Selfie-taking octopus, mating crabs and more win underwater photo awards – CNET [CNET]

January 19, 2021 Thomas Giboney

Spectacular selfie

Gaetano Dario Gargiulo won the best-of-show award, but this curious octopus actually was the one who snapped this shot, which also won first place in the wide-angle category. The photo was taken in a tide pool in New South Wales, Australia.

Privacy, please?

Steven Kovacs won first place in the marine life behavior category for his image of two Sargassum Swimming Crab mating in the waters off Palm Beach, Florida. Kovacs says he was lucky to snap the show because the amorous pair quickly spun past him, diving into the darkness.

Knowing your angles

Galice Hoarau won first place in the Portrait Ocean Art category for this photo of an anglerfish swimming up from deep Norwegian waters looking for a place to hide and hunt.

Kelp cathedral

Jon Anderson won first place in the cold water category for this shot taken at Monastery Beach in Monterey, California. Anderson noted the “cathedral-like” beams of light that pierced the kelp canopy as blue rockfish swam busily by.

Underwater quarantine

Wen Chou Wu won first place in the nudibranches category for an image of a tiny nudibranch hiding out in bubble algae off of Green Island, Taiwan. The nudibranch is a soft-bodied mollusk, and this one reminded the photographer of the quarantine life imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dramatic look

This image taken off the coast of Florida won first place in the blackwater category for photographer Steven Kovacs. It shows a larva of Acanthonus Armatus, a species of what’s called cusk-eel, and the dramatic filaments that extend from its body.

Coronavirus litter

Masks may protect people from COVID-19, but discarded ones can add to the pollution of the seas. Christophe Chellapermal won first place in the underwater conservation category for this image of a used face mask floating in the waters of the French Riviera.

Crocosmile

The jagged teeth of this crocodile look like a Rorschach test to photographer Jenny Stock, who took first place in the underwater art category. She captured the image while snorkeling in Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba.

Hide and seek

The giant frogfish is a well-camouflaged sea creature that can resemble a sponge, coral or a rock. Enrico Samogyi won first place in the compact wide angle category for this photograph, taken in Anilao, Batangas, in the Philippines.

So many seahorses

One, two, three, four … five baby seahorses star in this image taken by PT Hirschfield, who won first place in the compact macro category for this photo, taken under Blairgowrie Pier in Melbourne, Australia.

Coral spawning

The first place photo in the compact behavior category is this image, taken by Chia Chi Chang in Taiwan’s Longdong Bay. It took the photographer three days to get this shot.

Baby anglerfish

Sayaka Ichinoseki worked for 4 hours in the waters off of Hokkaido, Japan, to capture this image of baby anglerfish. The photograph took second place in the macro category.

Under a mother’s watchful eye

Louise Nott says she’s careful not to disturb the octopus dens she finds in her photography. She won second place in the marine life category for this image of a mother octopus guarding her eggs, taken in Shellharbour, Australia.

Colorful costume

This tiny but colorful blenny was photographed off Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Photographer Jeff Molder won second place in the portrait category for a shot he calls “Mardi Gras Blenny.”

The eyes have it

This bay scallop’s numerous blue eyes helped Thomas Gaitley win fourth place in the portrait category. He took the photo off of Jamestown, Rhode Island.

The whole tooth

Catherine Holmes won an honorable mention award in the portrait category for this image of an endangered saltwater crocodile, taken in the marine reserve of Jardins de la Reina, Cuba.

Jewel of the kelp forest

Jon Anderson won an honorable mention in the cold water category for this image of a purple and orange jeweled top snail foraging in kelp off of the Monterey, California coast.

Sealed with a kiss

Celia Kujala won an honorable mention award in the cold water category for this shot of a juvenile Northern elephant seal off the coast of Coronado Island, Mexico.

Royal purple

Luca De Pauli won second place in the nudibranchs category for this colorful shot taken in Sistiana, Italy.

Mouthy

This shot of a tiny larval swordfish taken off Palm Beach, Florida, by Steven Kovacs won second place in the blackwater category.

Come sail away

A curious sailfish swimming in the waters off Siladen, Indonesia, helped Galice Hoarau win third place in the blackwater category.

Dinner time

For the Sargassum Swimming Crab seen here feasting on a filefish off Palm Beach, Florida, it was just another meal. But for photographer Steven Kovacs, it meant an honorable mention award in the blackwater category.

Pretty as a peacock

This image of a striking larval tripod fish, taken off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida, won photographer Lureen Ferretti an honorable mention award in the blackwater category.

Playing with plastic

Garbage can be dangerous to sea creatures, so photographer Celia Kujala eventually coaxed this plastic tie away from the sea lion pup. Her photo, taken off of Coronado Island, Mexico won second place in the underwater conservation category.

Lone shark

Off of New South Wales, Australia, Joanna Chen snapped this haunting image of a grey nurse shark swimming solo, winning second place in the compact wide-angle category.

Place in the sun

Andrea Michelutti says she was thrilled when this barrel jellyfish sailed in front of the sun off the coast of Trieste, Italy. The photo won third place in the compact wide-angle category.

Reflected image

Those aren’t two garfish, but one and its reflection. PT Hirschfield won third place in the compact macro category for this photo, taken under Blairgowrie Pier in Melbourne, Australia.

Hedgehog lookalike

This cute little hystrix was spotted off Quebec, Canada, by photographer Daniela Menegon, who won an honorable mention award in the compact macro category.

Peeking out

Kathrin Landgraf-Kluge had never seen a conch snail before taking this photo in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The image won an honorable mention in the compact macro category.

Splendor of the school

A lone barracuda is seen in a cloud of big eye scad off the coast of Honduras. Stephanie Doniger won an honorable mention award in the compact behavior category.