Northern Beaches local and award-winning photographer, Peter McGee, loves nothing more than the serenity, silence and meditative state diving can provide, but the reason he takes along his camera is more than to capture the fascinating world of the ocean. It’s to motivate us to protect the natural world he believes we are so lucky to have at our bare, sandy feet.
“If you walk around Manly, you’ll see some species but not much,” he told Manly Observer.
“But, when you dive at Cabbage Tree Bay, in an hour you could see 60 or 70 different species of marine life.
“Cabbage Tree Bay is one of the only fully protected marine areas in Sydney, and it’s only 20 hectares. There are other protected marine areas, but people are still allowed to fish there, so they aren’t fully protected like Cabbage Tree, which is just a shining light and evidence of what can happen when we just leave nature alone to thrive.”
Through his photos, Peter aims to share his deep love of nature and the ocean and to raise awareness about the importance of conservation. He is involved in citizen science – where he provides his photos to various scientific outlets like scientists who collect information on Grey Nurse Sharks, or the UTS fish Lab in their research on weedy sea dragons.
Peter has also recently won the prestigious 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year (AGNPOTY) Portfolio category – something he referred to as “making it” and “being in the same league as professional photography”.
“I’m very pleased, to put it mildly,” he explained.
“I’ve been in the competition before, and won in other categories, but to win the Portfolio category is something different as it’s not just based on a single image, but rather six images, which is a lot more challenging.”
Judges referred to his series of photos as an engaging glimpse into the diversity of cephalopod life in the harbour.
“Each animal has been considered in its own right and photographed with different lighting techniques to superb effect. A great representation of what you can find in our waters,” the judges commented.
It’s worth noting Peter only invested in his talent 12 years ago when he “plunged a lot of money into a quality underwater camera set up”. He also won last year’s Northern Beaches Council’s 2024 Underwater Photo Competition.
If you’re still trying to figure out what cephalopods are, the four main types are squid, octopus, cuttlefish, and the nautilus. Basically, they are a species of marine invertebrates known for their intelligence and unique “head-foot” body plan. They are also Peter’s favourite species to photograph.
“Most fish will keep their distance, but cephalopods will interact with you, especially a cuttlefish or an octopus, if you’re close by, they’ll come out towards you and might even through a tentacle in your direction to feel your glove,” Peter said.
“They are also very intelligent and curious. They only live for about two years, and as their parents leave before they are born (the octopus watches their eggs to ensure they aren’t destroyed or eaten), everything they learn in those two years is from their own curiosity and intelligence.
“And the cuttlefish are fascinating in the way they can change their colour, shape and texture to fit in with their environment.”
Peter shares his love for all things ocean through his Facebook Group, Goodviz Photography, where he posts weekly updates about what’s happening under the ocean.
He also runs photography workshops at Dive Centre Manly to inspire a new generation of ocean-fascinated photographers.
“The overriding message I want people to hear is for them to get out in nature and enjoy it and themselves,” Peter emphasised.
“I think a lot of people are missing out on this opportunity that’s at our doorstep. It’s so important to get out there to see how beautiful nature is, and hopefully it’ll give us more motivation to protect and treasure what we’ve got.”
The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year (AGNPOTY) celebrates the rich and ancient natural heritage of the Australasian bioregion – spanning Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. Owned by the South Australian Museum and produced in partnership with Australian Geographic, the competition has been running for 22 years and sets the standard for photographers in this genre.
The AGNPOTY will be held from 25 October 2025 to 15 February 2026 at the Australian Museum, 1 William St, Darlinghurst with free entry. For more information, go here.
Follow Peter on Facebook or Instagram, or if you’re starting your photography career, check out his workshops here.
Check out Peter’s winning image for the Northern Beaches Council’s 2024 Underwater Photo Competition:
