Oceanographic: Tell us about the background behind your winning shot. What was it like spending time in the water with gannets? 

Jade Hoksbergen: “My image features a single Northern gannet as it plunges into the frigid 12 degree water close to the cliffs of Noss in Shetland. It had spied a mackerel in the water, and I’m not sure how high it was flying when it decided to plunge into the water, but these incredible birds have adaptations that allow them to dive from heights of up to 50 metres.

Resembling prehistoric predators, their extraordinary adaptations make them a true ‘ocean bird’, masters of both sky and sea: like bullets, they pierce into the surface of the sea at speeds of up to 50mph, diving down beneath the surface to reach prey leaving behind them a trail of champagne bubbles. With underwater wing beats to maintain their momentum, they have been known to reach depths of 30 metres. They are a remarkable bird indeed – and they come to Shetland to nest every year between the months of January and October.

We were out on a boat that day, and I took the image whilst snorkelling. I was able to observe this seabird perfectly at ease soaring the sky, and with my mask on, to also observe it completely in its element underwater. With the water so chilly, it’s not easy to stay immersed for too long. Every minute counts. That, plus the bigger reality of being a full-time mother who is fully appreciative of the preciousness of every minute at sea. I really wanted to capture an image that translated how the experience felt for me, and I was very pleased with the results.”

Oceanographic:On a personal level, what makes your winning image so important to you?

Jade Hoksbergen: “For many years, I only knew Shetland through Henley. Since 2021, he has been bringing people to Shetland with the hope to impart his respect for a place and community whereby every inhabitant lives in one way or another, connected to the ocean. The image is very close to my heart because it was taken during my first and (so far) only visit to Shetland. When I took this image, it was my first time seeing Shetland underwater too. Another reason why this image is special to me is that whilst I was underwater with the gannets, my two daughters were on the boat only metres away from me watching ‘the other side’ of this extraordinary spectacle.”

Oceanographic: How would you describe your style of photography?

Jade Hoksbergen: “Sentimental comes to mind again. I’ve come a long way since my days with the Olympus EM-5. Photography, for me, used to be about recording what was out there: the patterns of a brain coral so that I could remember it’s splendid intricacy, or a blenny I’d not seen before in order to later identify it. But now, I realise that I aim to make images that don’t merely represent what is out there, but to create an image that has a voice, has an emotion. For me, photography isn’t just a tool to document what is there. It is not just about capturing a moment in objective reality, but it is about capturing a feeling. Behind every photograph is a special moment of connection. As a photographer, I try to capture a scene, a mood, that best represents that subjective moment of connection, in the way that I felt it.

Colours play an important role in evoking emotion, and colour is a really important aspect in my work. We tend to associate blue with the ocean; but the truth is, the ocean is the most colourful place I’ve seen on Earth.”

Oceanographic: When did you first connect with the ocean?

Jade Hoksbergen: “My parents and I moved to the Philippines when I was 7. Like every other third culture kid moving to a new place (for context, my parents are French/Dutch and Taiwanese), there were many challenges – some obvious, some less obvious. For instance, up until that point, I only spoke Mandarin, but in the Philippines I was enrolled at an English-speaking school, and felt more alien than ever.

But one thing that my parents always taught me was to embrace change and to see the glass as ‘half full’ rather than ‘half empty’. After all, we were moving to a country that boasted over 7,000 islands, had postcard-perfect beaches, and the sun was always shining. Every week, my parents and I embarked on weekend-long road trips, their intention being to explore this new place we called home and its many coastlines.

Not long after, my dad started scuba diving and he fell in love with it. Two years later, when I was 9, he went on a mission to put together the smallest scuba kit he possibly could to fit my slender frame. With a small tank on my back, over a shallow sea, I took my first breath underwater. There and then, a special connection with the ocean was born. At age 13, I got my PADI Junior Open Water certification, together with a group of close friends, many of whom are still my closest friends today. At age 18, I met my now-husband on Malapascua, an island in the Philippines famous for thresher-shark encounters. We were both there diving.

Looking back, some of the most important moments of my life happened by the sea, and I’ve come to realise that my connection with the ocean has been the common denominator for so much of the good in my life – it symbolises childhood adventures with my family and my friends, as well as finding love and peace.”

Oceanographic: How did you get into underwater photography?

Jade Hoksbergen: “I’ve always been sentimental, and as a symptom of being sentimental, I’ve always kept a dive log and recorded my encounters religiously. When I was 20, I moved to Saint Lucia to join my husband, Henley, who was already living there. In Saint Lucia, I began my training as a dive professional, and for fun, he lent me his underwater camera: an Olympus EM-5 with a Nauticam underwater housing (yes, I went straight to a pretty serious set-up). The camera and the pictures I took became my new way of logging: it allowed me to take home the beauty I saw underwater, beauty I wanted to hold on to, and not forget. After I started taking underwater photos, words no longer seemed enough to capture my experiences down there – or maybe I just didn’t have enough words.

Those were the early years of our relationship, and it was beautiful. On days off, we went diving together for fun, and our version of ‘Netflix and chill’ was to scroll through pages of marine identification books to ID what we saw, show each other our underwater pictures, talk about camera settings, and how to improve our images. We were connecting with each other via our mutual fascination and mutual love for the ocean. Together, our understanding and love for the ocean deepened, we found ourselves connecting over something that is real and beautiful. The ocean also made us learn about ourselves and about each other. It was the basis of our relationship.”

Oceanographic: Why did you decide to enter the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year competition?

Jade Hoksbergen: “Ocean Photographer of the Year aims to shine a light on the wonder and fragility of our seas, but that aim is only achieved if images are being entered to the competition. Every image entered is a voice for the ocean. Some of these images are songs of love, some of these images are songs of heartbreak. I wanted to inject my voice into this collective song for the ocean, and play a role in celebrating it for all its wonder and fragility.”

Oceanographic: What did you do and how did you feel when finding out you’ve been chosen as the overall second place?

Jade Hoksbergen: “It’s a very happy surprise indeed. I found out about my win the same week I turned 29. It’s an energising way to start the last year of my twenties, to say the least.”

Oceanographic: Do you have any advice for aspiring underwater photographers?

Jade Hoksbergen: “Never take a moment for granted. Many photographers set off to sea with a clear vision of the image they want to take, but my advice would be to not be so rigid. Don’t be so stubborn so as to let clear vision blind you from all the other marvels that might present itself. You might miss out on a special connection and therefore a special image, just because you weren’t living, or diving in the moment.”

Oceanographic: Your favourite ocean moment to date?

Jade Hoksbergen: “My favourite ocean moment to date has to be last summer when I took my first daughter snorkelling in the Philippines. At the time, she was 6. We were in 2 metres of water, and saw a banded sea krait, a lionfish, and a starfish, amongst other things. It was her first time seeing these things ‘in real life’, and she looked at each thing with wide-eyed amazement. I loved watching her experience the ocean for herself, and being in the sea with her.”

Oceanographic: What’s the main aim behind your photography? What are you trying to achieve?

Jade Hoksbergen: “We teach our children about good manners. We teach them to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, to respect their elders. One thing I think is really important to pass down to the next generation is a love for nature, and I think that can be achieved through effective storytelling. I suppose the aim of my photography is to tell a story, a story of love. We can’t love something that doesn’t have a face, and we can’t care about something we don’t know. Images help us understand the unknown, they help us put a face to it. After all, to most, ‘the ocean’ remains an abstraction. I often share my stories of the ocean with my girls, and my family are always the first to see any images I take. And I can see the positive effect of that: my 7 year old daughter for instance, feels its her responsibility to clear beaches of misplaced rubbish. I really believe in the power of stories, and I think images are a powerful voice for that story.

It really disturbs me to see that the reefs that existed when I was a little girl, really not that long ago, have been reduced to rubble. I think the future of our oceans would look more hopeful today if we were all raised with these love stories.”

Oceanographic: What plans do you have for the future? Any exciting expeditions planned?

Jade Hoksbergen: “I’m just taking it a day at a time, and balancing family life with everything else, but know that every moment of opportunity I get: the ocean, that’s where you’ll find me.”

You can now see all 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year category winners and finalist images here. Or for the latest updates on the entry process and more, go follow OPY on Instagram: @opy_awards