Shocked Shark
Teasing a toothy shark isn't usually advised but it gave a phenomenal result in this instance. After a long hour of chumming the waters of Penzance, Cornwall, this young Blue shark made a showing and, when his snack was jerked from his mouth, he was clearly surprised, as seen in this image captured by photographer Will Clark.
Planktonic Predator
At the end of a long dive surveilling a cave in North Rona off Scotland, photographer George Stoyle captured this image of an other-worldly looking creature — a juvenile monkfish — grabbing a snack.
"The most remarkable looking creature I have seen photographed in British waters. This juvenile monkfish doesn’t even look like it comes from our planet, let alone our shores," Mustard said. "An amazing subject photographed flawlessly, it is definitely one of the most memorable pictures in this year’s collection."
What Feeds Beneath
When plans to capture a humpback whale pair were cut short, photographer Alejandro Prieto was in the right place at the right time to snap this image of an endangered Hawaiian petrel noshing on sea creatures in Todos Santos, Mexico.
Hello Ducky!
What began as an interruption turned into an opportunity to be creative and produced this image. A flock of Mallard ducks barged in on a project focused on photographing trout at River Test, Hampshire and, with a load of patience, photographer Paul Colley captured this intriguing view of both animals as well as winning first prize in the category.
Tompot Looking Out
This charming little fish peaks out from its hiding place under a sea pier. The Tompot blenny posed curiously for photographer Trevor Rees to capture this image, taking Runner up in the British Waters Compact Category.