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8 Stunning Underwater Photos That Will Take Your Breath Away

simon | Aug 9, 2011 |

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Underwater photography is incredibly difficult, but these photographers managed to catch amazing moments on film.

Ever wondered what it's like to swim between two tectonic plates? Or what whales look like from the ocean floor, not from a whale watching boat? These beautiful photos show just how amazing--and powerful--the ocean and its inhabitants really are.

Seahorse Baby

Credit: guardian.co.uk

A seahorse and baby in Singer Island, Florida. Seahorses are unique because unlike most other fish, they mate for life. And what's even weirder is that they are the only species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young! When mating, the female seahorse deposits her eggs in the male's pouch. He carries them around until they hatch, then releases the mini seahorses (called fry, not foals) into the water.

Stargazer

Credit: guardian.co.uk

Stargazer in Blue Heron Bridge, Florida. These fish are called stargazers because they have eyes on the top of the heads, but they don't be fooled by their beautiful name--they can produce a defensive electic shock of up to 50 volts! To catch prey, they use their pectoral fins as shovels and dig themselves into the seafloor sand, leaving their eyes and mouth exposed to catch passing fish.

Pygmy Seahorse

Credit: National Geographic

And you thought seahorses couldn't get any smaller! This little guy is no longer than 2.4 cm, and is one of the tiniest known invertebrates. Just imagine how cute his babies would be!

Dwarf Minke Whale

Credit: National Geographic

Dwarf minke whale at the Great Barrier Reef, with its many throat grooves clearly visible.
It’s called a dwarf, but this species of minke whale still grows to be about 6.5 metres (21 feet) long and weighs up to 5 tons!

Waves Breaking

Credit: Mark Tipple/Solent News

This incredible photo was taken off the coast of Australia by Alex Tipple, a dedicated photographer who is regularly beaten in the head by his 5 kg, specially adapted camera.

Growing Gap Between Two Tectonic Plates

Credit: Alexander Mustard/Solent

This diver appears to be swimming in a regular ol' canyon, but he's actually in between two tectonic plates! He dove 80 feet into the gap between the North American and Eurasian plates near Iceland to capture photos of the incredible underwater landscape. The plates pull apart at about 1 inch per year, causing beautiful faults, valleys, hotsprings and volcanoes.

Majorra Fish And Whitetip Shark

Credit: National Geographic

Tiny majarra fish are commonly used for bait and prey in many parts of the Caribbean, and in this photo, it’s soon to be a tasty meal for a whitetip shark. The sharks are aggressive, yet slow-moving, and pose a high risk for humans stranded in the open ocean. They are responsible for more fatal attacks on humans than all other shark species combined, including the notorious great white shark.

School of Herring

Credit: National Geographic

Herring are the most abundant fish species on Earth and can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. They grow up to 45 cm (18 in) in length and can weigh up to 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs). Herring congregate in large schools that have been found to be up to 4 cubic kilometres in size, containing around 4 billion fish!