+
Science

19 amazing underwater photos you missed that will make you re-think life on dry land.

Underwater life is weird and wonderful.

nature, sharks, competition, photography
©Renee Capozzola/UPY 2018.

A healthy shark population swims at sunset in Moorea, French Polynesia.

This article originally appeared on 03.07.18


Heads up, Ariel: There's something positively mind-blowing going on under the sea.

These absolutely gorgeous photographs once made a big splash in the international Underwater Photographer of the Year competition for 2018. The annual contest showcases more than 100 of the world's best photos captured in oceans, lakes, rivers, and even swimming pools. With winners in 11 categories, including portraits, wide-angle, and wrecks, the competition brings out seasoned professionals and rising stars in this beautiful — albeit somewhat soggy — hobby.


Underwater photography greats Peter Rowlands, Martin Edge, and Alex Mustard judged more than 5,000 entries to crown the winners. Here are 19 of the best, including Tobias Friedrich's "Cycle War," the image named photograph of the year.

1. Just when you thought you'd seen every fish in the sea...

fish, underwater, award winner, nature

Two fighting anthias in Tulamben, Bali.

©Anders Nyberg/UPY 2018

2. ... something swims by and surprises you.

grouper, reefs, oceans, award winner

A juvenile grouper hides inside a pink sponge in the Jardines de la Reina reefs on the south coast of Cuba.

©Nicholas More/UPY 2018

3. Like, really surprises you.

Get a room you two!

blennies, kissing, fighting fish, exhibit

Actually, these tompot blennies aren't kissing; they're in a fierce battle in Swanage Pier, U.K.

©Henley Spires/UPY 2018.

4. It's bold and colorful down there.

wrasse fish, The United Kingdom, oceans, award winner

A male corkwing wrasse appears in Bovisand Harbor, Plymouth, U.K.

©Kirsty Andrews/UPY 2018

5. Busy and beautiful too. (Even when it's a bit intimidating.)

sand tiger sharks, docile, North Carolina, Ocean

The underbelly of a docile sand tiger shark and a large school of "bait fish" in North Carolina.

©Tanya Houppermans/UPY 2018

6. And on its best days, underwater life is a weird and wonderful combination of all of the above.

Haven't we all been stuck inside a jellyfish at one point in our lives? Hang in there, buddy.

Phillippines, Darwinism, ecosystem, environment

A juvenile trevally is wedged between the tentacles and bell of a jellyfish in Janao Bay, Philippines.

©Scott Gutsy Tuason/UPY 2018

7. The photographers were able to capture some totally delightful surprises...

crabs, Finland, rivers, nature, photography competition

A crab feeds in the Vuoksi River, Finland.

©Mika Saareila/UPY 2018

8. ...like this haunting dance of fierce predators...

bull shark, deep sea, Mozambique, geography

Bull sharks swim in the deep blue sea of Ponta Del Ouro, Mozambique.

©Sylvie Ayer/UPY 2018.

9. ...and these graceful, lithe swans that look a little more like lovebirds.

swans, Scotland, diving, eating

Swans feed in the waters of Loch Lomand, Scotland.

©Grant Thomas/UPY 2018

10. It doesn't get much more impressive than this commanding humpback whale saying hello.

humpback whale, water mammals, gigantic animals, Tonga

A humpback whale assumes the "spy hopping" posture in Vavau, Tonga.

©Greg Lecoeur/UPY 2018

11. But then you see this micro seahorse captured with a macro lens and remember that size isn't everything.

Japanese seahorse, blending, hiding, pink,

A Japanese pygmy seahorse blends in to its surroundings in Kashiwajima, Japan.

©TianHong Wang/UPY 2018.

12. There's this sweet sea lion, who could teach a masterclass on the perfect selfie.

sea lions, Australia, endangered, nature

A sea lion poses for the camera in Julien Bay, Australia.

©Greg Lecoeur/UPY 2018

13. And so could this Asiatic cormorant, who made sure to show off its good side.

underwater birds, predator, fishing, Japan

The elegant bird dives for fish in Osezaki, Japan.

©Filippo Borghi/UPY 2018

14. And we can't leave out this "otter-ly" adorable little swimmer.

Asian animals, gentle, wild, captivity

An Asian small-clawed otter swims during a training session before it's released back into the wild.

©Robert Marc Lehmann/UPY 2018

15. Though sea creatures aren't the only ones making a life down below.

wreckage, sea diving, scuba, black and white photography

The ex-USS Kittiwake sat upright in the waters of Grand Cayman for more than 250 years before surge from a hurricane knocked it over.

©Susannah H. Snowden-Smith/UPY 2018

16. Humans can't help but experience the thrills....

surfing, musician, celebrity, Fiji, ocean waves

Musician and surfer Donavon Frankenreiter enjoys the waves in Tavarua, Fiji.

©Rodney Bursiel/UPY 2018

17. ...and chills of life in the big blue sea.

This haunting image is "Cycle War," by Tobias Friedrich, winner of the Underwater Photograph of the Year.

Egypt, Red Sea, shipping, sunken ships

"Cycle War" is a haunting image and winner of the Underwater Photograph of the year, 2018.

©Tobias Friedrich/UPY 2018

The photograph captures motorcycles on a truck on the frequently photographed wreckage of the SS Thistlegorm off the coast of Egypt in the Red Sea. Of this winning entry, contest judge Peter Rowlands said, "It is of a subject which has been photographed literally thousands of times. The artistic skill is to visualize such an image and the photographic talent is to achieve it. Perfectly lit and composed, I predict that there will never be a better shot of this subject from now on."

18. But it turns out humans have left a lot of vehicles down there.

This car went through the ice of Finland's Saimaa lake, but no one was hurt.

wrong turns, cars, danger, pollution

Always remember where you parked!

©Pekka Tuuri/UPY 2018

19. But you can't really blame those people for getting a little too close to the breathtaking beauty of life underwater.

And more importantly, who would want to?

2018 winning images - Underwater Photographer of the Year

shark population, French Polynesia, travel, adventure

A healthy shark population swims at sunset in Moorea, French Polynesia.

©Renee Capozzola/UPY 2018.

@penslucero/TikTok

Pency Lucero taking in the Northern Lights

Seeing the northern lights is a common bucket list adventure for many people. After all, it ticks a lot of boxes—being a dazzling light show, rich historical experience and scientific phenomenon all rolled into one. Plus there’s the uncertainty of it all, never quite knowing if you’ll witness a vivid streak of otherworldly colors dance across the sky…or simply see an oddly colored cloud. It’s nature’s slot machine, if you will.

Traveler and content creator Pency Lucero was willing to take that gamble. After thorough research, she stumbled upon an Airbnb in Rörbäck, Sweden with an actual picture of the northern lights shining above the cabin in the listing. With that kind of photo evidence, she felt good about her odds.

However, as soon as she landed, snow began falling so hard that the entire sky was “barely visible,” she told Upworthy. Martin, the Airbnb host, was nonetheless determined to do everything he could to ensure his guests got to see the spectacle, even offering to wake Lucero up in the middle of the night if he saw anything.

Then one night, the knock came.

Keep ReadingShow less
All photos courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company

Behind the Scenes Making Recycled Records with Mark Ronson

True

You’re walking down the sidewalk, earbuds in, listening to your favorite hip-hop beats. As your head bobs to the sounds, the sun warms your back. It’s a perfect day.

When the chorus hits, the empty Sprite bottle in your hand becomes a drumstick, passing traffic becomes a sea of concertgoers, and the concrete beneath your feet is suddenly a stage. Spinning on your heels, you close out the song with your face to the sky and hands in the air.

Keep ReadingShow less
via YouTube

These days, we could all use something to smile about, and few things do a better job at it than watching actor Christopher Walken dance.

A few years back, some genius at HuffPo Entertainment put together a clip featuring Walken dancing in 50 of his films, and it was taken down. But it re-emerged in 2014 and the world has been a better place for it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Daughter shares incredible 3D optical illusions painted by her father, who has aphasia

David Hollowell suffered from a traumatic brain injury in 2021, losing his ability to speak. Remarkably, he is still able to express himself through art.

@david.hollowell/TikTok

David Hollowell pictured with his 3D art

For a little over three decades, David Hollowell’s professional life had been dedicated to art. In addition to working as an art professor, his highly acclaimed 3D illusion paintings were shown in prestigious exhibits. In 2018, the 71-year-old began taking his talents to a larger scale, turning his family barn into an immersive mural.

Then, in May of 2021, Hollowell fell off the roof of his home, resulting in a traumatic brain injury leading to aphasia, a disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate through speech or written language.

Though Hollowell couldn’t access words the way he used to, his ability to paint detailed, mesmerizing images remained remarkably intact. And his daughter-slash-self-appointed-TikTok manager, Adrienne, is determined to share his work and his journey with as many people as possible.

Keep ReadingShow less

An Australian woman thinks it's rude that Americans don't say, "You're welcome."

There’s been a growing trend amongst American Gen Zers and millennials to stop saying, “You're welcome,” after being thanked. Older generations may think the change is part of a more significant trend of younger people having more lax manners, but in actuality, younger people believe that giving a simple “OK” or “Mm-hmm” after being thanked is more polite than saying, “You're welcome.”

Recently, Australian TikTok user Tilly Hokianga vented her frustrations with Americans in a viral post entitled, “Things That Send Me as an Australian Living in the US.” A lot of the points she made were pretty typical for someone visiting the United States, such as there's too much sugar in the bread and too many options for cereal.

However, she also noted that Americans have difficulty saying, “You’re welcome.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Meteorologist Matt Laubham prays for the people in the path of a deadly tornado.

Broadcasters who have to report on tragedies as they are happening have a tough job. On the one hand, they have to maintain their professionalism and inform the public of what's happening in a factual way. On the other hand, they're still human and sometimes humanity trumps the traditional perception of what's "professional."

Such was the case for WTVA meteorologist Matt Laubhan, who found himself live on the air staring at a radar scan of a deadly tornado as it moved towards the small town of Amory, Mississippi. He, more than anyone, understood the severity of the situation, and he did his best to convey that to his viewers.

"This is a strong, life-threatening tornado that's going to move either extremely close to Amory or in through the northern part of the city of Amory."

He added, "Y'all trust me too much," explaining that people sometimes take his predictions of where the tornado will go as hard fact, but the reality is that tornados can change directions at any time. "So Amory, we need to be in our tornado safe place," he said.

Keep ReadingShow less