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Tony Wu tops Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 underwater winners
The Underwater category of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 has been won by Tony Wu with his image ‘Shooting star’ (pictured above). Tony, who describes himself as ‘a photographer who takes photos (mostly) underwater’, took the winning image of a spawning sea star in Kinko Bay, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
As the surrounding water filled with sperm and eggs from spawning sea stars, Tony faced several challenges. Stuck in a small, enclosed bay with only a macro lens for photographing small subjects, he backed up to squeeze the undulating sea star into his field of view, in this galaxy-like scene.
The ‘dancing’ posture of spawning sea stars rising and swaying may help release eggs and sperm, or may help sweep the eggs and sperm into the currents where they fertilise together in the water.
Technical details: Nikon D850 + 105mm f2.8 lens; 1/250 sec at f18; ISO 320; Nauticam housing; Backscatter Mini Flash 1 + Inon S2000 + Z240 strobes; RGBlue compact tripod
Tony Wu was one of 19 category winners in this year’s competition that saw underwater and marine images feature highly throughout the awards.
Amongst the Highly Commended images in the Underwater category was an image by Belgian photographer Ellen Cuylaerts.
Liquid silver by Ellen Cuylaerts, Belgium
Highly Commended, Underwater
Ellen Cuylaerts / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Ellen Cuylaerts is surrounded by schools of glittering silversides swirling around their predators.
The moment Ellen learnt the silversides were back, she grabbed her diving gear. Surrounded by schools of the small fish zipping apart to let the larger Atlantic tarpons through felt like ‘swimming through silver curtains’.
In summer, thousands of silversides arrive from deeper waters to lay their eggs on the sandy shores around Grand Cayman. By day they hide in grottos between coral reefs – but they are not free from danger as predatory tarpons lurk there too.
Location: Devil’s Grotto, George Town, Cayman Islands
Technical details: Nikon D800 + 16mm f2.8 lens; 1/160 sec at f7.1; ISO 500; Nauticam housing; Sea & Sea YS-250 strobes.
Well-known UK photographer Alex Mustard, a frequent winner at the awards, scored a High Commended in the Plants and Fungi category.
Seaweed symmetry by Alex Mustard, UK
Highly Commended, Plants and Fungi
Alex Mustard / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Alex Mustard finds the perfect conditions to showcase the beauty of seaweed.
Confined to the UK coast during the Covid-19 pandemic, Alex developed a love of seaweeds. This image, showing colourful fronds of bootlace seaweed reaching for the light, took planning and precise conditions: a high tide, clear water, calm weather and sunshine.
Bootlace seaweed is hollow, allowing gas to accumulate towards its tip and keep it afloat. Seaweeds forming underwater kelp forests play important roles as foundations for coastal habitats, feeding and sheltering hundreds of marine animals.
Location: Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, UK
Technical details: Nikon D850 + 28–70mm lens; 1/40 sec at f16; ISO 160; Subal housing + Nauticam WACP-1 lens; 2x Retra Pro strobes.
Winner in the Portfolio category was French photographer Laurent Ballesta with his portfolio of six images – ‘Under Antarctic ice’ – taken in Adélie Land, Antarctica.
Laurent Ballesta endures below-freezing dives to reveal the diversity of life beneath Antarctica’s ice. An underwater photographer and biologist, Laurent has led a series of major expeditions, all involving scientific mysteries and diving challenges, and all resulting in unprecedented images. He has won multiple prizes in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, including the grand title award in 2021.
His expedition to Antarctica, exploring its vast underwater biodiversity, took two years to plan, a team of expert divers, and specially developed kit. His 32 dives in water temperature down to -1.7˚C (29°F) included the deepest, longest dive ever made in Antarctica.
Pyramid of life by Laurent Ballesta, France
Laurent Ballesta / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Living towers of marine invertebrates punctuate the seabed off Adelie Land, 32 metres (105 feet) under East Antarctic ice. Here, at the centre, a tree-shaped sponge is draped with life, from giant ribbon worms to sea stars.
Technical details: Nikon D810 + 13mm f2.8 lens; 1/13 sec at f16; ISO 800; Seacam housing; 2x Seacam strobes.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by The Natural History Museum, London. In an intensive process, 38,575 entries from 93 countries were judged anonymously by an international panel of experts on their originality, narrative, technical excellence, and ethical practice. Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum comments:
“Wildlife photographers offer us unforgettable glimpses into the lives of wild species, sharing unseen details, fascinating behaviours and front-line reporting on the climate and biodiversity crises. These images demonstrate their awe of and appreciation for the natural world and the urgent need to take action to protect it.”
The redesigned flagship exhibition which is now open at the Natural History Museum, London, positions the photographs among short videos, quotes from jury members and photographers as well as insights from Museum scientists to invite visitors to explore how human actions continue to shape the natural world. Sponsored by global green energy company Ørsted, it runs until 2nd July 2023 and will later tour the UK and internationally.
The 59th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition will open for entries from photographers of all ages, nationalities and levels on Monday 17th October 2022.
For more information, please visit here: www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy
Header Image: Tony Wu / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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