Captured this shot of a Great White Shark as he was surfacing while out of the cage with beautiful sun rays.

Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

Bird catching sardines.

Mexico

Mantas were a common resident in this isolated atoll during my visit. The strong currents bring nutrients and plankton, the nutrients bring fish. The fish attract the sharks. So much life in such an isolated place.

Toau Atoll, French Polynesia

This incredible school of Jacks continues to be a symbol of Cabo Pulmo's success as a Marine Protected Area. In an assessment of Cabo Pulmo's reefs from 1999-2009 Scripps Institution of Oceanography concluded that the reef fish biomass has increased by 463%. With this amount of fish, predators, such as sharks, have also seen an incredible comeback- more than 1,000%. Since this area has been protected, divers from all around the world are witnessing the resilience of life.

El Bajo, Cabo Pulmo National Park, B.C.S, Mexico

Vincent Canabal of Epic Diving is the person I love to see with sharks the most. He's very quiet, calm, reads them, saves them from hooks and ropes if he has to and does care a lot! This intimate moment with an Oceanic whitetip was great to watch. Vinnie trusting the shark, shark trusting Vinnie, watching...

Cat Island, Bahamas

On a recent family trip to Dominica, we met with this sperm whale calf in the Caribbean waters. Having this amazing encounter between me and my teenagers and this 'teenager', bonding in the middle of the blue touched my heart more than can be expressed with words. Coming ashore that evening I realized even more we'll all have to fight to keep our oceans healthy, it might soon be too late.

Dominica

Most shots of blennies are of their funny faces but seeing them, so tiny, I always wonder about their life. Safely tucked away with most of their body, fast as lightning feeding themselves and watching the world with their big eyes! Placing the blenny in a black and white moonlike landscape, I wanted to emphasize the feeling of loneliness I experience looking at them.

Macabuca, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

On a trip in Kona with Wild Hawaii Ocean Adventures, we encountered a pod of bottlenose dolphine in the blue. Seth Conea, our guide that day, enjoyed the encounter as much as we did and swam in unison with the dolphins. It looked like they were waiting for him to direct them!

Kona, Hawaii

A school of fish is hiding underneath a boat in the bay at Lighthouse. They stayed for several days. One morning they were all gone.

Dahab/Egypt

As one Grey reef shark stops and poses for a portrait, a second one is waiting in the wings. The facial expression would give way to a tense moment, but it was actually an exciting yet relaxing crossing of paths.

South Pass, Fakarava

Grey Reef Sharks congregating in the southern pass of Fakarava atoll. Generally this species of shark does not "school" but when the current starts to flow through the pass they gather in tight formations.

South Pass, Fakarava

Recreational shark divers at Tiger Beach are awed at the way shark wranglers gently interact with large Tiger Sharks.

Tiger Beach, Bahamas

A Lemon Shark resting on the seafloor with it's jaws agape allowing a remora to clean it.

Tiger Beach, Bahamas

The "Decisive Moment" for me was capturing these two underwater photographers at work making images of a large Oceanic Whitetip Shark.

Cat Island, Bahamas

My first time meeting these huge beauties. I couldn't help but tear up while watching these graceful giants.

Sea of Cortez

Sharks were coming straight for me, and I loved it!

Yap

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Yap

Sea lions often like to nap together, floating at the surface with a fin in the air in order to regulate their body temperature. You can see a baby nursing on his mother as they both sleep.

Los Islotes, Sea of Cortez

Large Tiger Shark moves a lot of water which disturbs the seagrass as she gracefully pushes her massive body through the water.

Tiger Beach / Bahamas

Photographer and Oceanic Whitetip study one another with mutual respect.

Cat Island/Bahamas

Oceanic Whitetip with a serious look on her face.

Cat Island/Bahamas

Immediately after this shot, we were joined by a school of over 30 other barracuda, but this lone shot seemed to describe this hunter best.

Mollasses Reef Key Largo, Florida

Dropping below on a single breath, a diver focuses on getting the shot with his shark as another swims curiously above. Looking up, the diver realizes he has intermingled calmly with the two blue sharks, and pauses to enjoy the moment before returning to the surface.

Offshore San Diego

7 caribbean reef sharks gathering at deco stop.

Gardens of the Queen (Cuba)

Group of sailfishes chasing a sardine ball off-shore Isla Mujeres.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Oceanic snap without the snap.

CAT Island - Bahamas

A pair of pilot whales off the coast of Kona, CA surface and then dive down to join the rest of the pod of 10. This picture was taken while free diving.

Kona, CA

A day of diving at Tiger Beach . This wonderful tiger shark came close to the diver group . Such a beauty . Love Sharks and Tiger sharks especially.

Bahamas / Tiger beach

Tiger shark seen by diving at Tiger Beach. As you can see, this shark is curious and come close to me. No agressivity, pure moment of awesome feelings with a wonderful Top Predator.

Tiger Beach / Bahamas

Waiting for the eagle ray to swim over the perfect sand ripples took some patience, but it paid off.

Harbour Island, Bahamas

A Manta Ray turns and flips all around while feeding.

QLD Australia

A beautiful morning with dolphin at the dolphin grounds off the Northern Bahamas. Interaction is up to us by making the effort to keep them entertained. They are captain!

Bahamas Banks - Bahamas

Monad Shoal off Malapascua island is one of the only places in the world where you can regularly see thresher sharks. We dropped down just as the sun was rising and found this large shark at a cleaning station.

Malapascua

This big nurse shark slipped right by me brushing my arm with a coarse tail. My dive buddy said she thought it was attacking me! 15mm and Sony Nex 5N.

Cozumel - Tormentos

A little yellow sea horse dwelling in an urban setting a mile from the ocean. 60mm with 10x diopter and Sony Nex 5N.

Blue Heron Bridge, South Florida

Nassau Grouper at 70 feet deep giving me the once over. Sony Nex 5N

Cayman Brac

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There is something timeless and elegant about black and white photography. Without the 'distraction' of color, we learn to focus on tonal contrast, the shapes and textures of the image, and the composition of the shot.

We've collected 36 amazing photos shot in black & white from this year's Through Your Lens photo contest. Let us know in the comments which ones you like best, and share them with your friends!

Photo titles and captions provided by the photographers.

Interested in viewing more Photo Contest galleries? Here are more great underwater photos:

• Scuba Diving Magazine's 2014 Photo Contest Winners
• Sneak Peek at the 2014 Through Your Lens Photo Contest
• 2014 Photo Contest: 20 Amazing Nudibranch Pictures
• Jaw-Dropping Shark Photos to Prepare for Shark Week
• Seahorse Central: 12 Amazing Photo Contest Submissions
• Cooky, Cool and Cute Crustaceans: A Photo Contest Gallery
• 40 Masters of Disguise from the 2014 Photo Contest
• Spotted: 23 Speckled Critters from the 2014 Photo Contest
• Rise of the Rays: 25 Amazing Photo Contest Entries
• 2014 Underwater Photography Contest: Eye See You!
• But First, Let Me Take a [Scuba] Selfie
• New Life: 19 Baby Underwater Creatures
• 2014 Photo Contest: 10 Incredible Photos of Whale Sharks