Ocean Photography Awards 2021, here are the most significant photos of the prestigious photo contest dedicated to the ocean
They have been announced the winners of the "Ocean Photography Awards 2021" competition, which through photography celebrates the wonders of the ocean and sheds light on the dangers that threaten its balance.
To win the first prize as "Ocean Photographer of the Year" was Aimee Jan. His turtle surrounded by fish won over the whole jury. Second place Henley Spiers, third Matty Smith with the photograph of a baby turtle engaged in his first swim.
Renee Capozzola, a photographer and biology teacher from Los Angeles, won the “Female Fifty Fathoms” award, a new category introduced by the competition to celebrate women in ocean photography. The protagonist of her shot is a black tip reef shark.
Among the photographs in the race, those that have struck us the most, however, concern the pollution of the oceans, which causes the death of many sea creatures every year. Like the shot by Kerim Sabuncuoglu, who portrayed a moray eel suffocated by an abandoned fish hook.
Below here is the most meaningful and heartbreaking photos among those who have won the prestigious competition or who, although they have not won any prizes, make us reflect on the sad situation of the oceans.
Index
Kerim Sabuncuoglu, the impact of abandoned lines
The protagonist of Kerim Sabuncuoglu's shot, which won the victory in the “Ocean Conservation” category, is a dead moray, a terrible image that wants to sensitize people to the problem of ghost nets.
The poor animal, explains the photographer, did not notice the fish hook hidden in his food and tried in vain to free himself. But the effort only made it worse by slowly suffocating him. Fishing lines and fishing nets abandoned in the water, the so-called ghost nets, continue to kill many fish and sea creatures every year. A huge problem that gets worse with the adoption of increasingly aggressive fishing techniques.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kerim Sabuncuoglu (@kerimsabuncuoglu)
Steven Kovacs, butts at the bottom of the sea
Cigarette butts have devastating effects on the seas and the soil. As evidenced by the photograph taken by Steven Kovacs in the waters of Florida, where a fish was swallowing an abandoned butt, unaware of the tragic mistake. - I felt compelled to step in, - said Steven, - because I can't imagine what it would have been like for the fish if it had finished swallowing its "meal."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Ocean Photography Awards™️ (@ocean_photography_awards)
Also by Steven Kovacs is the photograph that, in the waters of the Philippines, portrays a female Argonaut clinging to a piece of floating garbage.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Steven Kovacs (@steven_kovacs_photography)
Nicholas Samaras, the little horse and the mask
A seahorse stuck in a surgical mask is the protagonist of Nicholas Samaras' incredible photograph. The photographer, who often dives into the sea, explained that the mandatory use of disposable masks, due to the pandemic, has significantly worsened the problem of water contamination. And his shot is yet another demonstration of this.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nicholas Samaras (@nicholas_samaras)
Thien Nguyen, overfishing
Anchovies are the most important raw material for making traditional Vietnamese fish sauce. Unfortunately, however, when fishing is excessive, whales, salmon, sea birds and other predators that eat them, find themselves without a source of sustenance, risking death. Photographer Thien Nguyen, in this image, captured the moment of anchovy fishing in the vicinity of Phu Yen, shedding light on this issue.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by THIEN NGUYEN Ngoc (@thien_nguyen_images)
Jason Gulley, the massacre of the manatees
Lots of manatees are dying in Florida, as of August 20, at least 920 individuals have lost their lives and four months from the end of 2021, Florida has already exceeded the five-year average of 578 dead manatees. Jason Gulley wanted to shed some light on the sad phenomenon by photographing a dead manatee in the Indian River Lagoon. A problem unfortunately due to pollution, which destroys the aquatic vegetation that the manatees feed on.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTE49PzLkcm/
Aimee Jan: the first prize winning photo
The winning photograph of the 2021 edition was taken by Aimee Jan at one of the largest coral reefs in the world, Ningaloo Reef. You star a turtle surrounded by thousands of incredible fish.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Aimee Jan? AJ (@oceanaimee)
Follow us on Telegram | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Youtube
SOURCE: Ocean Photography Awards
You might also like:
- Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards: Here are the funniest wildlife photos of 2019
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017: the winning nature photos
