23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Echoes Beneath the Surface

This photograph captures a mesmerizing encounter between a scuba diver and a shark inside one of the vast aquarium windows at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. The diver appears suspended in the deep blue, a solitary figure dwarfed by the elegant silhouette of the shark gliding past. The composition balances serenity and tension — a poetic reflection on the fragile relationship between humans and the marine world. The deep hues of blue, soft gradients of light, and the glass’s subtle reflections evoke the feeling of peering into another realm — where curiosity and awe coexist.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Camera: ILCE-6300
Copyright: © Irina Petrova Adamatzky