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10 Stunning Jellyfish From Our Underwater Photo Contest

By Scuba Diving Editors | Updated On December 28, 2023
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10 Stunning Jellyfish From Our Underwater Photo Contest

Judging the Through Your Lens photo contest is one of our favorite parts of the year at Scuba Diving — but it’s also one of the most challenging. For the 2017 contest, we sifted through more than 2,500 awesome entries to find the best of the best in underwater photography. We wanted to highlight some of our favorite images that didn’t make the winner’s circle, but that blew us away nonetheless. Jellyfish are exciting to see on any dive. Here are our favorite jellies from the 2017 contest.

See the 2017 winners here. The 2018 Through Your Lens photo contest is currently accepting entries. Learn more about the image categories and prizes here.

jellyfish over under sunset summer

Jellyfish over under sunset summer

Jordi Benitez

A jellyfish swims at the surface under the summer sunset.

jellyfish frilly mouthed cape town south africa diving

Jellyfish frilly mouthed cape town south africa diving

Geo Cloete

Frilly-mouthed jellyfish (Chrysaora sp.) are normally found in deep waters off Cape Town, South Africa. During the summer months, the prevailing southwestern wind can blow at gale force for days on end. This causes a strong upwelling during which many pelagic species get swept inshore. If you are quick and lucky enough, you can find some of these jellyfish intact before any predators get to them.

silverside school with jellyfish

Silverside school with jellyfish

Christine Albanese

A large school of silversides near the surface off Koh Tao, Thailand, opened up to reveal a barrel jellyfish within that has its own little family of fish living in and around it.

jellyfish and grey swimming crab symbiosis

Jellyfish and grey swimming crab symbiosis

Pasquale Vassallo

A jellyfish, in the company of his guest: the grey swimming crab (Liocarcinus vernalis) takes advantage of barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo) to reach new destinations. When the jellyfish crosses wide expanses of sand and near the bottom of the ocean, crabs latch on to be transported to different areas to colonize.

drift fish shelter in jellyfish tahiti

Drift fish shelter in jellyfish tahiti

Anthony Berberian

A drift fish is finds shelter in a jellyfish off the shores of Tahiti, French Polynesia.

ningaloo whale shark and jellyfish

Ningaloo whale shark and jellyfish

David Palfrey

Near a whale shark in Ningaloo, a beautiful red bell hangs in the crisp blue water.

kea kea jellyfish french polynesia

Kea kea jellyfish french polynesia

Anthony Berberian

This small jelly is called “kea kea” in French Polynesia.

Narcomedusae sea jelly

Narcomedusae sea jelly

Jonathan Lavan

A Narcomedusae sea jelly travels through liquid space.

jellyfish glow in the dark spain scuba

Jellyfish glow in the dark spain scuba

Jose Manuel Miró Gumbau

Pelagia noctiluca jellyfish can glow in the dark. This one was shot off Calpe, Spain.

jellyfish philippines

Jellyfish philippines

Heather Sutton

This jellyfish was captured during a safety stop in the Philippines.