2019 Ocean Art Contest winners show the incredible beauty and diversity of the underwater world

The winners of the Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition have just been announced, and just like before, they show us just how much there is to admire under the sea. Now in its eighth year, this prestigious contest brings us breathtaking photos from below the water surface, and we bring you this year’s winners.

The Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest is organized by the Underwater Photography Guide. This year, there have been submissions from 78 countries, and there have been $85,000 in sponsor prizes awarded to the winners. Other than the sixteen categories we knew from previous contests, there have been two new categories this year: conservation and blackwater diving. Even though they’ve only been introduced this year, they had an overwhelming response and there were lots of magnificent photos submitted.

Among the eighteen category winners, the jury also selected the overall winner, or “The Best of Show.” This year’s award went to Greg Lecoeur with his image of a crab-eater seal maneuvering quickly through freezing waters under Antarctic ice. His image was also selected as the category winner in the Coldwater category.

Choosing 2019 winners was not an easy task for the jury since both the quality and the quantity of images is on the rise. But, they chose the top five images and two honorable mentions in each category and they sure made a selection of stunning underwater photos.

Take a look at the rest of the winning images below. We bring you the first place winners, but make sure to check out the entire gallery on the Underwater Photography Guide’s website.