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The World Oceans Day 2019

Gender and Ocean – how are these two connected? Not at all – you might think. Quite much, however, is the answer. Gender and Ocean is this year’s topic for the World Oceans Day. Celebrate this day with us, find out more about why the world’s oceans are so impressive and
take part in a fantastic raffle.

Each year on the 8th of June, people all over the world celebrate the ocean and try their best to change its story. In doing so, they celebrate each and every life on this wonderful planet. Because no matter where you are and no matter how far you might be situated from any coastline, you are somehow connected to the ocean.

Why?

The oceans are the lifeblood of our planet and the source of all life. Not only do they hold over 95% of the planet’s water, they produce more than half of the oxygen in our atmosphere, are said to be important for 50% of the breaths we take and absorb a lot of carbon. But there’s more to it.

 Ann Karin Matberg • OM-D E-M1 • M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye 
• PT-EP11 • PPO-EP02 • 2 x UFL-3

In many ways, the ocean acts as a regulator of our climate. By soaking up the heat and transporting water of different temperatures all over the planet, it regulates the weather, the temperatures as well as rains and droughts in many places and it makes most parts habitable by keeping the balance. And speaking about habitation – the ocean does not only help to make our planet such a great home to us, it is also a home to the greatest abundance of life including some of the smallest and some of the biggest creatures there are. From critter to whales – there is a variety of life in the oceans that is hard to imagine from ashore and that we can only do our best to partly capture with our lenses.

Gender and Ocean - The oceans also provide us with food. That goes hand in hand with the fact that they create many jobs – not only for fishermen. From tourism and transport to water sports businesses: many industries and jobs are highly connected to and dependent on the ocean – and its condition. And it goes without saying that a (commercial) world – and our supermarkets – are quite hard to imagine without ocean freight.

Marcin Dobas – Exciting encounter with steller sea lions

Marcin Dobas • OM-D E-M1 Mark II • M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 PRO
• PT-EP-14 • PPO-EP02 • UFL-3

For many divers, underwater encounters with marine mammals are an unforgettable experience. Whenever I meet a dolphin, a seal or an eared seal (Otariidae), I am sure that I have just met an incredibly intelligent creature which enjoys our encounter as much as I do.
The goal of my last photographic diving expedition was the coat of Kamchatka coast. To some of you, this idea may seem absurd. Everyone who starts diving dreams about the warm waters of the South Seas, the sun, the coral reefs and orange clownfish playing in the water.
The water around the peninsula of Kamchatka, however, is cold, the visibility is not good and the biodiversity is limited. So – why go there? […]

Read the whole story


Juan José Sáez Méndez - The great white shark

 Juan José Saéz • OM-D E-M1 Mark II • M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO
• PT-EP14 • PPO-E04 • 2 x UFL-3

On my second trip to Guadeloupe I wanted to capture the behaviour of the great white shark in my pictures. With the help of my results as well as the information provided by the scientists who work with these animals, I wanted to explain or rather express the importance that these special animals have in the ecosystem and show what is being done to protect them. 

The great white shark is an alpha predator that is at the top of the food chain and that, in theory, should not be at risk because it has barely any natural predators. Unfortunately, the great white shark is still on the red list of the worldwide endangered species due to direct or accidental catches in fishing nets, the constant pollution of the seas and the warming or narrowing of their natural habitat. This makes us humans their main predator. […]

Read the whole story

Karin Brussard  - Dolphins – my experience after waiting for 20 years!

 Karin Brussard • OM-D E-M1 MarkII • M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm F2.0
• PT-EP14 • PPO-E02

In the 20 years that I’ve been diving, I’ve taken a lot of photos; from seahorses measuring a mere centimetre to swimming elephants. But I’ve never encountered a dolphin. Until now.For this mission, we chose to search in a large area in the Bahamas which is home to around twenty dolphins. Everyone on the boat was on the lookout. As the hours passed, my hopes began to fade once again. There wasn’t a single dolphin fin to be seen across the wide expanse of water. My attention wandered after just two seconds, I gave up and went to do something else. […]

Read the whole story

What’s your story? 

To celebrate this very special day with you, we have prepared a raffle for you.
As first prize you can win a brand new TG-6 with its Underwater Case.
Second prize is the cool Tough Adventure Pack and the
Third prize is a practical H2O drink bottle


What to do:

  1. If you are not signed up yet as a MyOlympus user, quickly click here, register and refresh your browser or click here after having signed up. In case you are already signed up, log in here and you will get back to this page.
  2. Like this blogpost and think about your most impressive animal encounter/underwater experience so far.
  3. Write a short comment under this blogpost in which you describe this experience
    until June 22th, 2019. --> raffle is closed !


Please view our Terms & Conditions

Thank you very much for your participation.
Your Olympus Underwater Photography World

Comments

  • Schwimmen mit Delfinen war bis her mein Größtes Abenteuer.
  • There were already hundreds of fantastic underwater moments... well to pick just one imagine yourself floating on a reef covered with colorful small fishes and then you see the giant black majesty flying towards you - out of the dark blue: a Pacific manta, huge, silently, effortless flying against the current - and you just forget time admiring him in awe... blessed with greetings from another world... awesome.
  • Океан безграничен, красив и могуч. Обитатели водной стихии разнообразные и с разными цветами радуги. Но человек пагубна и бездумно относится к нему. Давайте оставим это нашим детям и правнукам и дадим будущие потомкам. Что бы они тоже наслаждались этой красотой. И я бы хотел получить новый фотоаппарат что бы фотографировать и показывать людям чего они могут лишится этого. Мой TG-1 уже сломался и я бы хотел получить новый так как у меня есть много объективов и продолжать снимать.
  • Mit Robben Schwimmen in der Ostsee.
  • I once dreamt that I was swimming in the sea where suddenly there was a small yellow fish with black stripes swimming right in front of me, as if it was leading the way. This fish was right in front of my nose and remained in front no matter which turn I took. When I stopped to just tread water, the fish would stay close and then circle my leg. When I continued to swim, there was the fish right in front of my nose, leading the way. I could feel the water on my skin as if the dream was very real. Sometime later, (in real life) I visited a small island in Fiji called Malolo. While waiting for a boat to take me back to the mainland, I was felt a strong urge to swim these waters just one more time. I grabbed my goggles and in I went. Within seconds there was a small yellow fish with black stripes right in front of my nose. Somehow I knew instantly my dream had become real. I decided to stop and just tread water, knowing what the fish would do, and yes it circled my leg. I felt true companionship going on here. I continued to swim and there it was again, right in front of my nose. The experience brought immense joy. One of the most difficult things I have ever had to do was come out of that water. The fish stayed with me right up to the shore line. I have since discovered that this fish is known as the pilot fish.
  • Diving with and interacting with Grey Seals in the Farne Islands. These animals are very curious and will stalk you from behind and then tug on your fin to get attention. Once they have it they may get right in your face and appreciate a good scratch behind the ear.
  • Beim Tauchen in Kroatien habe ich meine ersten Unterwasserfotos gemacht. Es ist eine ganz andere Welt und ein besonderes Gefühl, wenn man mitten durch einen großen Fischschwarm taucht.
  • I have been lucky enough to have several impressive encounters. One that really sticks out was diving on my first course, my open water, back in 2006 in Koh Phangan, Thailand. It was dive number 2 for me and my friend. He was still coming to terms with buoyancy and was floating and sinking like a yo-yo. I was on the sea bed watching him going up and down wondering when he would finally join me so we could run through the different drills we needed to learn and practice. On one of his down cycles, I was watching and he went a bit white, started pointing, blowing bubbles and making noise. I thought whats this guy on about. Casually I turn around...9m Whale Shark was passing meters away! Our guide was off, indicating follow him and the Whale Shark, all drills were out of the window and we were following this impressive creature. Naturally we were in its home not ours so we couldnt keep up for long. When it swam out of sight, we checked our air. Mine was very low. We surfaced shortly after. The dive guide/instructor was naturally excited, and we were hooked to diving from there on in. He said you will probably never see one again. Hes only seen one, 7 times (he was an older guy too). He then asked if I was a bit paniced as my air consumption was high...to which I replied, erm, yes, I wasnt expecting to see a 9m huge fish swim by with its mouth open on dive number 2!
  • My most memorable meeting underwater was when I dived in Icelan
  • Tauchen am Great Barrier Reef.
  • I always loved the sea, but only from a distance. In 2012 thanks to a great diving instructor, which is also my brother, I fell in love with the ocean and its depth and its blue and its shades. Since 2012 I am an avid diver and I became a scuba diving instructor myself; this gave me the amazing opportunity of living my life blowing bubbles! The 14 March of this year, during a dive on a very easy sloping reef with just one lucky guest, I saw something approaching at my exact same depth, straight in front of me. I firstly thought "Shark!"; then I got confused on which kind of shark could have been, swimming right at me at good speed. I really thought it was a Nurse shark by the look of the round face and by the time I grabbed my camera to change from macro to wide angle, I lifted my head and the most amazing Leopard shark swam by, looked at me from a distance of probably a hand span and took my breath away. My heart started to beat so fast: it was the encounter I have always wished for and it happened so fast I was totally blown away. With its beautiful graceful 2mt long body, it swam right next to me, slowly, gave me the time to admire it, and then kept on with its journey into the blue. It was the most magical, unexpected, incredible moment I have ever witnessed underwater. Every time I look back in my memory I can live the moment the exact same same again, and again, and again... The Ocean is my Life.
  • Non ho mai fatto una vera immersione con le bombole ... Ma tutte le volte che sono riuscito ad a farmi qualche breve giretto in apnea ho scoperto un mondo fantastico... Da buon piamontese ,qui da noi abbiamo le montagne... Hehehehe
  • To było tak dawno, rok 2010, a moje wspomnienie tego nurkowania jest wciąż żywe i oddaje to co w nurkowaniu najpiękniejsze. Campanella koło wyspy Hvar to podwodna iglica skalna, której szczyt leży ponad 10m pod wodą. Skok z łodzi i opadanie na iglicę. Wokół bezkresny, wielki błękit a ja mam wrażenie jakbym szybował" w przestworzach. Nie czułem się wtedy jak intruz w obcym sobie środowisku. Trudno to wyrazić słowami, to trzeba przeżyć. I choć nie trwało to długo, to jednak wciąż pozostaje żywe w mojej pamięci.
  • Snorkelling in the Galapagos islands, I was privileged to encounter 3 inquisitive, wild, seals who chose to come and play with me. We were fairly evenly matched at splashing water... but they totally won when it came to spinning and stretching. I loved it when my back stretch was copied by one of them... forming a circle from nose to tail. Although a few years ago, I still recall this as one of the best experiences of my life.
  • Mon meilleur souvenir avec le TG5 est d'avoir plongé à Moorea avec les baleines !

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