Kilometers of water above us: 2015 Underwater Photographer of the Year Award Winners

Over 2,500 photographs from 40 countries were entered in the 2015 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition. The title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2015 was awarded to Portuguese photographer Nuno Sa for his image of a seahorse. We have selected for you the best underwater photographs, which were awarded by the jury of the competition.

(Total 15 photos)

1. "50 Tons of Me" by Portuguese photographer Nuno Sa won the 2015 Underwater Photographer of the Year and won 1st place in the Macro: International category. (Photo: Nuno Sa)

Nuno Sa, the author of the image that made the biggest impression on the jury of the competition, is a specialist in underwater photography and filming with many years of experience. Interestingly, Nuno is a lawyer by profession, he graduated from one of the Portuguese universities, but never worked in his specialty. After graduating from university, without a moment's hesitation, he left for the Azores - here he decided to devote himself to the two biggest hobbies of his life - photography and diving. Then he created his own company, which provides underwater photography services. Nuno Sa is the only Portuguese nature photographer who has won numerous prizes in international photography competitions. His work is published regularly in National Geographic and dozens of other publications.

“It's important to me to spread the word about ocean life and the threats that many species face,” says the competition winner. “85% of seahorse species are already extinct, and we still catch 50 tons of these animals every year to keep them in aquariums.”

2. Winner in the category "Wide Angle Lens: International" - "From the Lowlands". (Photo: Raffaele Livornese)

3. Runner-up in the Wide Angle Lens: International category - Sokotrans Cormorant. (Photo: Hani Bader)

4. Third place in the category "Wide Angle Lens: International" - "Upside down". (Photo: Morten Bjorn Larsen)

5. Runner-up, Macro: International, Shrimp Dance. (Photo: Theresa A. Guise)

6. Third place in the category "Macro: International" - "Passenger". (Photo: Filippo Borghi)

7. Winner, Macro: British Waters, Amphipod Has Landed. (Photo: Trevor Rees)

8. The winner in the international category "Sunken ships" - Eelastic. (Photo: Tobias Friedrich)

9. Winner in the international category "Behavior" - "Survival". (Photo: Montse Grillo)

10. Third place in the international category "Behavior" - "Service Specialist". (Photo: Cathy Lewis)

11. Winner in the category "Prospects: International" - "Angel". (Photo: Fabrice Guerin)

12. British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2015 was awarded to Matt Doggett for his 'Cormorant Celebration'. (Photo: Matt Dogget)

13. The Pike, the Lurking Predator was awarded in the Wide Angle Lens: British Waters category. (Photo: Trevor Rees)

14. British Waters Category Winner - Cuttlefish in the Fog. (Photo: Trevor Rees)

15. Third place in the category "British waters" - "spicy shrimp". (Photo: Paul Colley)