The Underwater Awards Australasia 2026 showcases extraordinary moments from beneath the ocean, highlighting the beauty and challenges of marine life.
The recent Underwater Awards Australasia 2026 celebrates the incredible diversity of underwater life through stunning photography and filmmaking. This international competition, now in its third year, spotlights the artists capturing the essence of the Australasian marine environment across nine distinct categories, including a prestigious "Best of Show" award.
Best of Show: Documenting the Weedy Seadragon
Best of Show went to Australian filmmaker Kat dos Remedios for her short film Dragon. This captivating piece chronicles the life of weedy seadragons in Victoria's Port Phillip Bay, filmed over multiple visits during the 2025 breeding season. Dos Remedios returned to the location almost daily, allowing her to document the animals’ behavior intimately. The film gains added poignancy given the alarming decline of seadragon populations due to toxic algal blooms impacting the Great Southern Reef.
The film's highlight occurred during a momentous encounter with newly hatched seadragons, which became a focal point of Dragon. Not only did this winning submission capture the beauty of marine life, but it also underscored the urgent need for conservation amidst environmental challenges.
Photographic Excellence Across Categories
The categories showcased a wide array of stunning visuals. Gold in the Australian category was awarded to Jake Wilton for his piece Coastal Hunters, depicting two bottlenose dolphins skillfully herding a school of parrotfish at Ningaloo Reef. The photograph serves as a reminder of the extraordinary teamwork seen in nature; what appeared to be a chaotic chase revealed a highly strategic hunting technique when observed closely.
Further diversifying the artistry represented, Jules Casey snagged the Silver award with her photo Deadly Devotion, which features a female southern blue-ringed octopus actively carrying her eggs outside her den. This behavior is typically concealed, making the opportunity to capture such an intimate moment rare. Casey spent nearly two hours observing this octopus, emphasizing the need for patience and quiet observation in wildlife photography.
Exploring the Smaller Wonders
In the Sydney category, Talia Greis earned Gold for Dragon Clinger, a photograph that highlights a clingfish riding on the back of a weedy seadragon. Greis’s ability to spot this subtle yet fascinating interaction illustrates the complexities of underwater ecosystems. Upon closer inspection, viewers can even notice a small parasite hitching a ride on the clingfish, showcasing the intricate relationships within marine biology.
Highlighting Marine Conservation
The awards also focused on conservation themes, with entries that brought attention to the ongoing challenges facing marine ecosystems. Maryline Renault's At the Heart of Coral Restoration, which received Silver in the Conservation category, portrays the Biorock coral restoration project in Pemuteran, Indonesia. This immersive photograph features a diver situated among man-made structures designed to promote coral growth. It effectively illustrates a hopeful narrative amidst a landscape often characterized by coral bleaching and marine degradation.
The Challenge of the Antarctic
On the other side of the globe, Sam Blount's photo Big Stretch represents a dramatic moment off the coast of Antarctica. Capturing a leopard seal lunging toward him with its mouth open, this image won Silver in International Waters. Achieving such a composition combines technical expertise with a fair measure of daring; Blount's goal of photographing these elusive creatures culminated in an electrifying portrait of wildlife at its most fierce.
Beyond the awards, the exhibited photography serves as a visual diary of life beneath the waves, showcasing a range of experiences from fleeting encounters to evocative storytelling. Every piece invites viewers to appreciate the intricacies of marine behavior and the ecological importance of conservation.
This year, the awards also prioritize conservation funding. Half of the proceeds from finalist prints sold at the exhibition will benefit organizations such as the Australian Marine Conservation Society and Take 3 for the Sea. Furthermore, the winning images will feature in the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s 2028 calendar, providing continuous support for marine preservation efforts.
More Inspiring Images from the Competition
As the Underwater Awards Australasia 2026 continues to showcase the breathtaking beauty and the pressing challenges of our oceans, it underscores the critical role photography plays in conservation discourse. Each winning photograph not only highlights individual moments of natural history but also serves as a clarion call to all who view them.
Follow the competition through their official website and social media channels for ongoing updates and future competitions. Engaging with this community opens new avenues for aspiring marine photographers and advocates for marine conservation alike.
