Male, Maldives (CU)_ To celebrate the Golden Year of Tourism in the Maldives, the Ministry of Tourism is hosting a competition for underwater photography, which will be held on September 28, 2022. The Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with Ocean Geographic and the Maldives Alliance of Dive Operators (MADO), is hosting a competition for underwater photography.
According to the Ministry, this contest will be organized every year. As a result, the 50 finest diving spots in the Maldives will be chosen, and dives will be conducted simultaneously at all 50 locations on the same day. This one-day photo shoot of 50 Best Spots of Maldives will be held on September 28 from 07:30 to 17:30 at all 50 pre-selected iconic diving sites.
According to Michael AW, director and publisher of Ocean Geographic, this is an excellent chance to undertake a study on Maldivian reefs by comparing images of reefs shot at the same time. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the competition is open to both Maldivian and international underwater photographers. Accordingly, Maldivian photographers can enter the competition for free, while international photographers must pay a $10 entry fee.
Contestants are required to submit a portfolio consisting of five photographs for each section, including one wide-angle shot of a reef setting, one close-up of a living coral, one of a fish species, and two more of their choosing. For each dive site, there will be a winner, a runner-up, and three honorable mentions selected for the images that are submitted, which will bring the total number of winners across all 50 sites to 250.
The exhibition of underwater photography will commence in January 2023 and will feature 150 images from the event. All participants will get a Certificate of Achievement for their participation in the Maldives Coral Reef Health Assessment. A team of international judges will choose the winning photographs. The winners and runner-ups will each get a prize. The first- and second-place winners will provide conservation and promotional usage rights to the Reef Health Assessment Project and the Ministry of Tourism Maldives for their winning photographs. The results will be broadcast live on October 5, 2022.
