11 Captivating Images From Scuba Diving Magazine's 2025 Photo Contest

Tom Shlesinger

Behind the Shot To capture this rare moment of coral spawning, I spent years diving at night, timing each dive to the minute when reproduction unfolds—just once a year, under very specific conditions. This image was taken in the Red Sea using a slow shutter to highlight the gentle drift of pinkish egg-sperm bundles from a branching coral.

Camera Gear Sony a7RIII with Sony FE 90mm f2.8 Macro G lens in a Nauticam housing; dual Retra Flash Pro Max strobes

Settings f/16; 1/4; ISO 100

Stacey Henderson

Behind the Shot I kept returning to an abandoned boat basin near my house, searching for something most people would never see. After hours of searching yet again through the mucky, turbid waters, I finally found what I was looking for. Just below the surface, on a bright-green piece of algae, sat a dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae). With the sun fading, I was losing my chance. Finally, it posed long enough to capture the perfect portrait.

Camera Gear Nikon D500 with a 105mm lens; Nauticam housing; Backscatter Mini Flash 2

Settings f/16; 1/250; ISO 100

Talia Greis

Behind the Shot Cheeky portrait of a duck, executed using a split-shot in order to capture the colors above and below the surface. This particular individual was the obvious “leader” of the pack, and had a certain way of asserting dominance and confidence when faced with a camera.

Camera Gear Nikon D850 with 16-35mm lens in an Isotta housing; dual Inon Z-330 strobes

Settings f/14; 1/160; ISO 1600

Cynthia Ariosta

Behind the Shot By my second trip to the Revillagigedo Islands, I understood that patience was key to interacting with the giant mantas, legendary for their curiosity and engaging interactions with divers. After some time, this manta glided past, perfectly parallel to me. Just above, a remora clung to its head, poised to take advantage of the manta’s sloppy dining habits. As they passed, I locked eyes with the manta and its hitchhiker, posed just right, allowing me to frame both sets of eyes in a single shot.

Camera Gear Nikon Z 7II with Nikkor 24-50mm lens in a Nauticam housing; Nauticam WWL-C; Sea&Sea YS-D3 Duo DS-TTL strobe pair

Settings f/6.3; 1/100; ISO 640

Related Reading: The Organization Helping to Protect Seahorses, Sea Dragons and Pipefish

Giancarlo Mazarese

Behind the Shot During a dive trip to Tulamben, I asked my guide and friend Ajiex if it was possible to photograph a Rhinopias. He quickly organized a couple of boat dives at a more remote site. At around 100 feet, we encountered a stunning specimen. With Ajiex’s help, I captured this image, using two snoots to sculpt the light. The result is a dramatic interplay of shadows and highlights that enhance the fish’s unique texture.

Camera Gear Canon R7 with Canon 60mm macro lens; Nauticam housing, two Backscatter MF-2 strobes and Optical Snoot

Settings f/18; 1/250; ISO 100

Martin Stevens

Behind the Shot Mauve stinger jellyfish are a beautiful species but not often seen in the U.K. Last fall, onshore winds pushed huge numbers of them inshore. Many were in the rock pools at low tide. I decided to snorkel in a deep lower shore pool and take some photos of the jellyfish set against the seaweed and moody sky above.

Camera Gear OM-5 with Olympus 7-14mm Pro lens in an Isotta housing and dome port; two Sea&Sea YS-D3 strobes

Settings f/13; 1/200; ISO 400

Sina Ritter

Behind the Shot Swimming with cetaceans is not allowed in Spain. As a whale and shark photographer, I know the feeling of being in their world is very different from watching them from a boat. But the connection is still there. On this day, I was out with my good friend Sebastian (whose hand you see in the image) and we had just talked about this exact bond you can feel here.

Camera Gear Canon EOS R6 with a 16-35mm lens in an Isotta underwater housing

Settings f/5.6; 1/1600; ISO 1000

Fabi Fregonesi

Behind the Shot This image captures a unique moment during the 2023 sardine run off the coast of Port St. Johns. A pod of dolphins, working as a coordinated unit, drives a baitball of sardines toward the surface. This synchronized hunting behavior is an essential step in their strategic feeding technique. Moments before the hunt began, the dolphins aligned with precision, each playing a crucial role in containing their prey. This cooperative action highlights the remarkable intelligence and communication skills of these marine mammals. For me, this image tells the story of how wild the sardine run is.

Camera Gear Canon 5D Mark IV with 15mm lens; Nauticam housing

Settings f/7.1; 1/200; ISO 1000

Yury Ivanov

Behind the Shot “Shared Habitat” features a Phyllodesmium iriomotense nudibranch hosting a tiny emperor shrimp (Zenopontonia rex) on its back, a beautiful example of symbiosis in the underwater world. The nudibranch, around 50 mm in length, is seen feeding on an octocoral, which is its primary food source. This image was captured at 80 feet, during a dive where patience and a keen eye revealed this delicate partnership. Their fragile coexistence showcases the intricate beauty of reef life and the surprises it holds for those who look closely.

Camera Gear Nikon D850 with 60mm macro lens; Nauticam housing; two Inon Z-330 strobes

Settings f/20; 1/250; ISO 64

Boz Johnson

Behind the Shot These little filefish are so hard to shoot; they blend in to their environment so well that even seeing them is a challenge. Just when I thought the composition and the lighting were right it would disappear, and I had to start the process over again many times. It is lit with a single strobe with a snoot and a homemade colored aperture card and also backlit with a torch.

Camera Gear Nikon D850; Nikon 105mm lens with a 20mm extension tube; Nauticam housing; Backscatter MF-2 strobe with snoot and homemade colored snoot aperture card; Weefine Smartfocus 5000 colored background light

Settings f/20; 1/200; ISO 400

Related Reading: Conserving the European Lobster

Chris Miles

Behind the Shot I was delighted to get this amazing critter shot on my first ever blackwater dive, off the coast of Hawaii’s Big Island at night. Experts helped me identify the critter as a larval stage lobster (phyllosoma) dragging around siphonophores (Agalma okeni). Apparently, they do this to use the siphonophores both as food and for protection from predators.

Camera Gear Sony a7rV with Sony 90mm macro lens; Nauticam housing; two Backscatter hybrid flashes

Settings f/18; 1/200; ISO 400