UPYCOMPETITION
JOOST VAN UFFELEN / UPY 2025
Q New Moon Madness
Third Place: Wide Angle Photographer: Joost van Ufflen, Netherlands Location: Hanifaru Bay, Maldives
Hanifaru Bay is a famed site for manta aggregations which occur around lunar events. The changing currents trap and concentrate plankton in the bay, allowing mantas to cyclone feed. Although, in nature, nothing is guaranteed. When I arrived in the area during new Moon, operators mentioned the season seemed to have ended early; schooling mantas had not been seen for weeks. Fortunately, just two days after our arrival we were rewarded with the biggest feeding event of the year with 80 mantas train-feeding on the plankton.
ALEX DAWSON / UPY 2025
Deep wreck R
Winner: Wrecks Photographer: Alex Dawson, Sweden Location: Gulf Fleet No 31 wreck, Egypt
The wreck sits on the reef at around 104m depth. When she sank, she got wedged between the reef wall and a small reef so there is a swim through under the wreck. We did 25 minutes of bottom time and about two and a half hours of decompression to produce this image.
Face Off S
Winner: Behaviour Photographer: Shunsuke Nakano, Japan Location: Sado, Niigata, Japan
ALEX DAWSON / UPY 2025
This is a photo of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse fighting. The unique form of this species is characteristic of males, who form harems and claim territories during the breeding season. The one on the left in the photo is the harem king, who has defended his territory for more than 10 years and is estimated to be over 30 years old, while the one on the right is a young challenger.
SHUNSUKE NAKANO / UPY 2025
Coast Guard SG115 R
Third Place: Wrecks Photographer: Alex Dawson, Sweden Location: Kas Coast Guard SG115 wreck, Türkiye
Wreck diving is one of the top things to do in Kas, Türkiye. This is the wreck of Sahil Guvenlik SG115, a former coast guard boat that was sunk at an appropriate depth for recreational divers- a maximum depth of 35m. It is a beautiful wreck close to town, one I highly recommend!
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