Underwater wonders captured by photo competition finalists
The council has announced its finalists in the 2026 Underwater Photography Competition, showcasing the beauty, colour and diversity of life beneath the waves.
Council states there were a record number of entries received this year, making it especially challenging for judges to select finalists.
This year’s finalists highlight the remarkable marine life found across the peninsula, from close-up details and natural behaviours to sweeping seascapes and creative reels.
The community can vote for their favourite stills photography image in the People’s Choice Award until Sunday 20 September 2026. Finalist images can be viewed on council’s webpage HERE, where votes can also be cast online.
The winners, including the People’s Choice Award and the Valerie Taylor Underwater Photography Award for Excellence, will be announced at the prize giving evening on Wednesday 4 November.
The finalists in the 7 categories are:
1. Behaviour: Capturing natural behaviour of marine life.
- Alastair Pollock
- Darian Woods
- Joanna Chen
- Maria Garcia
- Peter Hutchins
- Peter McGee
- Talia Greis
Behaviour - Underwater photography 2026 finalist
2. Macro: Getting up close to the subject matter.
- Frances Whitfield
- Darian Woods
- Edward Midgley
- Gerrad Kennedy
- Lesley Spencer
- Michal Biniek
- William Gladstone
Macro -Underwater photography 2026 finalist
3. Threatened Species: Portraying the vulnerability of a threatened species found, for example: black rod cod, grey nurse shark, green turtle.
- Alizee Berger
- Darian Woods
- Sasha Loutcheva
- Terence Tong
- Thomas Hutton
4. Human Connection: Capturing the positive or negative connection between a person(s) and marine life (flora / fauna / megafauna). This could include monitoring citizen science projects or research undertaken in one of the local aquatic reserves.
- Beverly Southern
- Edward Midgley
- Jo Taylor
- Xina Hudson
- Oscar Lo Lu
5. Seascapes (wide angle): Capturing the raw beauty of the underwater vista in one of the local aquatic reserves.
- Daniel Sly
- David Bellas
- Peter Hutchins
- Rosie Richards
6. Youth: For the budding young photographers aged 12 to 17 years old. The winner will be recognised as the Underwater Youth Photographer of the Year 2026.
- Dan Parker
- Evelyn Christopher
- Ria Havlicek
- Thomas Bryant
7. Reels: Capturing the wonder of the biodiversity in our underwater world. Reel length is 15 to 30 seconds duration. The winner of the Reels category is determined by the judges.
Youth: 12 to 17 years old:
- Ezra Boulton
Open: 18+ years
- Darian Woods
- Peter Hutchins
- Frances Whitfield
- Rosie Richards
- Stephanie Henzlik
- Guy Fenton
The judges include:
Holly Williams – Public Art Curator at the council.
John Sear – local author, underwater photographer and dedicated citizen scientist with a passion for exploring and documenting Australia’s marine environment.
Robynne Millward – respected environmental educator and marine conservation advocate who has made a lasting contribution to the protection and appreciation of Cabbage Tree Bay.
With a prize pool of $3,500, participants submitted their underwater images taken from any of the 5 aquatic reserves on the Manly to Barrenjoey Peninsula. The competition celebrates all skill levels and is open to amateur and professional photographers and videographers.
Human Connection - Underwater photography 2026. Photos supplied by council.