2021 Ocean Art Contest Winners

Winning Images from the 10th Annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest
By UWPG News

This year’s Ocean Art underwater photography competition celebrates a decade in the search for the world’s best photos of marine life behavior, unique portraits of intriguing underwater critters, and images that instill an urgency for conserving our invaluable subsurface planet.

Competition was fierce with photographers from 81 countries entering countless images. In the end, over $35,000 in sponsored prizes have been awarded - making the Ocean Art prize value among the highest in the world. This incredible assortment of photos could not have been possible without the help of our generous sponsors who have had to navigate a changing travel and dive industry. Please take a moment to note our sponsors below and keep them in mind as you shop for underwater photo gear or dive travel.

Winners were asked to rank their prize choices and were awarded one prize based on the total points earned from all their winning photos.

We would also like to extend our gratitude to our world-renowned judges Tony Wu, Mark Stickland, and Marty Snyderman, and Bluewater Photo and Bluewater Travel for their utmost support. Click here to view the judges comments for Ocean Art 2021.

Press Release and Media Contact: http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/ocean-art-2021-press-release

 

Click here to view the Ocean Art 2021 winners at a larger size (best for desktop)

Want to win next year? Join one of our underwater photo workshops

Need help finding the right underwater photo gear including from our sponsors, Ikelite, SeaLife, and Sea & Sea? Check out Bluewater Photo!

 


 

Quick Links:

Wide Angle      Macro      Marine Life Behavior      Portrait      Coldwater      Nudibranch

 

Compact Category:

 

List of Winners

 


Best of Show

 "Snoeken"
Best of Show - Luc Rooman
Shot near Antwerp, Belgium

 

Our Sponsors:

 


Wide-Angle Category

 "Family"
1st Place - Eduardo Acevedo
Shot in Tenerife Island, Canary Islands, Spain

 

"Shark Cave"
2nd Place - Nicolas Remy
Shot in New South Wales, Australia

 

"Against All Odds"
3rd Place - Hannah Le Leu
Shot in Queensland, Australia

 

"The Gang"
4th Place - Gabriel Guzman
Shot in Great Barrier Reef, Australia

 

"Pinkies Rush Hour"
Honorable Mention - Magnus Lundgren
Shot in Alaska, USA

 

Macro

"Blenny Grabs A Quick Meal"
1st Place - Nigel Motyer
Shot in Raja Ampat, Indonesia

"Social Distancing Lady Bug Style"
2nd Place - Sarah Vasend
Shot in Komodo, Indonesia

"Earthquake Fish"
3rd Place - Magnus Lundgren

"Magic Octopus"
4th Place - Steven Walsh
Shot in Port Philip Bay, Australia

"Mom"
Honorable Mention - Matteo Visconti
 Shot in Anilao, Batangas, Philippines

 

 

Marine Life Behavior

"Snoeken"
1st Place - Luc Rooman
Shot near Antwerp, Belgium

"Guarding Eggs"
2nd Place - Julian Hsu
 Shot in Anilao, Batangas,Philippines

"Festoons"
3rd Place - Louise Nott
Shot in New South Wales, Australia

"Pike Dinner"
Honorable Mention - Lionel Houde
Shot in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan


Portrait

"Joker"
1st Place - Paolo Bausani
Shot in Argentarola Rock, Italy


"Wide View"
2nd Place - Andrey Savin
Shot in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

"Zeus Faber"
3rd Place - Marco Gargiulo
Shot in Sorrento, Italy

"Angler Red"
4th Place  - Salvatore Gambacurta
Shot in Sydney, Australia

"Long-Snouted Seahorse"
Honorable Mention  - Michal Štros
Shot in Biograd na Moru, Croatia

"I'm the Boss Here"
Honorable Mention  - Damir Zurub
Shot in Isla Espiritu Santo, Mexico

Coldwater

"Traffic Jam"
1st Place - Matthew Sullivan
Shot in Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

"Seaweed Toy"
2nd Place - Celia Kujala
Shot in Lobster Shack, Coronado Islands, Mexico

"Basking Shark Mating Aggregation"
3rd Place - Nigel Motyer
Shot in Co Clare Coast, Ireland

"Parende Padden"
Honorable Mention - Luc Rooman
Shot in Belgium

"Steller Friends"
Honorable Mention - Celia Kujala

Nudibranchs

"Spawning"
1st Place - Salvatore Ianniello
Shot in Napales, Italy

"Future Generations"
2nd Place - Virginia Salzedo
Shot in Puglia, Italy

"The Bouquet"
3rd Place - Cedric Peneau
Shot in Reunion Island, France

 

Blackwater

"Reflections"
1st Place - Steven Kovacs
Shot in Palm Beach, Florida, USA

"Flared Beauty"
2nd Place - Steven Kovacs 
Shot in Palm Beach, Florida, USA

"Spotfin Flounder"
3rd Place - Rajiv Bhambri
Shot in Palm Beach, Florida, USA

"Juvenile Deep-Sea Anglerfish "
Honorable Mention - Fabien Michenet

"Greedy"
Honorable Mention - Steven Kovacs
Shot in Kona, Hawaii, USA

Underwater Conservation

"Coral Tree"
1st Place - Catherine Holmes
Shot in Barbados

"Smoke Break"
2nd Place - Steven Kovacs
 Shot in Blue Heron Bridge, Florida, USA

"Bryde's Whale with Ghost Net"
3rd Place - Michael Vogelsang
Shot in Azores, Portugal

"Reef Protection"
Honorable Mention - Catherine Holmes
Shot in Little Good Harbour, North West Barbados

Underwater Art

"Magical Fairy Wisps"
1st Place - Jenny Stock
Shot in Jardines de la Reina, Cuba

"India Wedding Girl"
2nd Place - Julian Nedev
Shot in Varna sity, Bulgaria

"Jessica Dream"
3rd Place - Julian Nedev
Shot in Faenza, Italy
"No Violence"
Honorable Mention - Virginia Salzedo


 

Black & White

"Ancient Caves"
1st Place - Tom St George
Shot in Cenote Zacil Ha, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico

"Flying in the Sand"
2nd Place - Kyle Lucy
Shot in Roatan, Honduras

"The Restlessness of a Condemned Soul"
3rd Place - Plamena Mileva
Shot in Satil Wreck, Eilat, Israel

"Symetrie"
Honorable Mention - Serge Melesan
 Shot in Mayotte, Tahiti Beach, France

 


Compact Wide Angle

"Motherhood"
1st Place - Kate Rister

"In The River After The Floods"
2nd Place - Jack Berthomier

"Catfish and Flowers"
3rd Place - Enrico Somogyi
Shot in Leipzig, Germany

"Colorful Reed"
Honorable Mention - Enrico Somogyi

Compact Macro

"Party Time"
1st Place - Kathrin Landgraf-Kluge
Shot in Makadi Bay, Egypt

"Spiderman"
2nd Place - Salvatore Gambacurta 
Shot in Bare island- La Perousse, Sydney, Australia

"Coral Tip Forest"
3rd Place - Nicole Helgason
Shot in Marau Sound, Solomons Islands

"Strike a Pose"
Honorable Mention - Eurico Roseiro
Shot in Algarve, Armação de Pêr, Portugal


Compact Behavior

"Mating Seahorses"
1st Place - PT Hirschfield
Shot in Rye Pier, Victoria, Australia

"Rizzuto La Luce Della Nascita"
2nd Place - Ilaria Mariaguilia
Shot in Rijeka, Croatia
 
"Mating Southern Keeled Octopuses"
3rd Place - PT Hirschfield
Shot in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

"Above"
Honorable Mention - Abimael Márquez

"Offspring"
Honorable Mention - Nino Perović

 


List of Winners

Wide Angle

1st Place Eduardo Acevedo

2nd Place Nicolas Remy

3rd Place Hannah Le Leu

4th Place Gabriel Guzman

Honorable Mention Magnus Lundgren

 

Macro

1st Place Nigel Motyer

2nd Place Sarah Vasend

3rd Place Magnus Lundgren

4th Place Steven Walsh

Honorable Mention Matteo Visconti

 

Marine Life Behavior

1st Place Luc Rooman

2nd Place Julian Hsu

3rd Place Louise Nott

Honorable Mention Lionel Houde

 

Portrait

1st Place Paolo Bausani

2nd Place Andrey Savin

3rd Place Marco Gargiulo

4th Place Salvatore Gambacurta

Honorable Mention Michal Štros

Honorable Mention Portrait Damir Zurub

 

Coldwater

1st Place Matthew Sullivan

2nd Place Celia Kujala

3rd Place Nigel Motyer

Honorable Mention Luc Rooman

Honorable Mention Celia Kujala

 

Nudibranch

1st Place Salvatore Ianniello

2nd Place Virginia Salzedo

3rd Place Cedric Peneau

 

Blackwater

1st Place Steven Kovacs

2nd Place Steven Kovacs

3rd Place Rajiv Bhambri

Honorable Mention Fabien Michenet

Honorable Mention Steven Kovacs

 

Underwater Conservation

1st Place Catherine Holmes

2nd Place Steven Kovacs

3rd Place Michael Vogelsang

Honorable Mention Catherine Holmes

 

Underwater Art

1st Place  Jenny Stock

2nd Place Julian Nedev

3rd Place Julian Nedev

Honorable Mention Virginia Salzedo

 

Black & White

1st Place Tom St George

2nd Place Kyle Lucy

3rd Place Plamena Mileva

Honorable Mention Serge Melesan

 

Compact Wide Angle

1st Place Kate Rister

2nd Place Jack Berthomier

3rd Place Enrico Somogyi

Honorable Mention Enrico Somogyi

 

Compact Macro

1st Place Kathrin Landgraf-Kluge

2nd Place Salvatore Gambacurta

3rd Place Nicole Helgason

Honorable Mention Eurico Roseiro

 

Compact Behavior

1st Place PT Hirschfield

2nd Place Ilaria Mariagiulia

3rd Place PT Hirschfield

Honorable Mention Abimael Márquez

Honorable Mention Nino Perović

 

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