All the beauty of the ocean in the pictures of the winners of the Through Your Lens 2018 contest

The world of the deep sea is incredibly diverse and beautiful, especially if the lenses of the best photographers in the world are aimed at them.

Scuba Diving Magazine has announced the winners of its annual underwater photography contest Through Your Lens. The works of the 2018 contestants were considered in four categories: "Wide Angle", "Macro", "Concept Shot" and "Compact Camera".

This competition was held for the 14th time and collected more than 2,100 marine-themed images. The main winner was Rodney Bercy with a photo of a whale near the surface of the water. The photographer said, "I hope that through this image I will share with others what I find in the mystical world that I find myself in every time I dive." As a prize, Bersi received $1,000 and a safari trip. Acceptance of applications for participation in the Scuba Diving Magazine's Underwater Photo Contest 2019 starts on November 1, 2018 and will last until May 31, 2019.

The main winner. The author of the photo: Rodney Bersi.

"After spending the whole day searching for whales, our boat was overtaken by a magical encounter with a curious mother and calf... Here I tried to create a unique perspective by turning the image upside down so that it looked like the whale was hovering above the surface."

1st place in the category "Compact camera". The author of the photo: Jamie Hall.

"In a diving place called the Southern Lagoon, I noticed a rock-coral formation in a sandy zone. Looking through the hole, I saw one of the largest and most curious giant moray eels (Javan gymnothorax) that I have ever encountered."

1st place in the "Macro" category. The author of the photo: Tsai Songda.

"This picture reminds me of how a seemingly boring night dive has become one of my most memorable. Rising from a depth of almost 30 meters, I noticed this octopus. It struck me then that all the necessary elements for a wonderful frame seemed to come together: the colors were bright, the reflections were alluring, and the octopus was very responsive, as if posing."

1st place in the category "Conceptual frame". The author of the photo: Conor Culver.

"I came across this coconut octopus while diving in a polluted environment. The creature acquired a dark red color and posed beautifully, symmetrically wrapping its tentacles. As a result, I created a "house" for him out of a small bottle that I found while diving in Baja California."

1st place in the category "Wide angle". The author of the photo: Alex Dawson.

"In 1999, the Jordanian Royal Ecological Society sank the M42 Duster anti-aircraft self-propelled gun near the coast north of Tala Bay. It is an ideal place for snorkeling and diving. The tank has become home to many of the reef's inhabitants."

2nd place in the category "Conceptual frame". The author of the photo: Lucy Drlikova.

"The picture was taken in Prague in a pool about 8 meters deep, covered with a very large piece of gray cloth. The title of the photo: “The most important thing is how you see.” It doesn't matter what other people think, the main thing is what you think and how you see yourself. I rotated the image 90 degrees to create the effect of a woman in front of a mirror."

3rd place in the category "Conceptual frame". The author of the photo: Christian Wiesel.

"This model is a freediving champion from Chile. Her movements under the water are fascinating. The picture was taken at noon, when the sun's rays are best visible in the Cenote Pit."

2nd place in the "Macro" category. The author of the photo: Christian Bachmann.

"The area around Bunaken Island, near North Sulawesi, Indonesia, is famous for spectacular diving. Just at the end of one of these dives, I noticed this maroon clown fish. Her fins fluttered at a fast pace, and it was difficult to focus, especially on small details. But patience and a little luck helped to get this frame, in which the distinctive white stripe of the fish is visible, and it seems that it really flies."

2nd place in the category "Wide angle". The author of the photo: Karen Smith.

"There are numerous underwater cave systems known as cenotes near Tulum. Pete is the deepest of them. Divers are looking for her because of the beautiful rock formations and seeping light. When I was climbing up, I noticed freedivers training; within 15 seconds I made three frames with the perfect composition."

3rd place in the "Macro" category. The author of the photo: Rafael Fernandez Caballero.

"Photographing clingers is a difficult task because of their small size and shy nature. Having found a stick fish with eggs, I waited for weeks until I saw the eyes inside. When the time came, I took my best macro lens and tried to capture the essence of a mother caring for her offspring."

3rd place in the category "Wide angle". Photo author: Tom St. George.

"Sometimes, after a downpour, tannins stained with rotting leaves fall into the cenote Karvosh, giving it a bright reddish-orange color. This tannic water blocks most of the daylight and the cenote becomes darker than usual. It's like diving on Mars."

2nd place in the category "Compact camera". Photo author: Yap Katumbal.

"I was diving in the Lembeh Strait when I noticed this young coconut octopus. He's the tiniest one I've ever seen, about 5 centimeters long. The octopus was hiding in a glass tube that was lying at the bottom, and seemed to be just waiting to be photographed."

3rd place in the category "Compact camera". The author of the photo: Ferens Lerinz.

"This grouper waited with his mouth open while the cleaning fish did its job. I highlighted the fish with flashes on both sides and created a dark background."