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The winning shots!

Below are the winners of the LIFE Conceptu Maris photography contest, Deep Blue, 2024 edition. Although we received fewer images than in 2023, the quality of the shots increased further, considering the difficulty of photographing cetaceans and turtles in the open sea.

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:

Luigi De Blasi, with a fin whale, with a spinal injury, portrayed by the drone. Despite the serious trauma, this animal manages to survive and has been sighted on several occasions in the Mediterranean. It is not clear what caused the injury, but it is possible that it was caused by a collision with a ship.
Francesco Simonetta, with a bottlenose dolphin jumping in front of a small boat, while the driver documents the scene with his smartphone. The jury appreciated the special moment of closeness between the man and the cetacean. There are not many images of this kind taken in the Mediterranean.
The three winners, as well as those who received a special mention, will be personally contacted by the LIFE Conceptu Maris staff to deliver the prizes. In the coming weeks, moreover, many other photographs worthy of attention will be presented on the website and on the social networks of the project, with the names of the authors.