Mediterranean

A large grouper swims majestically over a reef covered with colourful sponges and corals. The imposing fish with its characteristic large mouth and striking eyes is surrounded by a school of small reef fish, while divers in the background glide through the blue water.
The Double Arch in Gozo in Xwejni Bay. A diver explores the impressive underwater landscape while sunlight from above mystically illuminates the scene.
A colourful reef scene with vivid pink and violet soft corals and yellow and orange sponges. The various coral species form a dense, vivid covering on the reef slope against deep blue water.
A thecacera nudibranch (Flabellina) crawls across the colourfully encrusted seafloor in search of food.
The Double Arch in Gozo in Xwejni Bay in backlight. The sun shines dramatically from above through the archways.
Several divers swim out through the exit of the large cave behind the famous Blue Hole on Gozo. Air bubbles have collected on the cave ceiling and form a mirroring surface.
Cuttlefish eggs on the mast of the Karwella wreck on Gozo. Cuttlefish deposit their eggs in elongated capsules, which they attach to reef structures or wrecks to ensure a good supply of oxygen-rich water from the current.
Impressively eroded rocky floor on Gozo, shaped over millennia by the current. A diver explores the scenery in the background.
A small scorpionfish sits in a reef wall, waiting in ambush for passing prey. They are ambush predators that camouflage themselves perfectly on rocky seafloors with their reddish colouration.
A fireworm in a super-macro shot in the Mediterranean (Gozo).
Super-macro shot of the face of a fireworm. The delicate structures of the animal are impressively visible.
The bow of the wreck of the Karwella on Gozo. Two divers explore the wreck; in front of the bow is a school of small fish seeking shelter from predators at the wreck.
A staircase inside the wreck of the Karwella on Gozo.
Step-shaped structures beside a rock wall covered with seagrass. This scene was photographed below the Double Arch on Gozo.
A magnificent reef scene with vivid pink gorgonians (sea fans) spreading elegantly in the blue water. The soft corals form a vibrant reef community together with colourful sponges and other corals, while small reef fish swim in the background.
The impressive canyon that connects the Inland Sea on Gozo with the open ocean. A small tower of stones has been stacked by another diver.
A large grouper swims majestically over a seagrass meadow, while two divers in the background observe the impressive scene. The massive fish with its characteristic spotted colouration and prominent fins shows no shyness towards its human visitors.
A colourful reef scene with vivid violet soft corals, orange sponges and various other sessile organisms. The soft corals dominate the scene with their extended polyps, while orange sponges and other reef dwellers form a vibrant underwater landscape.
A magnificent pink-violet soft coral dominates the left side of a reef scene. The coral stands in vivid colours against the deep blue water, while sunbeams penetrate from above and create dramatic illumination.
Macro shot of the eye of a common octopus.
A colourful reef with lush growth of soft corals, sponges and other invertebrates. The reef is densely covered with violet, orange and yellow organisms, while the deep blue water is visible in the background.
A large grouper rests between rock formations on the reef. The imposing fish displays its characteristic brown-orange colouration with pale underside and the typical massive body shape with large mouth.
A vivid pink-violet soft coral projects elegantly from a colourful reef wall. The fan-shaped coral displays its characteristic branching polyps against the deep blue open water, while orange and yellow coral growth covers the reef structure in the background.
A large grouper swims majestically along a colourful coral wall, while in the background a dense school of small fish fills the blue water. The scene shows the impressive size and presence of this reef predator in its natural habitat.
A large grouper rests in a rock crevice between encrusted reef walls. The dark-coloured fish with its characteristic spotted pattern and prominent fins has positioned itself in the sheltered area between algae- and coral-covered rocks.
A magnificent gorgonian with vivid pink branches dominates this reef scene in deep blue water. The fan-shaped soft coral displays its characteristic branching structure, while further corals and sponges in the background complement the vibrant reef life.
A diver hovers over a vividly coloured coral reef with bright pink soft corals and yellowish sponges or corals. The scene shows the typical underwater landscape of a tropical reef with crystal-clear, deep blue water and dramatic lighting.
A colourful reef scene with vivid orange sponges and violet-pink gorgonians against deep blue water. The soft corals unfurl their delicate polyps in the current and together with the sponges form a magnificent Mediterranean reef habitat.
A colourful reef scene with vivid violet gorgonians and yellow-orange soft corals flooded with bright sunlight. The fan-shaped corals spread elegantly into open water, showing the typical structure of a healthy coral reef.
A large grouper hovers majestically over a colourful coral reef, surrounded by a shoal of small pink and blue anthias. The scene shows the typical community of a tropical coral reef with the imposing predator as the central subject against a vivid blue backdrop.
A diver hovers in deep blue water looking up towards the brightly lit water surface. To the left of the frame, a dark reef wall is visible, surrounded by a shoal of small fish moving in the current.
A colourful reef scene with magnificent violet-pink soft corals that have their polyps extended in the current. The corals form a beautiful formation against the radiant blue water, while sunlight illuminates the scene from above.
A large grouper rests between coral walls of a reef while small fish swim around it. The massive fish displays the characteristic stocky body shape and open mouth, surrounded by the colourful reef landscape with coral growth.
A magnificent gorgonian with vivid pink to violet polyps unfurls before a radiant blue background. The fan-shaped soft coral displays its characteristic growth form with numerous fine branches, while incoming sunlight creates a dramatic lighting atmosphere.
A colourful reef scene with vivid violet soft corals and yellow-orange sponges densely covering a coral boulder. In the background, a small reef fish swims through the crystal-clear blue water.
A large grouper swims majestically over an encrusted reef. The massive fish with its characteristic stocky body shape and powerful fins is surrounded by smaller reef fish visible as colourful dots in the blue water.
A diver explores a vividly coloured reef overgrown with bright pink and violet soft corals and orange gorgonians. The intense colour richness of the corals forms a spectacular contrast to the deep blue water in the background.
A magnificent coral reef with vivid orange soft corals dominates the scene, while a small pink-and-white anthias swims elegantly among the coral formations. The intense blue of the water and the warm orange tones of the corals create a beautiful contrast in this vibrant reef landscape.
Vivid pink Mediterranean sea fan (gorgonian) beside green Posidonia seagrass. Colour-rich Mediterranean reef.
A magnificent soft coral dominates this vibrant reef scene with its intensely pink, fan-like polyps. Further colourful corals in orange and other colours are visible in the background, while the deep blue water completes the tropical underwater landscape.
A large grouper swims majestically between the coral walls of a reef in blue water. The imposing predator displays its characteristic stocky body shape with the large mouth and powerful fins, while small reef fish are visible in the background.
A magnificent soft coral in vivid pink dominates the reef scene, its branching polyps fully extended and filtering nutrients from the water. In the background, small anthias dart through the blue open water, while further corals and sponges complete the colourful reef landscape.
A colourful coral reef with vivid pink soft corals in the foreground with their polyps extended in the current. Further corals in yellow and brown tones are visible in the background, while the deep blue water offers a clear view into the open water.