The winning shots!
The evaluation criteria were relevance to the theme of the contest (priority was therefore given to cetaceans and sea turtles), the difficulty of the documented scene (uncommon species, particular behaviors, images in action) and the quality of the file sent.
Here are the winners, with the relative motivations.
FIRST PLACE
Angel Crudo, with a Risso’s dolphin portrayed as it swims rapidly on the surface. This cetacean is not a common sighting and capturing the moment of emergence with such precision is not something everyone can do. The splashes seem to form a sort of headdress on the animal’s back, perfectly in focus.
SECOND PLACE
Silvia Balbo, already selected among the finalists in previous years, with a Cuvier’s beaked whale, a true freediving champion, capable of reaching 3000 meters of depth, portrayed in the moment in which it emerges from the water. Also in this case, the particularity of the moment and the richness of the details deserved a position on the podium.
THIRD PLACE
Aixa Morata, already winner of the 2023 edition, with a jumping common dolphin. In the frame, the subject is so large that it almost touches the left edge of the image, but the quality of the details and the sharpness fully convinced the jury.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Two other images struck the jury, for the message they contain: