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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

  • I was at a sealife centre where they had created a kind of submarine to really get inside the aquarium and see all the creatures up close, but without getting wet !
  • The most impressive dive I ever had was at Sipadan island. First of all the walls at Sipadan are absolutely mind-blowing, but when we swam out into the blue, a Hammerhead appeared. When we turned around just after observing it, we saw two devil rays flying above us. And that's not everything. We didn't miss out the school of Barracudas, the school of Bumpheads and the school of Jacks and tons of turtles, white tips and grey reefs. And on top of that we entered the entrance of the turtle cave and it was absolutely incredible. But to be honest, that was not my best experience. I think I was even more happy when I saw my first bobtail squid, the cutest thing on this planet Heart
  • Perfecta conjunción entre mi OLYMPUS TG y la Isla de Cerdeña. Trepidantes vacaciones con el valor añadido de la multitud de recuerdos grabados bajo las aguas del mar. Un autentico placer añadido.
  • Bonsoir, je participe à ce superbe concours.
  • I fell in a canal once, I encountered some underwater animals but I wasn't keen.
  • I've never done underwater photography but I'd love to start. I hope one day to be able to get the equipment that allows me
  • Seal with a Kiss. You would’nt expect to have a romantic encounter while making macros of small sea slugs in the mirky waters of the Netherlands. But yet! When i was out and about with my Olympus Pen 5 and standaard kitlens in Bergsediepsluis, something was pulling my leg. And it was definitely not my buddy. I was a 120 kg heavy seal making love with my left leg. Holding me tight. After a few minutes it sufaced but not before it came close to my mask, grinning. I ll never forget. This was a true short love affair: a seal with a Kiss. Luckiky i had my standaard lens so i could zoom out and make a few nice pics.
  • My last experience was a long time ago. I don't remember everything well because I am sick. And my only way to memorize is to photograph. Sadly
  • Being surrounded by turtles at 'Turtle Airport' just off Kuredu in the Maldives. The turtles come out of their caves, swim to the surface for air, and then glide back down to 'land' again. Imagine being at Heathrow or JFK but with beautiful turtles :)
  • L'île Filitheyo dans les Maldives est un très bel endroit pour plonger avec masque et tuba, avec un beau lagon peu profond et poissonneux et un récif relativement accessible sans trop prendre de risques. Ce jour là l'eau était claire avec peu de courant, j'avais passé un long moment au bord du récif et me reposais en flottant au dessus du lagon. Je croisais alors une murène particulièrement grosse, prenant soin de m'éloigner pour pouvoir la prendre en photo tranquillement avec mon fidèle TG-3. Alors que je me mettais à la filmer, la murène sortit soudainement de son abris en exécutant une sorte de danse faisant onduler lentement son corps de plusieurs mètres. Je l'ai suivie ainsi sur quelques dizaines de mètres et de très longues secondes avant qu'elle ne glisse sous un rocher se cacher à nouveau. Pour avoir nagé avec des mantas et des baleines, il est étonnant de dire que c'était un des moments les plus beaux... mais ce mélange de crainte (la murène n'est pas l'animal le plus sympathique que j'aime croiser !) et de magnétisme devant cette danse en fait un souvenir tout à fait inoubliable et magique.
  • My Best dive experience was when for the first time i saw a great hammer shark in 5m deep. I was so surprised i wasn't able to shoot with my TG-5. I will never forget that.
  • Me gustó mucho cuando hice fotos y videos con mi Tough4 en la islas Galápagos
  • Bozcaada'da zıpkınla balık avı için bir arkadaşımla birlikte suda epeyce gezinmiştik, uzunca bir süre hiç balık rast gelmeyince, önümüze ilk çıkan küçük balık sürüsüne yaptığım atışta 7-8 cm.lik bir balık yakalamıştım, sonrasında tekrar dolaşmaya devam ederken balığın zıpkından kurtulup dibe doğru gittiğini farkettim ve takip etmeye başladım, tam bu esnada kayalıktan kafasını çıkaran müren balığı benim balığı kaptı ve yedi;sonrasında müreni avlamak için epey uğraştım ama olmadı. Beni izleyen arkadaşımın olayı hayretler içinde izlemiş olmasıda ayrı bir keyifti.
  • I'm not a strong swimmer and avoid sea swimming usually … but off coast of Zanzibar I took opportunity to snorkel …. loved it for a few minutes until I realised the boat was being pulled away from me rapidly …. a dot in the distance …. I swam towards it, eventually crawled back on board …. swore never to do it again!

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