/ 2026 / Nature / Underwater

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  George Kao, Taiwan
• Date of Photograph
  2025/11/30
• Studio
  George Kao Underwater Vision

Often called the Ferrari of the sea, the striped marlin moved so fast that I first hesitated to photograph it up close, wary of its spear-like bill. My background as a life scientist helped me replace fear with understanding: billfishes have a cranial heating system that keeps their eyes and brain warm for high-speed hunting. Once I entered a state of flow, I captured this moment with intention. My wife in the background adds scale and a human connection to the vast blue.