Wildlife Trust underwater photo competition results – I can’t believe it’s the UK

August 2008. This fine image, captured by underwater photographer Sally Sharrock, is the winner of The Wildlife Trusts' special award in the British Society of Underwater Photographers' annual Print Competition. The Wildlife Trusts set the brief for the category: "I can't believe it's the UK!" and asked BSoUP's under-sea snappers to submit their shots of colourful and exotic-looking marine wildlife captured around our shores.

Surprising UK wildlife
With its bright orange scales and amazing azure-blue markings, the corkwing wrasse may look like it belongs exclusively in a tropical reef, but the colourful little fish is a perfect example of the surprising array of marine life hidden beneath the UK's seas.

Judges from The Wildlife Trusts picked out the worthy winners, with three striking photographs shedding new light on the fascinating world beneath the waves.

First Place
Sally's image of a Corkwing wrasse will now feature in The Wildlife Trusts' publicity material - particularly for the ongoing Marine Bill Campaign, which calls for better protection for our seas.

Sally has received a trophy for her winning photograph, along with a year's free membership to The Wildlife Trusts, and a copy of The Unnatural History of the Sea, signed by the author, Professor Callum Roberts.

Sally, from Plymouth, said: "Corkwing wrasse are absolutely beautiful. I try to get down and concentrate on them in the breeding season when they're nesting. They tend to be more protective then so they come towards you more. They are just brilliant to watch, fascinating fish. I watched the male build his nest, going out to pick up bits of seaweed, and then chasing the females into the nest. It's a fascinating cycle of life - Corkwing wrasse is a very modern male."

Second place
Dave Peake's image of a huge gathering of spider crabs is particularly eye-catching. The image was picked because it shows spider crabs in their natural living space - and the water around them looks so clear, blue and tropical.

Dave, from Plymouth, said: "I took the photo while snorkelling, there were thousands of spider crab congregating in the bay for mating. It was quite an unusual sight, you see them in the water but not like that. I was amazed. The water was very clear, a nice bluey tinge and it was a great opportunity to take pictures. I expected to see the odd one but I didn't expect to see a huge mass like that. It was quite an interesting spectacle - I've been diving for 50 years and had never seen anything like it."

Third place
Third-placed Arthur Kingdon perfectly captured the playfulness of one of our most endearing coastal creatures: the grey seal. His amazing image shows a grey seal gliding through seaweed and rocks, its distinguished whiskers and beautiful black-rimmed puppy-dog eyes superbly summing up why our marine life is so precious.

Arthur, from Wiltshire, took the snap off the Isles of Scilly in May. He said: "It's the first time I've been down there for about ten years. But I knew it was seals I was after. There were one or two around, this one was quite bold and he came and had a quick peek at me then he swam off. The shot is a little bit different because I shot it into the sun. The backlighting on the whiskers makes them really stand out, and that's exactly what I was hoping for, so I was pleased with the way it worked out."

Lisa Chilton, marine development manager for The Wildlife Trusts, and member of the judging panel, said she was delighted with the quality of the entries. "The images that we chose were those that we felt were the most surprising images of UK marine life," she said. "We were looking for images that would appeal to the widest possible audience. We also wanted images that complemented each other - showing a range of habitats and wildlife.

"The winning photograph is a really striking image, showing the Corkwing wrasse's fantastic markings: it's neon-bright and it really looks like it belongs on a coral reef. We loved the spider crabs because rather than being a portrait, you can see them in their natural living space and the photo shows unusual behaviour. As for Arthur's photograph, although many people are aware that we get seals here, this seal looks particularly playful and dog-like, in lovely clear water. It's friendly and it's the kind of thing that many people would expect to see abroad - somewhere like the Galapagos - rather than here in the UK."

Last year's winning image featured a grey seal too. It was taken by Martha Tressler and has since been used on The Wildlife Trusts' publicity material, as well as featuring in the Natural World, the movement's magazine exclusively available to members. Paul Naylor's iconic shot of a tompot blenny was previously the ‘face' of The Wildlife Trusts' Marine Bill Campaign.

The UK's seas are home to more than 44,000 animal and plant species - around 50% of our biodiversity. However, they are poorly protected compared to our terrestrial habitats, and are under increasing pressure as offshore activities increase and climate change alters marine ecosystems. One of the key demands of The Wildlife Trusts' campaign for a Marine Bill is the creation of Highly Protected Marine Reserves (HPMR) where all fishing and damaging activities are prohibited.

The Wildlife Trusts continue to campaign vigorously to ensure that Government legislation provides robust protection for the UK's seas.