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Winning Shots from World Oceans Day

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In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided that, as from 2009, June 8th would be designated by the United Nations as “World Oceans Day.” World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans – and be part of the solutions.

Photography is a powerful medium to convey a feeling or a message, so the World Oceans Day photography competition is an open and free photo competition that seeks to inspire the creation of imagery capturing the beauty, the challenges and the importance of the ocean and humankind’s relation to it, hoping to contribute to actions to preserve it.

Here are the 2019 winners…


Above Water Seascapes Winner: Caine Delacy

Image above

On a stormy morning in Dominica I watched these fishers set a net perhaps 200-300 meters in length; from their small boat. As they started pulling it in the fish caught presumably ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis), started to concentrate near the surface and a seemingly empty net soon became full of fish. When one fisher jumped in to close the bottom of the net, the catch was a good as theirs. The next step was to haul it all onto the boat, this is where the difference between industrial and artisanal fishing is found.”


Clean our Oceans Winner: Jacek Dybowski

I took the pictures of this injured shark during a diving safari in the Red Sea, Egypt. The route of the safari was along the golden triangle – Brother’s Island, Deadalus, Elphistone. We met the shark in the waters around the Small Brother Island. The purpose of the safari was generally a meeting of sharks, of which this route is famous for. This is a longimanus shark, which by nature is very curious. When diving boats arrive, sharks appear to observe the divers. They are not afraid, they swim very close to divers. This shark appeared with two others, but only he was swimming with a large group of pilot fish. It was only when he approached very close that one could see that it was wounded.

The feeling was devastating. I had never seen anything like this. In the beginning, I did not know what happened to this shark and what is located on its gills. I was shocked when I noticed that this yellow plastic was cutting the shark very deeply. This had to cause the excruciating pain to it.

When we were discussing on the boat with other divers about what could have happened to this shark, when we were looking at the photos, we came to the conclusion that he was wearing a necklace for fixing the second stage of breathing regulator. The shark had to somehow put it on himself when it was small and growing along with it. This plastic band looked like rooted in. We discussed the possibility of re-diving and trying to remove this plastic, but none of us had experience in this kind of activities. We decided it could be too dangerous.”


Human Interaction – Making a Difference Winner: David Salvatori

Strait of Messina (Italy) – a diver floats in a soup of trillion of tunicates brought together by a very rare combination of currents, winds, moon cycle. Strait of Messina, between end point of Italy peninsula and isle of Sicily, is a unique place where strong currents and steep sea bottoms often create conditions for rare encounters


Underwater Life Winner: Galice Hoarau

Selayar Island, South Sulawesi,Indonesia

Green turtle Chelonia mydas

Green turtles can be found in large numbers in the shallow waters around Selayar. On this dive site 30 to 40 individuals can be found resting and getting cleaned. After spending several dives with them, I was lucky to find this particularly friendly one surrounded by cardinal fish.”


Underwater Seascapes Winner: Renee Capozzola

A healthy soft coral reef explodes with life in Raja Ampat

This image was taken in Raja Ampat, Indonesia where many healthy coral reefs can be found.  Showing an explosion of color and vitality, this flourishing marine ecosystem is a testament to how coral reefs should look.  Here, soft corals bloom into rainbow-hued formations that are full of fish life.  It is my hope that images like this will help to raise awareness for the added protections our oceans need.”


Gender and Oceans Winner: Henley Spiers

Marine biologists Emily and Kari tend to the coral nursery at COMO Cocoa Island. Rapidly rising sea temperatures have devastated somewhere between 60% to 90% of the shallow, stone coral reefs in the Maldives. Initiatives such as this coral garden provide a fast platform for growing coral which can then be used to repopulate the reef.”


Overall Winner 2019 UN World Oceans Day

For more information about World Oceans Day visit the website by clicking here.

As an underwater and wildlife photographer, Fellow of The Explorers Club and having a front seat in exploration being part of the Flag and Honours Committee, Ellen is also inducted in the Women Divers Hall of Fame. She travels the world and tries to make the most of every destination and the path that leads her there. Ellen acts as an ocean citizen and believes as divers we should all be ocean ambassadors and lead by example! Having lived in Grand Cayman for many years, she now lives in the UK.

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Diver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph

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UPY

An emotive photograph showing a freediver examining the aftermath of whaling sees
Alex Dawson from Sweden named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s
photograph ‘Whale Bones’ triumphed over 6500 underwater pictures entered by underwater
photographers from around the world.

“Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions,” explains chair of judging
panel Alex Mustard, “as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear
witness to the carcasses. The composition invites us to consider our impact on the great
creatures of this planet. Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today,
just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock. Our way
needs to change to find a balance with nature.”

UPY

Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero

Whales dominated the winning pictures this year with Spanish photographer Rafael
Fernandez Caballero winning two categories with his revealing photos of these ocean giants:
a close up of a grey whale’s eye and an action shot of a Bryde’s whale engulfing an entire bait
ball, both taken in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Fernandez Caballero took ‘Grey
Whale Connection’ while drifting in a small boat, holding his camera over the side in the water
to photograph the curious whale. ‘The End Of A Baitball’ required Fernandez Caballero to dive
down and be in exactly the right place at the moment the whale lunged. “The photo shows
the high speed attack,” he said, “with the whale engulfing hundreds of kilograms of sardines
in one bite — simply unforgettable to see predation on such a scale.”

UPY

Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero

Lisa Stengel from the United States was named Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image of a mahi-mahi catching a sardine, in Mexico. Stengel used both a very fast shutter speed and her hearing to catch the moment. “If you listen there’s an enormous amount of sound in the ocean,” she explained. “The action was too fast to see, so I honed in on the sound of the attacks with my camera to capture this special moment.”

“It is such an exciting time in underwater photography because photographers are capturing such amazing new images, by visiting new locations and using the latest cameras,”
commented judge Alex Mustard. “Until this year I’d hardly ever see a photo of a mahi mahi,
now Lisa has photographed one hunting, action that plays out in the blink of an eye.”
The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Jenny Stock,
was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image “Star
Attraction”, which finds beauty in species of British wildlife that are often overlooked.
Exploring the west coast of Scotland, Stock explained “in the dark green depths my torch
picked out the vivid colours of a living carpet of thousands of brittle stars, each with a
different pattern. I was happily snapping away, when I spotted this purple sea urchin and I
got really excited.”

Photo: Jenny Stock

In the same contest, Portuguese photographer, Nuno Sá, was named ‘Save Our Seas
Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024, with his photo ‘Saving
Goliath’, taken in Portugal. Sá’s photo shows beachgoers trying to save a stranded sperm
whale. The picture gives us hope that people do care and want to help the oceans, but also
warns us that bigger changes are needed. “The whale had been struck by a ship and its fate
was sealed,” explains Sá. “An estimated 20,000 whales are killed every year, and many more
injured, after being struck by ships-and few people even realise that it happens.”

UPY

Photo: Nuno Sá

More winning images can be found at www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com.

About Underwater Photographer of the Year

Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from all around the world. The contest has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters. The winners were announced in an award ceremony in Mayfair, London, hosted by The Crown Estate. This year’s UPY judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE.

Header image: Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 winner Alex Dawson

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World’s Best Underwater Photographers Unveil Breathtaking Images at World Shootout 2023

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The winners of the prestigious World Shootout 2023 underwater photography competition were announced at this year’s BOOT Show, captivating audiences at the world’s largest diving and water sports exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany. Hundreds of photographers from 54 countries competed across nine categories, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technical skill.

Grand Prize Winners

  • Picture of the Year: Spanish photographer Eduardo Acevedo “secured” the top Honor with the prestigious prize the “boot Dusseldorf Director’s Prize, earning an Andromeda statuette and a €2,000 cash prize.
  • Best 5 Images Portfolio: Luc Rooman from Belgium triumphed in this category, winning a dream 4-week diving trip for two to Papua New Guinea, valued at $18,900.
  • Amateur Photographer: Alexandra Ceurvorst from the USA impressed the judges with her talent, taking home the 1,000 cash prize award.

Celebrating Diversity and Innovation

This year’s competition saw 11,680 entries from 964 photographers, showcasing a remarkable spectrum of skills and perspectives. From the intricate wonders of Macro photography to the beauty of “Black Water”, the “Underwater Fashion” category added a touch of artistry and innovation, while the ever-important ” Environmental & Conservation” category served as a powerful reminder of the need to protect these fragile ecosystems.

Looking Ahead: AI and Ocean Conservation

World Shootout founder and producer David Pilosof unveiled an exciting addition for the 2024 competition: this year the Environmental category will be focusing on the impact of plastic on our oceans and future.

This category will embrace the potential of AI or other editing software as a tool to amplify the conservation message.

Entrants will submit campaigns of three original underwater photographs dealing with plastic pollution, along with their final AI assistance processing. This innovative approach encourages artistic expression while raising awareness about a critical environmental issue.

Explore the Stunning Collection

Discover the complete album of competition entries by clicking here.

For Low-resolution photos of finalist entries in eight categories, click here.

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