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Overall Winner: "Jellyfish in the Blue Sea"A brilliantly colored jellyfish illuminates the depths near the tiny Scottish island of Sula Sgeir in the winning picture from the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Awards, announced this week.Photographer Richard Shucksmith's "truly beautiful shot of a jellyfish ... perfectly captures its iridescent colours and magical qualities," Greg Armfield, photography and film manager for WWF, said in a statement. The nonprofit is a sponsor of this year's competition, along with a mix of other nonprofits, companies, and government organizations."All the more remarkable that it exists in U.K. waters. Fantastic," Armfield added of the jelly.The annual awards, created in 2009, recognize talented amateur and professional photographers while highlighting the wealth and diversity of British nature. The competition is open to all nationalities, but the subject matter must be in the United Kingdom, which includes Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.A panel of professional photography experts selected winning pictures in ten categories based on technical skill, diversity, originality, and creativity of composition. The competition also gave two awards to young photographers, and—new in 2011—an award for wildlife captured on video.(Also see "Best Pictures: World Photography Awards 2011.")

Photograph courtesy Richard Shucksmith, BWPA