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Aaronsanders_photography

@aaronsanders_photography

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🎥Bringing The Ocean To You
From Cold Water To Coral Reefs
Award Winning Photographer
Dive Master | HSE Diver | Nikon Z8 📷
UK Based

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The last few days have been truly surreal!! I am incredibly honoured to announce that I have been awarded in the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2026. My image of an Octopus concealed behind a veil of kelp won in the Animal Portraits category. My photo of a grey reef shark ensnared in an enormous ghost net received highly commended in Oceans: The Bigger Picture.
Congratulations to all the other photographers, the images were astonishing across the board!

#wpy62 #wildlife #nature #ocean #photography by @aaronsanders_photography

Alien drifter !🛸 This comb jelly drifted just below the surface, its cilia catching the light and flickering through the full colour spectrum, carrying tiny rainbows down its body as they rippled along.

This was a tricky shot to pull off. These creatures are fairly small and this one was drifting in the current, I had to position myself carefully to line it up with the light, and then keep it in focus whilst it kept drifting straight toward the camera. A lot of patience, and a bit of luck was required to pull this one off.

Shot on the Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings

#ocean #underwatervideo #bbcwildlifepotd #nikonkeepinspiring #nature by @aaronsanders_photography

Take a second to explore the mangroves. 🪸
This labyrinth of roots supports one of the most unique and extraordinary ecosystems I have ever had the pleasure of exploring. Coral gardens sprawl beneath the canopy, fish weave through every twist and gap of the roots, and life tucks itself into every corner. A sanctuary in every sense of the word.

By far one of the most breathtaking habitats on the planet.

Shot on the Nikon Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings

#nikonasia #padi #earthcapture #natgeoyourshot #nikonkeepinspiring by @aaronsanders_photography

World Octopus Day!! 🐙
From eggs and newly hatched babies to giant adults, I have been incredibly lucky to have encountered lots of these wonderful animals over the last 2 years. Here in the UK we have seen unprecedented numbers of them grace our shores and this has lead to incredibly interaction.

Shot on the Nikon Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings
With @backscattervideophoto & @inon_japan

#octopus #ocean #natgeoyourshot #nature #nikonkeepinspiring by @aaronsanders_photography

I have spent the last 2 years filming and photographing the octopus bloom across the south west of the UK. These animals have been incredible to observe and document. I have encountered hundreds of individuals and each one has had a unique personality different from the last.
Here is a short video of some of the encounters of the last 2 years.

All filmed on the Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
@maresjustaddwater
#nikon #maresjustaddwater #natgeo #ocean #octopus by @aaronsanders_photography

A Mothers Devotion 🐙 It was incredible to witness this mother octopus tend to her eggs. She has since passed and her brood hatched but I look forward to potentially meeting her offspring in the year to come ! 🐙

Shot on the Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings

#nature #ocean #natgeoyourshot #octopus #life by @aaronsanders_photography

Octopus are showing up in UK waters. And they look like this 🌊

In recent years in the waters off southwest England, there has been a dramatic increase in sightings of common octopuses, a species more frequently found in warmer Mediterranean waters. Aaron Sanders (@aaronsanders_photography) captured this amazing footage while diving off Porthkerris Beach.

His image, titled ‘A Watchful Eye’, is the winner of the Animal Portraits category in #WPY62.

See Aaron's incredible image alongside all 100 awarded images in this year's competition by booking your tickets to our exhibition now. Visit the link in our bio! 👀

#WPY #WildlifePhotographerOfTheYear #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #NaturalHistoryMuseum #Octopus by @aaronsanders_photography

Ocean drifter !🛸 This alien looking comb jelly drifted just below the surface, its cilia catching the light and flickering through the full colour spectrum, carrying tiny rainbows down its body as they rippled along.

Shot on the Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings

#nikonkeepinspiring #padi #natgeoyourshot #ocean #alien by @aaronsanders_photography

🐙Thousands of tiny newly hatched baby octopus!!
Ranging from 2-4mm these little ones were absolutely miniature!! This was by far one of the hardest things I’ve tried to document, and even now I feel I couldn’t do it justice. They moved insanely fast and incredibly erratically, zipping about frantically through the water, keeping them in focus was a nightmare.
I found this by complete chance on a night dive, as soon as I entered the water within about 2 meters of the surface they appeared.

Shot on the Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings
With @bigbluedivelights

#nikonkeepinspiring #ocean #nature #octopus #wild by @aaronsanders_photography

Beautiful Aliens 👽 There have been lots of cuttlefish over the summer and I have thoroughly enjoyed filming these otherworldly beauties. Truly the stuff of science fiction.

Shot on the Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings
@backscattervideophoto
@maresjustaddwater

#nikonkeepinspiring #natgeoyourshot #ocean #maresjustaddwater #nature by @aaronsanders_photography

Come for a walk with an Octopus! 🐙 The ‘Octopus Bloom’ continues here in the UK. As they were last year, these magnificent animals are still frequent companions on most of my dives. The character and temperament I have witnessed these animals express really gives each a unique personality of their own.
Some are shy, others bold and curious, and some a mix of both, but in most cases curiosity seems to out weigh their caution.
It has been amazing to have witnessed so much of these animals lives over the last 2 years. I cannot wait to see what next year brings.

Shot On The Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings
With @bigbluedivelights

#nikonkeepinspiring #ocean #nature #octopus #sea by @aaronsanders_photography

Friday Photo Series: Beautiful Bobtail Squid! 🦑 These tiny little squid are a favourite of mine to photograph. So small yet so full of personality!!

Shot on the Nikon-Z8 @nikoneurope
Inside @nauticamhousings
@maresjustaddwater

#maresjustaddwater #underwater #squid #cute #nature by @aaronsanders_photography