Lianne Kolirin, CNN • Updated 9th February 2021
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(CNN) — American Renee Capozzola has become the first female Underwater Photographer of the Year overall winner after her stunning image of blacktip reef sharks in French Polynesia scooped the award for 2021.
Capozzola's atmospheric shot of the marine predators cruising beneath seagulls at sunset beat more than 4,500 submissions from competitors across 68 countries in the annual contest.
A native of southern California, Capozzola has traveled all over the world with her camera, according to her website.
The winning image, "Sharks' Skylight," was taken on the Pacific island of Moorea in August.
"French Polynesia strongly protects its sharks, it is my favorite place to photograph them," she said in a statement released by the contest organizers. "I dedicated several evenings to photographing in the shallows at sunset, and I was finally rewarded with this scene: Glass-calm water, a rich sunset, sharks and even birds."