From a the wreck of a Japanese warplane to grinning great white sharks, these are just some of the thousands of entries in the largest underwater photography competition.
Nearly 8,000 pictures were entered for the underwaterphotography.com competition with 17 categories from above water, to wrecks, sharks and even underwater fashion featuring models.
And after the judging was finally completed, Belgian photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, who is based in the Cayman Islands, was declared World Champion after only three years of diving.
Hello: This incredible image of a marine mammal earned Ellen Curlaerts first place in the Freshwater category
The monochrome shipwreck under the sea near the Cayman Islands, left, won Mis Cuylaerts first place in the Wide Angle Wrecks category. Right, a diver inspects a school of fish in a photo which won Kazakh photographer Nadya Kulagina first place in the Wide Angle Divers category
Keeping the side up: British photographer Paul Colley took first prize in the Wide Angle Marine Life category with this picture of a school of fish
Under the sea: Christian Schlamann of Germany clinched second place in the Wide Angle Marine Life category with this picture
Chiaroscuro: This remarkable photograph of light streaming beneath the water onto a school of fish won Ellen Cuylaerts second place in the Wide Angle / Natural Light (no strobe) category
Monster of the deep: This whale descending into the abyss won Canadian Shane Gross third place in the Wide Angle / Natural Light (no strobe) category
What a grin: Danish photographer Rasmus Raahauge submitted this picture of a great white, earning him fourth place in the Sharks category
Camouflage critter: This picture by Andre Philip of Germany won second place in the Sharks category
Winning shot: But the top prize in Sharks was taken by Petteri Viljakainen from Finland with this picture
Nereid: This picture of a woman beneath the water with a bunch of flowers won Dmitry Vinogradov first place in the Fashion section
Ethereal: Nadya Kulagina won second place in the Fashion category for this photograph of a model floating beneath the waves in a translucent white dress
Secrets of the sea: A Japanese warplane Second World War lies wrecked in shallow water off Guam in a photograph, left, which won Tony Cherbas second in the Topside category. Marjan Radovic’s photograph of a woman diving in an urban waterway, right, won him bronze in the Over/Under competition
Expert timing: Doris Vierkotter’s shot of a fish trapped in the jaws of another won her a silver medal in the Macro Close-Up category
Colours: Marchione Giacomo took first in the Macro Nudibranchia category with this incredible photograph
Aliens on our own planet: Goos ven der Heide of the Netherlands won first place in the Macro Close-Up category with this image of a sea horse, left, while American photographer Jeremy Axworthy won first place in the Temperate Waters category with this picture of a ghost-like jellyfish
And a British photographer kept the side up by winning a first prize in one category and placing second in another.
Paul Colley won the Wide Angle Marine Life category for a school of Barracuda and was runner up in the Wide Angle Wrecks category for his shot of a British World War II motorbike on the Thistlegorm wreck in the Red Sea.
Mr Mor said: ‘Two of our medals is the reward for all the hard work Paul Colley put in chasing those great shots in far-flung destinations.
‘It’s the most coveted prize because it says you succeeded in the most competitive environment there is, against the top talent of the moment.
‘Paul Colley was up against 7,849 entries to get placed this year.’
Odd couple: These curious critters won German photographer Uwe Schmolke third place in the Macro Swimming category
Minnow: Italian snapper Marchione Giacomo won first place in the Macro Swimming category with this marvellous picture
Peeking out: Ellen Cuylaerts again shows her talent with this picture in the Macro Not Swimming category, which won her a second place in that competition
Having a snail of a time: But it was Italian Giuseppe Piccioli who took the Macro Not Swimming crown with this image of a marine invertebrate
Along with the traditional underwater shots of fish – including a smiling Great White Shark off Guadalupe Island, Mexico – there were some interesting entries that also won medals.
Marjan Radovic from Croatia got bronze for his shot of a female diver in an urban setting for the Over/Under category and Nadya Kulagina won the Wide Angle (Natural Light) category with her shot of the sun’s rays coming through the trees taken underwater.
Tony Cherbas from Guam, entered a stunning shot from above the water of a Japanese Plane wreck in the Pacific in the Topside category.
Savage: Israeli Gleb Tolstov took second place in the Wide Angle Close focus with his close up shot of a smiling salt water crocodile in Cuba
Turtle power: Helmy Hashim was awarded first prize in the Wide Angle Close Focus category for this amazing close up of a turtle on the sea bed
Open wide… South African Valda Fraser won bronze with this gaping fish entered into the Wide Angle Marine Life competition
Streaming light: Nadya Kulagina won the Wide Angle (Natural Light) category with her shot of the sun’s rays coming through the trees taken underwater
Snapper: Austrian Wolfgang Zwicknagl won second place in the Over/Under category with this fish who looks ready to spring on to land
Worthy winner: But first in the Over/Under category went to German photographer Uwe Schmolke for this picture of a diver in a subterranean lake
Some of the more unusual creatures captured on camera that won medals were a dugong in the Red Sea by Christian Schlamann from Germany in the Wide Angle Marine life category, Israeli Gleb Tolstov with his close up shot of a smiling salt water crocodile in Cuba in the Wide Angle Close Focus and Doris Vierkotter’s shot of a fish trapped in the jaws of another in the Macro Close Up category.
Tal added: ‘The UnderwaterPhotography.com photo contest is the longest running and most prestigious online, or off. If you want to make a name for yourself it is the place to do it.’
