Divers carve Halloween pumpkins underwater in annual Florida Keys contest

KEY LARGO, Fla. (FOX 13) - A group of divers down in the Florida Keys took their jack-o-lantern carving into deep waters for Halloween.

Several divers donned scuba equipment and took the plunge down 30 feet of waters in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary near Key Largo. They were competing in the Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest that took place Sunday.

Underwater artists of various ages used dive knives and fine carving tools to transform their pumpkins into sea creatures, such as a sea horse, an eel, a sea turtle, and a skeleton fish. The challenge was to keep the naturally-buoyant pumpkins from floating off while they carved their critters. 

The winners were 16-year-old Sebastian Gimeno and his 14-year-old brother, Gabriel, both from Weston, Florida. They claimed the top prize after impressing the judge with their dolphin and half-moon cutout. They won a return drive trip to the sanctuary.