The Best Underwater Photographs of 2012 (14 Photos)

We present to you 14 best pictures of winner contest of underwater photography 2012. More than 700 underwater photographs were presented at the annual underwater photography contest 2012, it was organized by the University of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Miami Rozenshteyn. the winner was chosen by online voting.

Headshield slug was captured by photographer Ximena olds at Virgin Islands, a bright orange clam on a brilliant background of green algae.


For the first time, the University of Miami Rozenshteyn in the underwater photographic competition has created a new category called “People’s Choice Award.” Internet users can vote for their favorite photos. The winner of this award was photographer Todd Aki and his image was of a jellyfish. he win by 599 votes.

Photographer Marcello Di Francesco won third place with the image of the Imperial shrimp, which he had captured  in the island of Banda Sea in Ambon, Indonesia.

Photographer Rockford Draper won Second place in the category of “Portraits of fish or other marine life” and his image was Eshmeyera scorpion fish, which was placed near the Indonesian island of Bali.

Photographer Mark Fuller received the first prize in the nomination of “Wide format” and his image was Lionfish swin in the Red Sea.

Photographer Austin Gallagher won third place in the category of “Student” and his image was two sharks, a juvenile tiger shark and lemon shark in the Bahamas

Two sharks – tiger and lemon – met in the Bahamas. This photo of Austin Gallagher took third place in the category of “Student”.

Photographer Philip Gillett won Second place in the category of “Student” and his image was a spotted harlequin shrimp. The picture was taken at the Similan Islands in Thailand.

Photographer Cyrus Hartog won first place in the category of “Student” and his image was a whale shark. The picture was taken in Mexico.

Photographer Bill Lamp’l won Third place in the category of “wide format” and his image was a pink soft corals and its surrounding orange scalefin anthias. The picture was taken on the island of Fiji.

Photographer Douglas A. Kahle won first place in the category “Portraits of fish or other marine life” and his image was the sperm whale in the waters of the Caribbean island of Dominica.

Photographer David Lopresti won the second place in the category of “Macro” and his image was a porcelain crab.

Photographer Todd Mintz won first place in the category of “Macro” and his image was a Yellownose gobies in the Dutch Caribbean.

Photographer Matthew Potenski won second place in the category of “wide format” and his image was a red mangrove trees. The picture was taken on the island of Bimini, Bahamas.

Photographer Nicholas Samaras won third place in the category “Portraits of fish or other marine life” and his image was ghostly nudibranch in Greece.