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Pasquale Vassallo learned to appreciate the marine majesty of the Mediterranean from a young age, freediving to find octopuses and urchins. So it’s little surprise to see some of these characters appear in his award-winning imagery even today.

But the Naples native has expanded his horizons far from the Italian shoreline, capturing captivating critters in the Philippines and Lembeh. Pasquale’s images have earned top honors at the World Festival of Underwater Photography in Marseilles and at ADEX in Singapore.

Despite his diverse portfolio and resume of publications—National Geographic, Discovery Magazine, and Scuba Diver Ocean Planet—Pasquale seems to be forever inspired by his local waters. Several years ago, he co-founded the Naples International Photo Contest. Maybe it’s time to start planning the ultimate foodie/underwater photography dive trip to Italy…
 

“Roman time” with warped black and white tiles (Villa Protiro, Italy)
 

A short-snouted seahorse is anchored to a Mediterranean fanworm with its tail
 

Invasion of jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca) in the Mediterranean Sea
 

A pair of yellow pygmy gobies (Lubricogobius exiguus) guards their eggs in a bottle
 

It’s a rough day for this common seahorse with a hermit crab on its nose
 

A Green Island reefscape (Puerto Galera, Philippines)
 

A pipefish gets close to Pasquale’s lens (Puerto Galera, Philippines)
 

A grouper gets an unwanted guest (Lembeh Strait, Indonesia)
 

A barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo) against the background of an ancient exedra
 

Pasquale poses with his prized Seacam housing
 

For more of Pasquale’s work, visit his official website, or feel free to send him an email.