The Most Memorable Underwater Photographs

The fish that walks on its hands by Fred Bavendam

‘Rather than swim, a red handfish waddles on its “hands” and “feet” over rocky reef off south-east Tasmania, Australia – the species’ only known location. Its hands are actually highly modified pelvic fins. Numbers have significantly declined from an estimated 1,000 in the 1990s. Handfish can’t walk far, so the populations that exist remain isolated. Its preferred coastal habitat is being silted up, dredged by trawling and smothered by fast-multiplying animals. The increasing water temperature is also affecting it.’
Photograph: Fred Bavendam/Unforgettable Underwater Photography/NHM

Rig diver by Alexander Mustard

‘The legs of a giant oil rig off the coast of California form the structure for this swirling scene of hunted and hunter. Flying through the shoal of Pacific chub mackerel is a Brandt’s cormorant. During the day, the fish make use of the rig as shelter. But larger predators such as sea lions, porpoises and dolphins also learn that rigs can be prime fishing grounds. In this case, Brandt’s cormorants use the rig as both an underwater larder and a platform for roosting and for drying their wings after diving.’
Photograph: Alexander Mustard/Unforgettable Underwater Photography/NHM

Giant gathering by Tony Wu

‘The first indication that something extraordinary was going on were the blows, huge numbers of them – the exhalations of huge numbers of whales. Entering the water, the photographer witnessed an extraordinary scene. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of sperm whales were twirling and twisting through the water, bumping and rubbing against each other, and there was a cacophony of sound – the pulsation, buzz, creak and crackle of whale communication. The picture shows just a fraction of the scene, with the whales stacked up below. Undoubtedly, this was a clan gathering.’
Photograph: Tony Wu/Unforgettable Underwater Photography/NHM