The winners of the ninth annual United Nations World Oceans Day (UNWOD) Photo Competition were announced today (8 June) at UN headquarters in New York.
The six categories of the free contest, for which a call went out to photographers on Divernet in March, were linked to the 2022 World Oceans Day theme “Revitalisation: Collective Action for the Ocean”.
Also read: Planet Ocean: Tides Are Changing winners
Thousands of entries were reported to have been submitted by both amateur and professional photographers from 12 countries in the categories “Revitalisation”, “Underwater Seascapes”, “Above Water Seascapes”, “Ocean Critters”, “Coastal Communities” and “Nature-Based Solutions & Ocean Exploration”. A panel of expert judges selected the top three images in each category.
Also read: Free Entry: Call Goes Out For UN Photo Contest
Revitalisation
Aunk Horwang, Thailand (1st): Photographers entered a set of three images in this category, and Horwang’s set consisted of the photo above of a manta ray trailing line and the two below: “Ghost nets are among the deadliest forms of marine pollution in the Thai oceans,” he stated.
“Ghost fishing nets frequently entangle large marine creatures, like this manta ray. This can be life-threatening to them if not rescued, for example by a diver.”
Underwater Seascapes
Nicolas Hahn, Argentina (1st) Highway of Life: A diamond sting ray and a one-eyed porcupinefish search for a meal in the sand as hundreds of bigeye jack school behind them. “The incredible biomass in the Cabo Pulmo National Park (Baja California Sur) allows for some surreal sights.
Protected areas such as these serve as a strong example of how plentiful our oceans can be when given the chance to recover.”
Nat Sumanatemeya, Thailand (2nd): Julia Nilsson freedives with thousands of stingless golden jellyfish in Ongeim’l Tketau, or Fifth Lake, on Eil Malk island in Palau. “The image was taken in 2019, when the lake reopened after being closed for over two years.
The impact of El Niño in 2016 caused declining numbers of golden jellyfish in Jellyfish Lake and the closing was aimed to give nature time to restore.”
Damir Zurub, Croatia (3rd): “This image was taken in late 2021 when I was diving in Los Islotes, La Paz, Mexico, where a large colony of sea-lions lives. Conversation and closeness with these animals was an unforgettable experience and I hope to have the opportunity to visit this beautiful place again.”
Above Water Seascapes
Nguyen Vu, Cao, Vietnam (1st) Ocean Lotus Leaf: “In every profession we can find challenges but also beauty. When the fishermen head out on the water, they hope to return with boats full of fish and shrimp out of necessity.
I simply want to convey the beauty of the art of fishing with seine nets in my homeland.” The shot was taken in Quang Ngai province.
Christophe Mason-Parker, UK (2nd): A line-up of lemon and blacktip reef sharks cruise in the shallow waters of Aldabra atoll in the Republic of Seychelles. “A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, Aldabra is a shining example of the effect that 40 years of protection can have on biodiversity.”
Ocean Critters
Viktor Lyaguskin, Georgia (1st) Aliens Meet Spaceship: “Caprellas, also known as skeleton shrimps, are very funny and tiny animals – they grow to a maximum of 6cm long. They are very social and active, eating non-stop and fighting with each other.
The ‘spaceship’ is a Bolinopsis infundibulum or common northern comb jelly. Bolinopsis don’t sting but are carnivorous and eat everything they catch, even other comb jellies. In my image it is floating under the ice.”
Jennifer Johnson, USA (2nd): A school of fish hovers around a tube-dwelling anemone in Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. “This tube anemone is a member of the Cerianthidae family.
They typically eat small invertebrates, and it poses no threat to the hovering school of fish presenting me with this beautifully ethereal underwater scene.”
Gaby Barathieu, France (3rd): “A school of catfish off Mayotte Island photographed in long exposure with flash triggering in strobe mode (five triggers during exposure time). This technique gives relief and movement to a photo that freezes a present moment by nature.”
Coastal Communities
Supachai Veerayutthanon, Thailand (1st): “Bajau, for many generations, from birth to death, from young to old, spend their entire lives on their boats. They are not citizens of any state. The sea is their birthplace and their only home on Earth.”
Nature Based Solutions & Ocean Discoveries
Giacomo d’Orlando, Italy (1st): Marine biology researcher Adriana Campili checks the status of the reef aquarium in the Australian Institute of Marine Science laboratory in Townsville, Queensland. “The AIMS is the most specialised authority in charge of the Great Barrier Reef’s monitoring conditions.
Inside its Sea Simulator the most state-of-the-art experiments are carried out on corals, aimed to secure a future for our reefs. In this image I wanted to depict the tight connection between the human being and the marine ecosystem, underlining the importance of this natural bond.”
The UNWOD Photo Competition is curated by underwater photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, and co-ordinated with the website DivePhotoGuide (DPG) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
It is hosted by the UN Division for Ocean Affairs & the Law of the Sea. All participants have to sign a Charter of 14 ethical commitments in photography.
Find out more about World Oceans Day.
