The Underwater Photography Guide is delighted to announce that it is accepting entries for the 2023 edition of the annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition – the 12th annual Ocean Art competition!

This year’s competition features over $110,000 in prizes, making Ocean Art the world’s largest and most prestigious underwater photo competition. The competition attracts amateur to pro photographers across the globe. Fourteen categories, including new underwater fashion photography and underwater digital art categories, ensure all photo disciplines and cameras compete fairly, while the 50+ winning images create a portfolio of the best underwater photos of the year.

Ocean Art prizes are provided by some of the world’s top scuba diving resorts, liveaboard dive yachts, and underwater photo gear manufacturers. Grand prizes include a liveaboard dive cruise on the M.Y. Oceanic in Komodo, Flores, Alor, or the Banda Sea; a liveaboard dive cruise on the S.M.Y. Ondina in Raja Ampat, North Banda Sea, Triton Bay, Halmahera, or Cenderawasih Bay; a 10 night liveaboard dive trip aboard the Damai I or Damai II in Indonesia; a 7 night dive package for two at Alami Alor Dive Resort in Alor, Indonesia; a 14 night dive package at the new White Sands Beach Resort in Lembeh with Eco Divers; a7 night liveaboard diving package in Palau aboard the Solitude One; a 7 night stay in Papua New Guinea with Walindi Plantation Resort; a 7 day, 16 dive adventure for two in Raja Ampat with Meridian Adventure; a 7 night liveaboard dive trip with Bilikiki Cruises in the Solmon Islands; a 10 day dive trip with Mermaid Liveaboards in Bali & Komodo; a 7 night dive package to Truk Lagoon with Master Liveaboards; an 8 night all[1]inclusive dive package in Bohol, Philippines with Magic Oceans Dive Resort; a 4 night dive package at the Solitude Lembeh Dive Resort in Lembeh, Indonesia; two Sea & Sea YS-D3 Duo strobes; an Ikelite DS 230 Strobe with a modeling light; 15 bottles of Li Lé Blue Watersports Hair Care for Divers; and a variety of gift certificates from Bluewater Photo and Bluewater Travel. Premium travel prizes are provided by El Galleon/Asia Divers (Philippines), Explorer Ventures Fleet (Turks & Caicos), Andean Travel Company (Galapagos), Villa Markisa (Bali, Indonesia), Anthony’s Key Resort (Roatan, Honduras), Kusu Island Resort (Kusu Island, Indonesia), Luxury Yacht Maldives (Maldives), Tawali Leisure & Dive Resort (Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea), Crystal Blue Dive Resort (Anilao, Philippines), Atmosphere Resorts & Spa (Dumaguete, Philippines), Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort (Anilao, Philippines), Presidente Intercontinental Hotel (Cozumel, Mexico), Spice Island Divers (Ambon, Indonesia), Sea Saba (Saba, Caribbean), Avalon Outdoor (Cuba) Eco Pro Divers (Maldives), and Mexico Liveaboards (Baja California, Mexico).

This year we have two new categories! Our original Underwater Art category has been split into an Underwater Digital Art category and an Underwater Fashion category. This will give two very different and unique art forms their own categories, while allowing complete freedom in post[1]processing. Ocean Art 2023 consists of 14 categories total, with the top categories including Wide Angle, Macro, Marine Life Behaviour and 3 corresponding compact camera categories, giving underwater photographers of all levels a chance to win a great prize. Unique categories include Black & White, Marine Life Portrait, Cold/Temperate Water, Blackwater, Underwater Conservation, and Nudibranchs.

Winners from each category will be able to rank the prizes they would like to receive, making it more likely that each winner will receive a prize they desire.

Judges include world-renowned underwater photographers Tony Wu, Marty Snyderman, and Mark Strickland. Marty Snyderman is an Emmy winner with work appearing in top publications like National Geographic. Tony Wu is a renowned underwater photographer and author of Silent Symphony. Mark Strickland is a published author, award winning underwater photographer, and photo specialist at Bluewater Photo. The competition is organized by Nirupam Nigam of Bluewater Photo, Bluewater Travel, and the Underwater Photography Guide.

Photos must be submitted before the deadline of 23:59PM PST on November 30, 2023.

We look forward to your participation. Information can be found on our Ocean Art Photo Competition page at http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/ocean-art.