Monaco’s seabed became both a studio and a stage as the 21st Monaco National Underwater Photography Competition brought together some of the Principality’s most talented underwater photographers.
Organised by the Monaco Underwater Exploration Club (CESMM), the competition welcomed 24 participants in 12 teams. Benefiting from excellent weather and particularly favourable diving conditions, the pairs explored Monegasque waters in search of marine life, striking compositions and fleeting moments usually hidden beneath the surface.
Each team submitted four photographs devoted to separate themes: fish, macro photography, atmosphere, and shells and crustaceans. Entries were divided between interchangeable-lens and non-interchangeable-lens cameras.
Sébastien Ameeuw and Delphine Fraysse won the interchangeable-lens category, while Philippe Lecomte and Christine Cazal took first place in the non-interchangeable-lens competition.
Ameeuw and Fraysse also received the special prizes for fish and macro photography. Lecomte and Cazal won the atmosphere prize, while Véronique Wurmli-Baudot and Yvan Cwiek triumphed in the compulsory shells and crustaceans theme. The Special Jury Prize went to Jean-Marc Molimard and Brigitte Rupp, and Béatrice Landreau and Christophe Mouton received the Honorary Guest’s Prize, presented by Secretary of State Yvette Lambin-Berti.
The awards ceremony at the Oceanographic Museum was attended by several leading figures from Monaco’s institutions, including National Council President Thomas Brezzo and Minister of the Interior Lionel Beffre.
CESMM President Roger Mullot said he was proud to see the competition continuing to grow, with participants increasingly committed to its shared values. Beyond technical skill and artistic ambition, the event seeks to reveal the richness of Monaco’s marine environment and encourage greater awareness of the need to protect it.
Young photographers also had their moment in the spotlight during the 13th Regards sous la mer Junior Competition. Tia Rizza won the Jellyfish category for children aged eight to 11 and also received the Jury’s Special Mention. Charlène Barois won the Seahorse category for participants aged 12 to 17, as well as the Honorary Guest’s Prize.
With its combination of competition, discovery and environmental awareness, the event once again offered a compelling glimpse of the extraordinary natural world lying just beyond Monaco’s shoreline. The 22nd edition is already scheduled for next year.
