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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

  • My experience is when I was 8 years old - and made me fall in love ocean, and start diving as an adult. I was snorkelling off a reef in my hometown in Australia with my best friend - we normally swam next to each other, just tapping the other on the arm when we saw something interesting. I remember seeing an octopus so turned excitedly to show her - only instead of her swimming next to me, there was a grey reef shark about 50cm away. It was such a shock, but I remembered to keep my cool - no sudden movements etc so kept kicking and it swam along next to me for about 150m and i remember even as a little kid it struck me how beautiful and peaceful it was. And I still have that feeling today as a PADI diver everytime I'm underwater.
  • Bei einer Tauchsafari auf den Malediven war es mein schönstes Erlebnis mit einer Gruppe von Adlerrochen in der Strömung zu fliegen. Da spürt man die Natur und lernt die Stille zu genießen.
  • Am schönsten ist nach dem Unterwassererlebnis aufzutauchen und die Fotos zu sehen.
  • Swiiming with whale sharks in Philippines, Oslob, has been the best experience so far. They were so near and big and gentle! wow
  • Last year, Curacao and the first time in life turtles freely seen in the water so close, fantastic.
  • My best encounter underwater this year was diving with a Dugong off Marsa Alam, Egypt. I have a few pictures taken with my TG5.
  • My first live aboard in Maldives was amazing! I have seen a dozen of mante rays doing loopings for feeding and this was absolutely gorgeous. I will never forget that scene.
  • My most impressive meeting in the underwater world is still waiting for me in the future. I would be happy to be able to capture everything on the camera to share it with the whole world.
  • My most impressive encounter was during swimming in the black sea. I saw a pack of dolphins a hundred meters away from me and thought how wonderful it would be to swim with them. And they seemed to read my thoughts and sailed to our boat. But I felt a little uncomfortable, I had never before swam with such large animals in the sea, and climbed onto the boat while they frolicked around us.
  • I love when fish come to see me when diving with my Olympus camera.
  • My most impressive moment is not tied to a specific event, but every time I am on vacation for the first time, whether diving or snorkeling, I can experience the fascinating underwater world in all its facets and colors.
  • My first ‘underwater’ encounter was in my late 60’s snorkelling the Barrier Reef. An amazing and fascinating experience, so glad we hired an underwater camera.
  • My most impressive encounter underwater was when I was diving in La Azohia, Murcia, Spain. I was looking for a good shot of the reef when a part of the rock moved. It was a massive octopus that left immediately. It was amazing
  • Un masque un tuba et une plongée dans le monde du silence , il-y-a toujours quelle que chose a voir. De la plus petite créature sous marine, toujours extraordinaire de forme et de couleurs, aux algues plantes et coquillages. On revient toujours ravi d'une telle immersion.
  • Had the greatest time swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos with my borrowed TG-5 and got some nice photos! But the most amazing encounter has to be from our PADI AOW course in Equador, there we got dive with the giant manta rays for two full dives. We were just chilling on the reef and staying put waiting while the mantas circled around us and enjoyed the bubbles from our equipment. Unfortunately I didn't have a good underwater camera at that time but maybe I'll have a chance to photograph them again someday with a TG-6! :)

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