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.
“The hydroid’s delicate, outstretched tentacles implore you to look closer,” they said.
“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.
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,” Ms Heins said.
“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.”
The competition invites amateur and professional photographers of all ages and backgrounds to capture the beauty and diversity of the Northern Beaches’ 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
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
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
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
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 Northern Beaches 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
Seascapes (wide angle)
Capturing the raw beauty of the underwater vista in one of the Northern Beaches aquatic reserves.
Winner
Rosie Richards – Shallow Passage
Runner Up
Peter Hutchins – Between Stone and Sea
Highly Commended
Daniel Sly – Shallow Giant
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
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
People’s Choice
Voted online
Beverly Southern – I See You
The judging panel included Holly Williams, Public Art Curator at Northern Beaches Council;John Sear, local author, underwater photographer and dedicated citizen scientist; and Robynne Millward, respected environmental educator and marine conservation advocate.
Visit here for more information and to view all the winning entries.
