Under The Sea: The Winning Images of The Ocean Art 2021 Underwater Photo Competition

A green sea turtle hatchling surfaces for air at Heron Island, Australia.

Hannah Le Leu

Stunning images from the 10th year of the worldwide Ocean Art underwater photo competition. Thousands of entries from 81 countries were judged with the winners including nine taken in Australia.

More: Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition

A long-snouted seahorse in Biograd na Moru, Croatia.

Michal Štros

In a small patch of empty seashells, juvenile octopuses take refuge from predators.

Steven Walsh

A small catfish comes to the surface of a pond in Leipzig, Germany.

Enrico Somogyi

A rare red frogfish, or anglerfish, in Sydney, Australia.

Salvatore Gambacurta

‘The gang’ swimming on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Gabriel Guzman

A female Octopus tetricus, or common Sydney octopus, caring for her young.

Louise Nott

Fish Rock, a rocky island off South West Rocks in New South Wales, Australia, is a habitat for the endangered grey nurse shark.

Nicolas & Léna Remy

A small lizardfish that has mistaken a cigarette butt drifting by for a fish.

Steven Kovacs

A peacock mantis shrimp with eggs in the Philippines.

Matteo Visconti

Fighting pike fish, the winner in the Marine Life Behaviour category.

Luc Rooman

A ladybug amphipod on a red crinoid at Komodo, Indonesia.

Sarah Vasend

‘Wide view’ taken in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental, Philippines.

Andrey Savin

Young tripodfish have large rounded fins that they can use to mimic jellyfish in order to try to stay camouflaged from predators.

Steven Kovacs

An eagle ray shuffles the sand looking for food.

Kyle Lucy

A frogfish in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

Abimael Márquez

A Indian bride in an underwater environment.

Julian Nedev

The Chromodoris luterosa nudibranch during its period of reproduction.

Virginia Salzedo

This male anthias fish is the winner in the portrait category.

Paolo Bausani

‘I’m the boss here’: An underwater photo of a seal shot in Isla Espiritu Santo, Mexico.

Damir Zurub