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One Against Four

Vadim Belakhov

Australia

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Clinging to the reef, this seahorse sways gently with the current, its spotted armour blending perfectly with the soft corals around it. Patient and unhurried, it waits for tiny prey to drift within reach, a master of camouflage in its miniature kingdom.

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Nominee

Camouflage and Grace

Juvenile Southern Reef Squid are inquisitive and playful, gathering in small groups and keeping a careful distance. Their curiosity is obvious as they hover just out of reach. Then, in a stealthy move, they vanish back into the dark water — the only trace they leave behind is the image in my camera.

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They Come, They Look, They Vanish

An adult Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) basks in the sunlight of the shallows. As nocturnal hunters, they usually rest under ledges during the day or swim away quickly. This one, however, was enjoying the sun in just 2 m of water, allowing me to approach and capture the moment.

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Daydreamer

A Knobby / Shorthead Seahorse (Hippocampus breviceps). Tiny and perfectly camouflaged, it hides in algae and is hard to find while freediving. I returned to this Shortie weekly for five weeks before finally capturing this shot.

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Silver

Delicate Majesty

During the breeding season, male Giant Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) compete intensely for the opportunity to mate. In this moment, a dominant male attempted to secure a female while four rival males closed in around him, each signalling with shifting colours and postures.

Honorable Mention

A resting Leopard / Zebra Shark (Stegostoma tigrinum) getting a gentle clean—and showing its unmistakable smile. A peaceful moment that reveals how gentle these sharks truly are.

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Ocean’s Happiest Face

Deep inside her PVC-pipe den, a Pale Octopus (Octopus pallidus) tends her clutch, carefully aerating and cleaning each egg to protect her future brood. It is a quiet act of maternal sacrifice — she rarely leaves, fasting for weeks as she guards them, her life is slowly fading away in silence.

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Gold

The Guardian

A Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) after a missed attempt to retrieve a tuna head from between the rocks — determined and excited, it pushed through clouds of oozing tuna oil and flashed me an undefeated grin as it was going in for a second round.
Tiger Point, Fuvahmulah, Maldives