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The tentacles are fine as thread, spread wide in the water like they’re reaching for you. It’s a hydroid, a small plant-like creature most of us would swim straight past, and it’s just won the biggest prize in Northern Beaches Council’s sixth annual Underwater Photography Competition.
Gerrad Kennedy took out the Valerie Taylor Award for Excellence with Whispers in the Reserve, a close-up that also won the Macro category. The judges loved its composition and sharp detail, saying the outstretched tentacles “implore you to look closer” and that the shot shows what can thrive when aquatic reserves protect the life within them.
I See You, Too
More than 550 people voted in the People’s Choice Award, and Beverly Southern’s I See You came out on top. Her image catches a toadfish hiding in the shallows, peering back at the camera beside its own reflection.
Mayor Sue Heins congratulated every entrant, finalist and winner. “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,” she said.
Five Reserves, One Big Picture
The competition is open to amateur and professional photographers of all ages, with a $3,500 prize pool. Entrants head into the Beaches’ five aquatic reserves to capture the life beneath the surface, from threatened species to wide seascapes.
This year’s youth talent was strong. Evelyn Christopher was named Underwater Youth Photographer of the Year for Rose Petal Bubble Shell, and Ezra Boulton won the Youth Reels category with Too Many Fish to Count.
The judging panel was Holly Williams, Public Art Curator at Northern Beaches Council; local author, underwater photographer and citizen scientist John Sear; and environmental educator and marine conservation advocate Robynne Millward.
See Them for Yourself
The winning images are on show at Ruby Lane Café in Manly before travelling to the libraries over summer. You can also view every winning entry on Council’s website.
Where to See the Exhibition
- Ruby Lane Café, Manly: Friday 6 November to Friday 20 November
- Mona Vale Library: Monday 30 November to Tuesday 2 February
- Manly Library: Monday 8 February to Friday 2 April
The 2026 Winners
Valerie Taylor Award for Excellence: Gerrad Kennedy, Whispers in the Reserve
Behaviour
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
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
Winner: Darian Woods, Seagrass Sanctuary
Runner Up: Thomas Hutton, Wandering Weedy
Highly Commended: Terence Tong, Misunderstood; Alizee Berger, In the Slipstream
Human Connection
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
Winner: Rosie Richards, Shallow Passage
Runner Up: Peter Hutchins, Between Stone and Sea
Highly Commended: Daniel Sly, Shallow Giant
Youth
Winner: 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
Youth Reels
Winner: Ezra Boulton, Too Many Fish to Count
Open Reels
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
Beverly Southern, I See You
Northern Beaches Council | Ruby Lane Café, Manly
Main image: Beverly Southern, I See You
