Anilao Underwater Shootout 2018 Winners
The photo entries to the 5th Anilao Underwater Shootout showcased the beauty of Anilao and its seas, the home of some of the rarest marine species in the world.
This Underwater Photography Contest was made in partnership with the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and was co-organized by Philippine Airlines (PAL).
Dubbed as the “World Cup of Photo Competitions,” the 5th Anilao Underwater Shootout brought together 173 of the best divers and underwater photographers from all over Asia, Europe, and North America to show the world Anilao’s immensely rich biodiversity and also to promote the area as a world class diving destination.
The Awarding Night and Closing Ceremony at the Camp Netanya was attended by DOT Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo, who delivered the keynote address, as well as DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. who officially opened the festivities of the night.
Open Class Cephalopods Category
Open Class: Macro/Supermacro Category
For the Open Class: Macro/Supermacro Category, Wu Yung Sen from Taiwan bagged the first place with his stunning photograph of a glowing crustacean. Hongchao Yao from China was in the second place followed by Navapan Janjarasskul of Thailand in the third spot.
Open Class: Marine Behavior Category
For the Open Class: Marine Behavior Category, Turkey’s Cem Gazivekili took home the first place for his photo of a wide-eyed fish looking into the camera. Seungchul Yang from South Korea is in the second place and Taiwan’s Wen Chih Yen in the third spot.
Open Class Nudibranch category
Gazivekili also bagged the first place for the Nudibranch category with his symmetrical close-up shot of a nudibranch. The next two spots were taken by Songda Cai of China for the second place and Turkey’s Hakan Basar as the third.
Open Class Fish Portrait Category
In the Fish Portrait Category, Taiwan’s Wen Chih Yen got the first place for his photo of a fish with a unique caudal fin. Austria’s Wayne Jones and the Philippine’s Dennis Corpuz won the second and third places respectively.
Compact Class: Macro/Supermacro category
Competitors from the Philippines all won the Compact Class: Macro/Supermacro category. PJ Aristorenas came in first followed by Penn De Los Santos and Ma. Nerissa Fajardo for the second and third places.
Compact Class Marine Behavior category
PJ Aristorenas also bagged the first place for the Marine Behavior category with his photograph of a crustacean perched on top of a fish. The Philippines’ Penn De Los Santos took the third place followed by Virginie Barfuss-Gofart from France.
Compact-Nudibranch Category
For the Compact-Nudibranch Category, the first place went to the Philippine’s Ronald Dalawampu for his stunning close-up shot of a blue and orange nudibranch. East Pardillo and Jonathan Christopher Veridiano, both from the Philippines, grabbed the second and third spot.
Compact Class Fish Portrait Category
For the Fish Portrait Category, Jorge Ida from the Philippines won the first place. The two other winners were United States’ Nancy Berg and PJ Aristorenas from the Philippines for the third.
Compact-Cephalopod Category
The first place for the Compact-Cephalopod category went Ian Amboy of the Philippines followed by fellow Filipinos PJ Aristorenas for the second spot and Eric Yee for the third place.
Special Awards
Special prizes were also given to Ryan Berg from the United States in the Special Beginners category and Yung Sen Wu from Taiwan for the Blackwater/Bonfire category.
DOT-PAL Underwater Photographer of the Year
DOT-PAL Photographer of the Year awards were given to Lilian Koh of Singapore for her Open-Cephalopod photo and to PJ Aristorenas of the Philippines for his Compact-Macro shot.
“As the event grows and evolves, so does our goal in recognizing and highlighting the importance of Anilao as a dive destination with a unique and critical ecosystem,” said Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. during the awarding ceremonies at Camp Netanya in Mabini, Batangas.
The panel of judges for this year had some of the most respected names in the underwater photography such as veteran National Geographic photographer David Doubilet, aquatic biologist and photojournalist Jennifer Hayes, Palme D’ winning photographer Scott “Gutsy” Tucson, Germany’s Tobias Friedrich; Singapore’s William Tan, and Cebu-based Japanese marine researcher Yoshi Hirata.
The 5th Anilao Underwater Shootout (official website) was made possible in partnership with ScubaLamp Underwater Photography Equipment (SUPE) and Nauticam, and sponsorship from Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort, Azure Dive Resort (hotel info), Balicasag Island Dive Resort, Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort, Camp Netanya Resort and Spa (hotel info), Fun In Taiwan (FIT), Pier Uno Resort and Dive Center, Pacifica Dive, RGBlue, and Weefine.
See Also:
- Diving more fun in the Philippines: 10 Best Diving Sites in the Country
- Dive Philippines: Divers find ‘deep joy’ in Anilao