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Winners of the 2015 Ocean Art Contest

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Photography is a powerful thing. With the click of a button, time stops. With a single image, a fleeting moment lasts a lifetime. And for five years Underwater Photography Guide has honored the underwater photographers who have mastered this art with the prestigious Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition. Announced in January, the winners of this year’s contests were selected out of thousands of entries from across the globe by a panel of judges including Tony Wu, Martin Edge, and Marty Snyderman, accompanied by Underwater Photography Guide publisher Scott Gietler.

Below is a taste of the incredible images that stood out from the competition, and you can see the full list of winners at tinyurl.com/oceanart2015.

We congratulate all of the winning photographers, and encourage all underwater shooters to enter the ring for the 2016 competition!

For more, go to uwphotographyguide.com

Matthew Sullivan

Wood Turtle

This photo of the endangered wood turtle took first place in the Mirrorless Wide-Angle category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Montane Creek, Pennsylvania

Camera: Sony A6000, Nauticam housing, Zeiss 12mm lens, dual Sea & Sea YS-01 strobes

pufferfish school underwater photography in new zealand

Irene Middleton

Panic Puffer School

This photo of a school of starry toado pufferfish took first place in the Novice DSLR category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Maroro Bay, Poor Knights Island Marine Reserve, Northland, New Zealand

Camera: Nikon D300, Sealux housing, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, Ikelite D125 strobe and DS50 on slave

Walter Bassi

Dad and her Eggs

This photo of a seahorse retrieving his mate’s eggs won first place in the Mirrorless Behavior category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Capo Noli, Liguria Sea, Italy

Camera: Olympus PEN E-PL1, Olympus Ept01 housing, Olympus 60mm macro, dual Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha strobe

So Yat Wai

Skeleton Shrimp

This skeleton shrimp photo grabbed first place in the Supermacro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia

Camera: Canon 5D Mark III, Sea & Sea housing, Canon 100mm macro lens, SMC, dual Inon z240 strobes, Light & Motion Photo 800 focus light

Greg LeCoeur

Pilot Whales

This photo of a pod of pilot whales took first place in the Portrait category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Nice, FRance

Camera: Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens

model underwater painting axinella sponge photography

Francesco Pacienza

The Painter of the Sea

This photo of a model named Francesco “painting” an Axinella sponge won first place in the Pool/Conceptual category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Santa Maria al Bagno, Salento, Apulia, Italy

Camera: Nikon D7100, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, Easydive LEO3 housing, dual Sea & Sea D1 strobes, Nikonos SB105 with bank diffuser

nudibranch under sun in spain underwater photography

Roland Bach

Sunny Day

This Felimare picta photo nabbed first place in the Nudibranchs category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Punta d’en Siulet, Minorca/ Spain

Camera: Nikon D300, 10.5mm fisheye lens, 1.4x TC, Sealux housing, Nikon SB900 strobe

Francesco Visintin

The Satellite

This barrel jellyfish picture took first place in the Wide-Angle category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy

Camera: Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm lens, Isotta housing, dual Ikelite SS200 strobes

Settings: f/18, 1/320, ISO 100

fluorescent cerianthus anemone green underwater photography

Alessandro Raho

The Fluorescent Cerianthus

This glowing anemone took first place in the Compact Macro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Noli, Italy

Camera: Canon G16, Isotta housing, dual Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes, yellow filter on

houndfish swallows brassy chub underwater predator photography

Jack Berthomier

Fast strike of a Tylosorus crocodilus on a juvenile kyphosus vaigiensis

This photo of a houndfish swallowing a brassy chub received first place in the Compact Marine Life Behavior category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Ouemo Bay, Noumea, New Caledonia

Camera: Sony RX100, Nauticam housing, internal flash only

Settings: f/7.1, 1/1000, ISO 200

mating frogfish pair spawn underwater photography

Steven Kovacs

Egg Release

This photo of a frogfish pair about to spawn took first place in the Marine Life Behavior category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Blue Heron Bridge, Lake Worth Lagoon, Riviera Beach, Florida

Camera: Nikon D7000, Nikon 105mm lens, Ikelite housing, dual Ikelite DS160 strobes

Settings: f/18, 1/250

filefish in soft coral underwater camouflage photography

Simon Chiu

Shyness

This filefish photo placed first in the Mirrorless Macro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Mactan, Cebu, Philippines

Camera: Panasonic GF1, Panasonic 45mm lens, dual Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes, FIT(10) and FIT(5) diopters

Brian Christiansen

Cetaceclipse

This photo of a dolphin from below took first place in the Compact Wide Angle category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Locations: Deshaies, Guadeloupe

Camera: Olympus TG-3

blackwater dive cusk eel underwater photography

Jeff Milisen

Feeling Exposed

This larval cusk eel photo was taken on a blackwater dive and took Best of Show and first place in the Macro category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Note: This type of eel might never have been photographed or seen by any diver before!

Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Camera: Canon T1i, Canon 60mm lens, Ikelite housing, dual Ikelite DS-51 substrobes

strobe anemone norway underwater coldwater photography

Lill Haugen

Anemone Light

This North Sea anemone photo took first place in the Cold Water category of the 2015 Ocean Art Photo Competition. See the full story behind the shot — and full list of winning photos — at Underwater Photography Guide’s website.

Location: Oslo Fjord, Norway

Camera: Nikon D300, Nikon 10.5mm fisheye lens, Ikelite DS160 strobe, Triggerfish remote slave sensor connected to an INON Z240 strobe

Winners of the 2015 Ocean Art Contest Read More »

World’s Best Underwater Photography Sites

Australia and Pacific, Bay Islands, Caribbean And Atlantic, Central America, Exotic Destinations, Marine Life, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Underwater Photography category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Shutterstock

Cayman Islands

Best Underwater Photography in Caribbean and Atlantic

It’s no coincidence that Grand Cayman is home to several photo pros, and is a favorite classroom for a handful of shutter-snapping instructors. Clear skies with consistent sunlight, plus the Caribbean’s famous visibility, grant a reliable baseline, letting you focus on the good stuff — adjusting settings to capture a tarpon just as the silversides all turn, sparkling. — Brooke Morton

Caribbean and Atlantic

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British Columbia

Best Underwater Photography in North America

Photographers can improve their portfolios in BC’s cool, marine-populated waters. There’s a wealth of colorful photo subjects, and many animals grow to epic proportions: giant plumose anemones, playful Steller sea lions, and the eight-tentacled crowd favorite, Enteroctopus dofleini, aka the giant Pacific octopus. Don a drysuit to ignore the cold, and focus instead on creating award-winning images. — Brandon Cole

North America

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Indonesia

Best Underwater Photography in Pacific and Indian Oceans

The problem isn’t deciding what lenses to pack for your trip to Indo, but which one to bring on each dive. If you take a macro down to shoot pygmy seahorses, you’ll regret not having the fisheye for the massive mantas. You don’t just need a second camera system — you need a buddy/porter to carry a third and fourth. — David Espinosa

Pacific and Indian Oceans

World’s Best Underwater Photography Sites Read More »

Worldâ€™s Best Destinations for Wall Diving

Asia and Indian Ocean, Australia and Pacific, Bay Islands, Caribbean And Atlantic, Featured Travel, Marine Life, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Wall Dives category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Shutterstock

Palau

Best Wall Dives in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

Palau’s world-class wall dives, with sites such as Blue Corner, Siaes Wall and Peleliu Wall, attract more species to its Pacific waters than just divers. Sharks — whitetip, gray reef, silky, bull, whale and tiger — cruise the Micronesian archipelago’s plunging, current-swept cliffs by the hundreds, along with other exciting marine life, including Napoleon wrasse, dogtooth tuna and spotted eagle rays. — Eric Michael

Best Wall Dives in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

1. Palau
2. Red Sea
3. Hawaii
4. Fiji
5. Indonesia

Shutterstock

Cayman Islands

Best Wall Dives in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean

Careful: That vertiginous feeling is addictive. That killer Cayman combo of sheer walls — especially at places like Mixing Bowl on Little Cayman — and unparalleled viz creates an environment where anything feels possible. Good news, it is. Encountering wall regulars like Nassau grouper and green sea turtles is a divers’ high in itself, but when factors align for magic in the form of a passing dolphin or hammerhead, it’s another high all together. — Brooke Morton

Best Wall Dives in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean

Shutterstock

Washington

Best Wall Dives in North America

Walls have it all — abundant marine life, drama and challenging profiles. And Washington has walls. Two stellar sites are Day Island Wall near Tacoma, which hosts wolf eels and octopus at depths between 25 and 100 feet, and Long Island in the San Juan Islands. Spanning depths between 70 and 120 feet, the Long Island wall is famous for its stunning strawberry anemones and is best dived during slack before ebb. — Brandon Cole

Best Wall Dives in North America

1. Washington
2. British Columbia

How We Got the Numbers Thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and online users rated their experiences at dive destinations in a variety of categories on a scale from one to five. Final scores are an average of the numerical scores awarded. A minimum number of responses was required for a destination to be included in these ratings.

Worldâ€™s Best Destinations for Wall Diving Read More »

World’s Best Destinations for Diving with Big Animals

Australia and Pacific, Caribbean And Atlantic, Central America, Exotic Destinations, Featured Travel, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, South America, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, Turks And Caicos, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Underwater Photo Atlantic Spotted Dolphins in the Bahamas

Jon Cornforth

Atlantic spotted dolphins are one of the many big animals beloved by divers in the Bahamas

Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Big Animal Encounters category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Bill Fisher

Bahamas

Best Big Animal Encounters in the Caribbean and Atlantic

Everyone likes a sure thing. Thus the Bahamas continues to rate so highly for big animals. Unlike ultra-remote locales requiring liveaboards and overnight motors before day one begins, here, hammerheads or Caribbean reef sharks mug for your lens just as soon as you unpack and assemble gear. Plus, the variety of species calling these islands home or waypoint is incredible. The hammerheads of Bimini. Oceanic whitetips of Cat Island. Tigers off Grand Bahama. And the place that helped the nation become synonymous for sharks: Nassau. Hopscotch between a few spots and you’ll quickly amass a portfolio of species — plus learn the behavior not only of the sharks but of the goliath grouper that serve as shark-feed second acts. One more perk: Although not as reliably seen, wild Atlantic spotted dolphins regularly cruise Bimini and the Little Bahama Bank, creating an ideal opportunity for those who’ve been wowed by the main attraction but want the show to continue. — Brooke Morton

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bahamas

2. Turks and Caicos

3. Belize

4. Cayman Islands

5. Mexico

Scott Johnson

North Carolina

Best Big Animal Encounters in North America

They’re big, and they’re slow. Sand tigers, the predominant shark species off North Carolina, lack a swim bladder but manage near-perfect neutral buoyancy thanks to an ability to gulp air at the surface. It explains why they’re among the least hurried big animals, good news for photographers or any diver who simply wants to prolong face time with these snaggletoothed scavengers. — Brooke Morton

North America

1. North Carolina

2. Florida

3. California

4. Washington

5. British Columbia

Doug Perrine

Galapagos

Best Big Animal Encounters in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

You could go to Galapagos just to see table-size black-blotched rays, quizzical sea lions, tornadoes of barracuda and jacks, turtles and manta rays galore. But really, you’re deluding your- self if you go for any other reason than sharks — clouds of hammerheads and whitetips, solitary tigers and packs of burly Galapagos. — David Espinosa

Pacific and Indian Oceans

How We Got the Numbers Thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and online users rated their experiences at dive destinations in a variety of categories on a scale from one to five. Final scores are an average of the numerical scores awarded. A minimum number of responses was required for a destination to be included in these ratings.

World’s Best Destinations for Diving with Big Animals Read More »

World’s Best Destinations for Advanced Diving

Australia and Pacific, Caribbean And Atlantic, Central America, Exotic Destinations, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, South America, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Advanced Diving category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.