Mobula rays are also known as “satan rays,” however not like their relations, stingrays, they lack a stinger, making them a bit much less nefarious than their identify implies. When rays collect collectively into a gaggle, it’s often known as a squadron, and for photographers Brittany Ilardi and Eduardo Acevedo, the phenomenon impressed award-winning images within the 2024 Ocean Artwork Underwater Picture Contest introduced by Underwater Images Information.
Now in its thirteenth 12 months, the competitors noticed record-breaking participation with entries submitted from greater than 90 international locations. From macro views like Imogen Manin’s seize of a fish camouflaged in coral to gorgeous black-and-white scenes like Eduardo Labat’s best-in-show sighting of circling white-tip sharks, the profitable pictures showcase the wonder, range, and vulnerability of underwater ecosystems.
Extra counseled pictures embody portraits of nudibranchs within the Philippines, a swimming octopus in Spain, and diving seabirds in Scotland’s northern isles. A class dedicated to underwater conservation encourages us to suppose extra fastidiously about what occurs to single-use plastics once we’re completed with them or how discarded fishing tools and ghost nets can hurt wildlife. Different inventive classes embody digital, blackwater, conduct, and underwater trend.
“The expertise and imaginative and prescient displayed by our individuals have set new benchmarks for underwater pictures,” says contest organizer Nirupam Nigam, who can also be president of Bluewater Picture and editor-in-chief of the Underwater Images Information. “These pictures do greater than win awards; they captivate hearts and minds, reaching thousands and thousands globally and reminding us of our shared duty to guard the ocean’s magnificence.”
Dive into the web winners’ gallery, and keep watch over the competitors’s web site for bulletins concerning the open name for the 2025 version.
