Winners Gallery
1st place Collective Portfolio Award
Nadia Aly Tonga
Humpback whale heat run. “This was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in the ocean,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “At first we thought there was just a single whale, but on our first drop we realised there were about a dozen. They were moving very slowly and we were able to spend most of the day with them.”
All of Nadia's Collective Portfolio Award entry
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BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Cold, overcast day
- Mid-morning shoot
- Taken while scuba diving
- Site accessed by boat
Male giant cuttlefish surround a female off the coast of Whyalla, South Australia, as they aggressively compete to mate. The males, their tentacles extended, fight over a small female, pictured in the front centre. This location population is a conservation success story. In 2013, there were an estimated 14,000 cuttlefish in two areas; today, thanks to government protections, the population estimate is 250,000.
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- 28 degrees Celsius water temperature
- Sunny day
- Flat conditions
- Excellent visibility
A peacock mantis shrimp holds its eggs. “This image was taken at one of my favorite dive locations in the world, in Lembeh, Indonesia,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “Both the male and female share egg holding responsibility, and it’s amazing to see. We found this shrimp about a metre deep. I put on my +10 diopter and was able to achieve this shot.”
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Mid-morning shoot
- 14 degrees Celsius water temperature
- Taken while scuba diving
- Site accessed by boat
An octopus moves over a reef at Evans Peek, off Port Elizabeth. “The conditions this day were Caribbean-like,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “We dropped down onto a massive bait ball, and as I was descending I noticed the octopus sprawled out over the reef. I quickly got my strobes into position and took a few photos before the animal was off on its hunt.”
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Taken while freediving
- Underwater visibility of 50m
- 25 degrees Celsius water temperature
- Site accessed by boat
An aggregation of thousands of mobula rays. “This photo was taken on an expedition day when we weren’t having much luck. We almost headed in for some food, when our captain spotted some movement at the surface,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “Visibility on previous drops had been less than a metre, but when we entered the ocean on this dive, the water was clear and full of what seemed like 10,000 rays.”
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Lake conditions - flat and calm
- Taken while freediving
- Entry from shore
- Sunny day topside
A jellyfish eclipses the sun Jellyfish Lake, Palau. “I spent almost three months in Palau in 2013,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “On this particular day, I was at the lake for most of the day. The jellyfish follow the sun across the lake, and at around midday with the sun high in the sky, I was able to catch them closer to the surface. Seeing millions of these stingless jellyfish was an honour.”
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Site accessed via liveaboard
- Taken while scuba diving
- 30 degrees Celsius water temperature
- No swell
“This photo was taken during the early days of my underwater photography journey,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “This seahorse was a very patient model. I wanted to back light the seahorse, but didn’t have the proper equipment at the time – but I got the shot, which I feel shows the beauty of this animal.”
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Night time shoot
- Flat calm conditions
- 30 degrees Celsius water temperature
- Taken while scuba diving
A hairy frogfish, photographed in Lembeh, Indonesia. “We discovered this hairy frogfish during a day dive. I chartered a boat to go back at night, so I could attempt this photo with a snoot,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “I spent some time with this fish, before letting my friend come in to take some video. Not happy with my results, I went back and this frame was my last shot.”
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- 15 degrees Celsius water temperature
- Poor visibility
- Taken while scuba diving
- Flat conditions
Sharks feed on a bait ball during the Sardine Run, one of the ocean’s great annual events. “Moving up and down the coast of Port Saint Johns is one of the most amazing things one can do,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “You really never know what you will see. On this particular day, it was about 4pm and we were about to head in, when this bait ball appeared right beside our boat.”
BEHIND THE LENS
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Early afternoon
- Taken while scuba diving
- 28 degrees Celsius water temperature
- Visibility of about 100m
A tiny commensal shrimp, photographed off Komodo, Indonesia. “This image was taken during one of my first macro photography trips to Indonesia,” says photographer Nadia Aly. “I found these shrimps fascinating. I couldn’t believe I could see right through them, and see their eggs. Patience was needed as the shrimp move rather quickly.”
BEHIND THE LENS
Nadia Aly Canada
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- No swell
- Taken while snorkelling
- Shot in the early afternoon
- 2,000 hours to capture the image
Nadia Aly is an award-winning wildlife photographer, with a focus on underwater marine life. Her primary goal is to educate people about the diverse populations of sea creatures that exist in the ocean. She hopes her photography can raise awareness and interest in supporting efforts to conserve the ocean and its inhabitants.
MORE IMAGES BY Nadia Aly
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Enjoy the vibrancy, beauty and impact of each year's finalist photography, celebrated in our Ocean Photographer of the Year coffee table book collection.
