The winners of the annual 2020 Underwater Photographer of the Year have just been announced.
And there are some truly striking efforts among the contenders who have captured stunning images of basking sharks and sea anemones, seals and icebergs.
The annual competition has run since 2015 and has developed into one of the world’s most prestigious photography contests, attracting thousands of entrants every year.
On this occasion, French photographer Greg Lecoeur went home as the winner of the underwater photographer of the year with his spectacular exploration of the mysterious and icy environments in which seals thrive.
He was able to capture the jaw-dropping image after an expedition to the Antarctic, where the team was able to document the hidden face of an iceberg.
Competition judge Martin Edge said: “A stand out winner from the very first time I viewed it. The positioning of the seals could not be surpassed.”
Ines Goovaerts secured one of the top prizes in the up-and-coming category for his image of a minke whale off Western Australia.
Closer to home, in the depths of the Dutch Loch in the Shetlands, Trevor Rees was able to bag third place in the British waters wide angle category with his creative image of sea anemones.
The peat-stained water served as the backdrop to a surreal view of both the sea anemones and the sun piercing through the murky waters.
A runner-up in the same category was Will Clark who also utilised the coast of Scotland as his muse when he came across the world’s second largest shark.
The basking shark, which usually can be found in large numbers in the waters around the Inner Hebrides spend their time eating plankton with their enormous mouths and present one of nature’s most striking spectacles.
That was something which Mr Clark was able to capture in its rawest form, by using equal amounts of stealth and creativity.
