A photograph of a colony of garden eels in the waters of Dauin, Negros Island in the Philippines taken by National Geographic Magazine’s David Doubilet won in London National History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Doubilet was declared winner of the Under Water Photography for his “The Garden of Eels” shot from a camera set among the colony as the American hid behind a shipwreck over a period of several days until he got his perfect shot.
“The eels were feeding on plankton drifting in the current and were undisturbed by a wrasse and a cornetfish swimming by. If threatened, garden eels retreat into their burrows. Like many other fish, they detect movement through their lateral line, a sensory organ that runs the length of their bodies,” the museum caption on the winning photograph explained.
The Philippines’ underwater scene was among the 20 winners and 80 commended images in the 55th edition of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year announced by the London museum on October 15, 2019.
“Great images of nature transform the way people look at the natural world, challenge opinion and stimulate debate. Through their ability to inspire curiosity and wonder, the 100 images showcase wildlife photography as an art form and challenge us to consider both our place in the natural world and our responsibility to protect it,” the London National History Museum said about the value of the competition which this year attracted almost 50,000 entries from professionals and amateurs across 100 countries.
The Negros Island, Philippines underwater photograph was among the top 20 images of wildlife found in Norway, America, China, France, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Chile, India, Canada, Italy, Antarctica, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Japan.
David Doubilet is a contributing photographer and author for National Geographic Magazine who has started taking photos at the age of 12.
The 100 images are currently on exhibit at the London National History Museum and will tour Great Britain, the U.S., Canada, Spain, Australia and Germany.
The next London National History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition starts accepting entries on October 21 and closes on December 12, 2019.
Underwater photography in the Philippine waters have won international acclaim and attention, among them, 10 images of marine animals in Palawan, Batangas, Southern Leyte, and Romblon Island which won in the 2019 Annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest.
Filipino ocean protection campaigner Danny Ocampo’s “Fish Tornado” showing the schooling behavior of the Big eye trevally fish living in marine protected Dimakya Island in Busuanga, Palawan was in the Top 50 commended works in the Sony World Photography Awards.
The diverse marine life of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro was also the site for underwater photography and explorations by French and Swiss dive teams during the 2019 Objectif Atlantide Underwater Investigation.
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