Top five result for north Northumberland man in one of the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 categories

Andy Colls submitted five of his photographs in the ‘British Waters Living Together’ category and another five in the ‘Marine Conservation’ category for Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023.

The competition receives hundreds of entries each year, so the East Allerdean resident was delighted to be placed fifth in ‘British Waters Living Together’ for his image showing a lobster claw trying to break for freedom.

He said: “The image was taken off St Abbs Head during a dive I regularly attend as a guest of Pentland SAC whilst I was having a look at a string of pots following the reef line.

“My eye was caught by a lobster claw trying to break for freedom.

“As I had submitted my entries fairly quickly close to the deadline, I did think any of them would be placed so I’m well chuffed to be fifth in the British Waters Living Together category.”

Andy has been diving underwater for more than 30 years and after taking photos of a shipwreck in the Pacific Ocean, he has been doing underwater photography as a hobby ever since. He takes photos on land as well.

Along with St Abbs, his favoured areas to go underwater include off the coast at Seahouses and Beadnell.

He said: “There’s a curiosity element about going underwater and not knowing what you are going to come across that I enjoy, but there are also some locations where after a few times you know you will see certain types of fish when you go there and it’s sometimes good to have that certainty.”