Top shots at 2026 LegaSea Photo Competition
Underwater category reveals uplift in marine photography
The 2026 LegaSea Photo Competition winners have been announced - and the results show our increasing love of taking photos underwater.
The competition's seven categories received 223 entries in all, with the largest category being the Underwater category, sponsored by the New Zealand Underwater Association, owners of Dive Pacific.
Wellington-based Judy Ormandy added to her trophy collection with a dramatic shot of a mosaic moray eel, winning herself an underwater camera housing from Splash.co.nz. As always, our thanks to the team at Splash for their support. Fully New Zealand-owned, Splash is a great one-stop shop for all diving, freediving, snorkelling and technical gear; take a browse through their website and start adding to your wishlist!
Second place in the Underwater category went to South Islander Finn Stevenson for capturing an up close and personal moment with a snapper making the most of good lighting:
Self-confessed 'scuba addict' Judy also won third place for her photo of pink lichen, rounding out the awards for this popular category.
"Once again we were stoked with the really high quality of the entered photographs, especially in the Underwater category," LegaSea's Benn Winlove told Dive Pacific. "Underwater photography is growing fast. More and more people seem to be taking cameras when they go diving and leaving their catch bags behind - and the results have been stunning.
"Huge thanks to Splash for supplying an underwater camera housing to the winner. This type of technology helps get more people taking their cameras underwater and showing the beauty below."
Samantha Norman also received an honorable mention in the category for her shot of the kids playing happily above the fishes. "The composition of this shot is wonderful, and given the importance of highlighting marine sustainability for future generations, this shot deserves its place in the sun," the judges explained.
Congratulations to all the winners who shared their photographs. Says Benn, "These amazing photographs allow us to reach more people and engage them emotionally, alongside our messages to reduce harm in our marine environment."