10 Winning Photographs From the Underwater Awards Australasia 2026

Spotlight
Matt Growcoot
Two dolphins swim near a large, dense school of fish suspended in clear blue water.
Two bottlenose dolphins work together in coordinated motion to herd a tightly packed school of parrotfish. Winner of the Australian category. | Photo by Jake Wilton

The Underwater Awards Australasia has announced the winners of the third edition of the photo competition that focuses on marine photographers in Oceania.

In total, there were nine categories for underwater photographers to enter, with prizes amounting to 70,000 Australian dollars ($50,000).

The overall winner of the competition — the “Best of Show” — is Kat dos Remedios, whose short film ‘Dragon’ takes the top spot in the Reels Showcase category.

The other category winners are Annika Dahlberg (Conservation), Talia Greis (Sydney), Jake Wilton (Australian), Simone Caprodossi (International Waters), Giacomo Marchione (Portfolio), Enrico Somogyi (Smartphone/Action Cam), Qian Kun (Tough TG), and Tom Healy (Only Water).

A bright orange clownfish with a white vertical stripe rests within the tentacles of a tan sea anemone underwater.
The photographer’s dive boat looms in the background as this clownfish glowers at the camera. Winner of the Tough TG category. | Photo by Qian Kun
A small, orange, blue-spotted goby fish rests on the dark, yellow-spotted arm of a sea star against a black background.
A clingfish rides on the back of a weedy seadragon. Clingfish are considered the ‘clingers of the sea,’ and often attach themselves to rocks, kelp, reefs, and occasionally animals, using a suction disc formed from modified pelvic fins. Their relationship with their host is purely commensal, using the host to travel and hide from predation. Winner of the Sydney category. | Photo by Talia Greis
A transparent, glass-like octopus floats against a black background, revealing its internal organs and delicate, speckled tentacles.
Deep sea creatures. Winner of the Portfolio category. | Photo by Giacomo Marchione
A paper nautilus octopus with a metallic gold head and a large, iridescent green and blue shell floats against a black background.
Deep sea creatures. Winner of the Portfolio category. | Photo by Giacomo Marchione
Three whale sharks swim through a dark, deep ocean, surrounded by a dense school of small, shimmering fish.
Whales sharks in the Gulf of Tadjoura in Djibouti. Winner of the International Waters category. | Photo by Simone Caprodossi
A large, translucent ocean wave curls into a barrel, illuminated by golden sunlight shining through the water.
A wave formation off the south coast of New South Wales, shot at sunrise. Winner of the Only Water category. | Photo by Tom Healy
A bright green ghost pipefish floats in the foreground, illuminated by the light of a scuba diver in the background.
A Halimeda ghost pipefish perfectly camouflaged among lush reef algae, photographed using a smartphone with Nauticam’s ‘bugeye’ lens. Winner of the Smartphone Action Cam category. | Photo by Enrico Somogyi
A close-up of a dark, spotted seahorse-like fish with a long snout, facing right against a blurred, light-colored background.
A still from ‘Dragon’, a short film that celebrates the weedy sea dragon. Best in Show and winner of the Reels Showcase category. | Kat dos Remedios
A diver in a wetsuit and fins holds a rope attached to the tail of a humpback whale swimming near the ocean surface.
A young humpback entangled in thick ropes. The juvenile was eventually freed with assistance from local authorities and a “brave diver.” Winner of the Conservation category. | Photo by Annika Dahlberg

The winning entries were revealed today (September 5) during an awards ceremony at Go Diving Show ANZ in Sydney, Australia. The show featured an exhibition of high-quality metal prints of the finalist entries in the photo categories.

The competition is organized by DivePhotoGuide (DPG), Underwater Australasia, and UW Images. Head to the competition’s website for more.

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