The world’s largest underwater photo competition, is now open. Attracting amateur and professional photographers across the globe, fourteen categories – including new underwater fashion photography and underwater digital art categories – ensure all photo disciplines and cameras compete fairly. The 50+ winning images create a portfolio of the best underwater photos of the year.
Ocean Art 2023 consists of 14 categories total, with the top categories including Wide Angle, Macro, Marine Life Behavior and 3 corresponding compact camera categories, giving underwater photographers of all levels a chance to win a great prize. Unique categories include Black & White, Marine Life Portrait, Cold/Temperate Water, Blackwater, Underwater Conservation, and Nudibranchs.
The original Underwater Art category has this year been split in two: Underwater Digital Art and Underwater Fashion. This will give two very different and unique art forms their own categories, while allowing complete freedom in post-processing.
Winners from each category will be able to rank the prizes they would like to receive, making it more likely that each winner will receive a prize they desire.
Ocean Art prizes are provided by some of the world’s top scuba diving resorts, liveaboard dive boats, and underwater photo gear manufacturers. Grand prizes include a liveaboard dive cruise on the M.Y. Oceanic in Komodo, Flores, Alor, or the Banda Sea; liveaboard trip on the S.M.Y. Ondina in Raja Ampat, North Banda Sea, Triton Bay, Halmahera, or Cenderawasih Bay; a 10 night liveaboard trip aboard the Damai I or Damai II in Indonesia; a 7 night dive package for two at Alami Alor Dive Resort in Alor, Indonesia; a 14 night dive package at the new White Sands Beach Resort in Lembeh with Eco Divers; a 7 night liveaboard diving package in Palau aboard the Solitude One; a 7 night stay in Papua New Guinea with Walindi Plantation Resort; a 7 day, 16 dive adventure for two in Raja Ampat with Meridian Adventure; a 7 night liveaboard with Bilikiki Cruises in the Solmon Islands; a 10 day dive trip with Mermaid Liveaboards in Bali & Komodo; a 7 night dive package to Truk Lagoon with Master Liveaboards; an 8 night all-inclusive dive package in Bohol, Philippines with Magic Oceans Dive Resort; two Sea & Sea YS-D3 Duo
strobes; an Ikelite DS 230 Strobe with a modelling light and a variety of gift certificates from Bluewater Photo and Bluewater Travel.
Premium travel prizes are provided by El Galleon/Asia Divers (Philippines), Explorer Ventures Fleet (Turks & Caicos), Andean Travel Company (Galapagos), Villa Markisa (Bali, Indonesia), Anthony’s Key Resort (Roatan, Honduras), Kusu Island Resort (Kusu Island, Indonesia), Luxury Yacht Maldives (Maldives), Tawali Leisure & Dive Resort (Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea), Crystal Blue Dive Resort (Anilao, Philippines), Atmosphere Resorts & Spa (Dumaguete, Philippines), Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort (Anilao, Philippines), Presidente Intercontinental Hotel (Cozumel, Mexico), Spice Island Divers (Ambon, Indonesia), Sea Saba (Saba, Caribbean), Avalon Outdoor (Cuba) Eco Pro Divers (Maldives), and Mexico Liveaboards (Baja California, Mexico).
Photos must be submitted before the deadline of 23:59PM PST on 30 November 2023.
For more information, or to enter, go to the Ocean Art Photo Competition page.
