Underwater Photography Competition Winners Underline the Benefits of Local Aquatic Reserves
On November 4 2026 the council revealed its winners in its 2026 Underwater Photography Competition with all winners images being taken or filmed in either Cabbage Tree Bay, North Harbour (Sydney) and Long Reef Aquatic Reserves.
The winner in the Reels: Youth (12 – 17 years) category, ''Capturing the wonder of the biodiversity in our underwater world by videographers aged 12 – 17 years'' was Ezra Boulton's, ''Too Many Fish to Count'' taken at the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve at Manly.
The council announced ''A mesmerising image of a delicate marine organism has taken out the top prize in Northern Beaches Council’s sixth annual Underwater Photography Competition.''
Gerrad Kennedy received the prestigious Valerie Taylor Award for Excellence for Whispers in the Reserve, his striking close-up of a delicate, plant-like hydroid.
Judges praised the image’s outstanding composition and clarity of detail, saying: “The hydroid’s delicate, outstretched tentacles implore you to look closer. This showcases a small example of the diversity and beauty of life that can prevail when we provide protection through the creation of aquatic reserves.”
More than 550 people voted for the People’s Choice Award, won by Beverly Southern for I See You. The image captures a toadfish and its reflection as it hides in the shallows and peers towards the photographer.
Beverly Southern's image: ''I See You.'' Photo copyright Beverly Suther/supplied
Mayor Sue Heins congratulated Gerrad, Beverly and all the competition’s entrants, finalists and winners.
“Each year, I am impressed by the incredible images revealing the stunning underwater world along our coastline and the talent and passion of photographers in our community.
“I congratulate everyone who entered and helped us see our marine environment from a new perspective.
“Competitions like this celebrate our community’s strong connection to the natural environment and reinforce why it must be protected for generations to come,” Mayor Heins said.
The competition invites amateur and professional photographers of all ages and backgrounds to capture the beauty and diversity of the peninsula's five aquatic reserves, with a $3,500 prize pool on offer.
The winning images, including Gerrad’s Whispers in the Reserve and Beverly’s People’s Choice winner, I See You, can be viewed on council’s website or at Ruby Lane Café, Manly from Friday 6 November to Friday 20 November.
The exhibition will then move to Mona Vale Library from 30 November 2026 to 2 February 2027 and at Manly Library from 8 February to 2 April 2027.
Overall - Valerie Taylor Underwater Photography Award for Excellence 2026
Winner : Gerrad Kennedy - Whispers in the Reserve
Winners in the 8 categories are:
1. Behaviour: Capturing natural behaviour of marine life.
Winner: Peter McGhee - Smoke Screen
Runner Up: Peter Hutchins - The Hunter Below
Highly Commended:
Alastair Pollock - Angel Shark Jaws
Talia Gries - Beneath the Bell
2. Macro: Getting up close to the subject matter.
Winner: Gerrad Kennedy - Whispers in the Reserve
Runner Up: Edward Midgely - A Splash of Colour
Highly Commended
William Gladstone - Piano Fangblenny
Lesley Spencer - Eye of the Eastern Fiddler Ray
3. Threatened Species: Portraying the vulnerability of a threatened species found, for example: black rod cod, grey nurse shark, green turtle.
Winner: Darian Woods - Seagrass Sanctuary
Runner Up: Thomas Hutton - Wandering Weedy
Highly Commended:
Terence Tong - Misunderstood
Alizee Berger - In the Slipstream
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.
Winner: Edward Midgely - Care Flight
Runner Up: Xina Hudson - Eye to Eye with a Ghost
Highly Commended:
Oscar Lo Lu - I’m a Sucker for a Tentacle
5. Seascapes (wide angle): Capturing the raw beauty of the underwater vista in one of the local aquatic reserves.
Winner: Rosie Richards - Shallow Passage
Runner Up: Peter Hutchins - Between Stone and Sea
Highly Commended
Daniel Sly - Shallow Giant
6. Youth: For the budding young photographers aged 12 to 17 years old.
Winner – Underwater Youth Photographer of the year 2026: Evelyn Christopher - Rose Petal Bubble Shell
Runner Up: Ria Havlicek - Aspiring Model
Highly Commended:
Thomas Bryant - A Ray Among the Grass
Dan Parker - Mesmerising Movement
7. Reels Capturing the wonder of the biodiversity in our underwater world. Reel length is 15 to 30 seconds duration.
Youth Reels (12 to 17 years): Winner - Ezra Boulton - Too Many Fish to Count
Open Reels (18+ years): Winner - Peter Hutchins - A World Beneath
Runner Up: Darian Woods - Beneath Cabbage Tree Bay
Highly Commended
Guy Fenton - Discovering Sydney’s Life Below
Rosie Richards - Where the Wild Things Thrive
8. People’s Choice - Voted online
Beverly Southern - I See You
The judging panel included Holly Williams, Public Art Curator at the council; John Sear, local author, underwater photographer and dedicated citizen scientist; and Robynne Millward, respected environmental educator and marine conservation advocate.
Visit the council's website to view all the winning entries. Ezra's Video runs below - Too Many Fish to Count!