News
MantaFest Winners Announced
The 11th Annual MantaFest Photo & Video Workshop
Congratulations to the 2018 MantaFest image contest winners!
MantaFest is an international photography & video workshop with an image contest, created by Hall of Fame dive pioneer, Bill Acker, and hosted by Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers. Divers from around the world learn photography and video from a panel of today’s leading underwater professionals in classroom workshops and one-on-one training sessions during the two-week event.
Best of Show: Jim Decker, Canada, Nikon
MantaFest was created to be a platform where underwater photographers and videographers learn with professionals, for all levels and experience and all types of cameras.
“I really wanted to make a platform for any-level photographer to work on, improve and grow their skills while diving Yap, next year I want a division created for first-time underwater shooters and have the demo camera systems here to use, it’s all about improving our guest’s photos.” – Bill Acker, CEO & Founder, Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers.
Best of Class: DSLR, Dan Norton, USA, Canon
The event schedule has room for up to 4 dives per day with daily classroom workshops, happy hour with the presenters, one-on-one training appointments and evening media presentations – special photo excursions include island cultural sites with traditionally dressed Yapese models and a “Sunset shark splits” photo shoot.
Best of Class: Compact, Lee Shinwoong, Korea, Sony
Over $20,000 in prizes are awarded for images in either behavior, macro, big animals, reef scenic or people, island & culture categories for dSLR/Mirrorless and compact cameras with a best-submission video prize. Generous sponsors such as Dive Damai, Siren Fleet, Master Liveaboards, Chuuk Odyssey, Aqua Nautic Elba, Manta Ray Bay Resort, Mares, Ikelite, Diver Design Jewelry, Light & Motion, Henderson Wetsuits, Pelican and Armor Bags provide MantaFest an exciting ending at the awards night.
To see all of the 2018 photo submissions and winning images, check out: www.mantaray.com/blog
The next MantaFest event is – August 24th – September 8th, 2019.
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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