Intrepid photographers submitted over 700 underwater images for the 2012 Underwater Photography Contest and an adorable red sea slug grinning for the camera was awarded the contest's star.
The annual contest, put on by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, showcases the colorful creatures typically beneath reach and awards prizes in three categories: macro, fish or marine animal portrait, and wide angle.
UM lecturer Myron Wang, one of the judges on the panel of experts, said the quality of photos keeps getting better each year.
Judging becomes more difficult when you have so many wonderful pictures to choose from, Wang gushed in a statement. For me, there were excellent entries in every category but this year's standout was the great picture of the juvenile sperm whale taken by Douglas Lahle in Dominica. It is spectacular.
Yet, the best overall photo, equivalent to first place, went to Ximena Olds' shot of the headshield sea slug against a brilliant background of emerald green sea grass. Olds captured the creature on a trip to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A new addition to this year's contest was an online Fan Favorite poll on the Rosenstiel School blog. Over half of the 1,200 votes went to Todd Aki's shot of a jellyfish in Monterey, California.
The contest was open to all amateur photographers who earn no more than 20 percent of their annual income from photography. The winner received a trip on Blackbeard's Cruises, departing from Freeport, Bahamas.
Check out the beauties and beasts of the sea in the award-winning shots below:
Photo: Todd Mintz
1st Place Macro: Todd Mintz Yellownose gobies, Elacatinus randalli, in bolder brain coral – Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
Photo: Davide Lopresti
2nd Place Macro: Davide Lopresti Porcelain crab, Porcellanella sp. on feathery sea pen - Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Photo: Rockford Draper
2nd Place Fish or Marine Life Portrait: Rockford Draper Paddle flap Rhinopias, Rhinopias eschmeyeri -- Bali, Indonesia
Photo: Nicholas Samaras
3rd Place Fish or Marine Life Portrait: Nicholas Samaras Nudibranch, Cratena peregrina – Chalkidiki, Greece
Photo: Todd Aki
Fan Favorite: Todd Aki Sea nettle Chrysaora quinquecirrh taken on an early morning shore dive off the Breakwater -- Monterey, California, USA
Photo: Marcello Di Francesco
3rd Place Macro: Marcello Di Francesco Emperor shrimp, Periclimenes imperator -- Ambon, Indonesia
Photo: Douglas A. Kahle
1st Place Fish or Marine Life Portrait: Douglas A. Kahle Juvenile sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus -- Dominica
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