The official announcement: The photographers who submitted to Scuba Diving’s 2019 underwater photo contest blew our judges away, entering what we believe is among the best underwater photos of the year.
Even in the 15th year of our Through Your Lens Underwater Photo Contest, we are continually impressed by the talent and creativity of underwater photographers from around the globe. This year, we asked underwater photographers of all skill levels to submit their best work in the following categories: behavior, compact camera, macro and wide-angle. It was tough to narrow it down from the 2,560 images entered but you will see below that the winners are more than deserving. With so many beautiful images to choose from, we named an additional 11 honorable mention winners in 2019.
Behind the Shot: Stratoni, a small gulf in the northern Aegean Sea, used to be a place rich with marine life—including seahorses. About three decades ago, fishing boats destroyed the sea bottom; a tremendous flood swept soil into the sea in 2010. Recently a team of marine biologists rediscovered the place, so I planned three days of diving to photograph my favorite animal. This portrait put me deep in thought. It was like this seahorse was expressing all of its complaints and disappointments about human actions.
