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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

  • At the age of 15 I visited a youth camp. Lots of activities were going on. I took mostly part of swimmings as I liked it a lot. One time I dove into the water and managed to have an encounter with a bazalt brick, leaving my swimming trunks on that brick and a cut in the skin of my young man's sausage. Very painful you might think! But nothing compared to walking out of the water at that age, without swimming trunks and with a dozen of giggling girls around...
  • My most impressive underwater experience was scuba diving for the first time at Komandoo in the Maldives and seeing the diverse sealife and the stunning clarity of the sea. The majesty of a Feathertailed Stingray sailing past as I entered the water was fantastic and then as I reached 18 meters down, from the deeper darker water came 4 Blacktip Sharks. Further in to the dive I was joined by a Hawksbill turtle which almost wanted to play with us and then finally two Mobula Rays followed me down the Gavirifaru Outreef. It was a incredible, memorable introduction to the underwater world and scuba diving.
  • My most impressive underwater experience was scuba diving for the first time at Komandoo in the Maldives and seeing the diverse sealife and the stunning clarity of the sea. The majesty of a Feathertailed Stingray sailing past as I entered the water was fantastic and then as I reached 18 meters down, from the deeper darker water came 4 Blacktip Sharks. Further in to the dive I was joined by a Hawksbill turtle which almost wanted to play with us and then finally two Mobula Rays followed me down the Gavirifaru Outreef. It was a incredible, memorable introduction to the underwater world and scuba diving.
  • Mein Schönstes Unterwassererlebniswar einmal Schwimmen mit Delfinen.
  • We did a night dive in Marsa Alam, Egypt. Then a giant star puffer fish came to swim with us and it was attracted to the light of the flashlight. Where ever we went it kept placing itselve in the spotlight. A bit scary but a experience not to forget. Eventually we swam away without the flashlight on to sneak out :)
  • Mein aufregendstes Erlebnis beim Schnorcheln hatte ich an einem Riff, das quer zum Anleger von Hudhuranfushi, Malediven liegt. Ich beobachtete einen Hai, der langsam in einer Tiefe von etwa 4m am Riff entlang schwamm. Als er verschwand, kam eine Schildkröte zum Dach des Riffs und folgte langsam der Strömung. Um mit meiner Touch 4 schöne Fotos zu bekommen, folgte ich ihr. Plötzlich merkte ich, dass wir immer schneller wurden und über tieferes Wasser kamen. Ich hatte gar nicht bemerkt, dass wir uns vom Riff entfernt hatten und in eine Strömung kamen. Zum Glück hatte ich Flossen an und kam mit etwas Anstrengung wieder zum Strand zurück. Ich möchte das Erlebnis und die schönen Unterwasserfotos nicht missen.
  • I was freediving/swimming in the Baltic Sea with my daughter, enjoying the water and feeling happy because no blue algae was dulling the experience when suddenly we bumped into a swarm of small fish. Apparently there was a rush hour going on. The kid was so excited and the sheer joy filled my heart. We surfaced and at that very moment saw a swan taking off - flying and honking on a straight course towards us. It was like a jackpot. I think it’s not everyday that so much happens both under and above the surface but one thing is for sure. Me and my kid are going to keep on freediving, because you just don’t get this feeling via tv.
  • We were freediving and swimming with my daughter in the Baltic Sea, when not only did we encounter many fish but also a swan taking off. It was flying straight towards us and there was so much happening at the same time above and under water. The kid was thrilled and my heart filled with enthusiasm. One can´t get these feelings through the tv.
  • I first saw the carrot hedgehog and was very sorely pricked by its thorns. And I jumped from a cliff into the water, it was unforgettable!
  • The my most memorable was the trip to Dominican Republic where it was succeeded to make diving in the Caribbean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean. The variety of underwater life and extremely beautiful coral reef are got to fall in love from the first and there is a wish to return over and over again. Here i found many interesting sea inhabitants, such as Stenorhynchus seticornis or several types of Synaptidae and more. For photography I used Olympus TG-5, the best compact underwater camera. Photos from TG-5 can be seen in this album - m.vk.com/album17973953_266300896 ( The album is in a filling stage.) I very much liked to work with this camera. I think next TG, thanks to expanded settings of underwater shooting will be able to yield even more best result.
  • The my most memorable was the trip to Dominican Republic where it was succeeded to make immersions in the Caribbean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean. The variety of underwater life and extremely beautiful coral reef are got to fall in love from the first and there is a wish to return over and over again. Here i found many interesting sea inhabitants, such as Stenorhynchus seticornis or several types of Synaptidae met. For photography I used Olympus TG-5, the best compact underwater camera. Photos from TG-5 can be seen in this album - m.vk.com/album17973953_266300896 (Album in a filling stage). I think next TG, thanks to expanded settings of underwater shooting will be able to yield even more best result.
  • While snorkelling in the Galapagos my husband and I were delighted to find that we had become part of the underwater world as a pair of Galapagos penguins chased fish towards us using our bodies as a barrier to confuse the fish into changing direction. They were so fast and agile manoeuvring around us it was mesmerising!
  • My most memorable underwater experience was 46 years ago when I was 14. At the time I could not swim at all well. I went into the water at a creek in Cornwall sitting on a wooden surfing canoe, and using a roughly hand made oar I paddled around the headland towards a beach. I then stood up on the board which then tipped and I went straight down into the water. The memory is that it seemed that I spent a very long time under the water before my head came out the water and I could grab the surfing canoe.
  • Sehr schöne Bilder, würde mich freuen die kamera zu gewinnen um auch so tolle bilder zu machen.
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