We were once again grateful to have received many beautiful images and video of the ocean and its inhabitants for our 2nd annual Underwater Parks Day Photo and Video Contest.
When looking to highlight the marine life that is so alien to many Southern California residents, these entries offer just a glimpse of the diversity that our newly created marine protected areas will support and help replenish.
So, without further ado, the winners are:
View All Contest Entries
- Photographs at Flickr
- Videos at YouTube
Photo Winner – Youth Category
- Josh Friedman for Circle of Jackfish, a stunning photo of a school of circling jackfish taken off the coast of Tahiti.
Photo Winner – Open Category
- Tully Rohrer for Octogood, a captivating photograph of a two-spot octopus taken in the Wrigley Marine Reserve off of Catalina Island.
Video Winner
- Nannette Van Antwerp for Crustaceans of California, a playfully shot and creatively narrated video that highlights some of California’s crustaceans.
We want to thank all of the amazing and talented artists for submitting their work to the contest, as well as the companies that generously donated prizes, including Eco Dive Center, Blue Water Photo, Rusty’s Surf Ranch and Patagonia.
Selections from the photography contest will be on display at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium in the coming weeks. Stop in to appreciate some fabulous artwork and to visit the many Santa Monica Bay species on exhibit.