. I was swimming under the fishing boats at Laha, one of the favorite diving spots in the area. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fish lizard that suddenly jumped from the boulder; It was fast, like a torpedo! I quickly swam closer and found the lizardfish eating another fish. I captured this image just before the lizard fish left with its tasty meal.

Honorary winner

Renata Romeo, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

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In your opinion, users, which image was better than the rest of the best works of the Scuba Diving magazine contest?