Slippery and secretive species is ‘catch’ of the day
Monday 10th May 2010
Blenny image scoops British and Irish category Award
A striking image of a rare black-faced blenny has scooped a top prize in one of the UK’s most celebrated underwater photography competitions.
The 2010 British and Irish category winner goes to Arthur Kingdon. His black-faced blenny image, an intimate close-up of this shy species found only off the south coast of the UK, stunned the judges with its vivid colours. Arthur will receive a year’s free membership of his local Wildlife Trust and a copy of the environmental bestseller ‘The Unnatural History of the Sea’ by Professor Callum Roberts.
Arthur said: “I was pleased to win the 2010 British and Irish Award from The Wildlife Trusts, having been a runner up a couple of years ago. I very much support The Wildlife Trusts’ Living Seas campaign, and I’m a member of my local Trust in Wiltshire.
“This black-faced blenny (also known as a yellow triple fin) was under Swanage pier, Dorset, in June 2009. Although only about three inches long, he was quite easy to spot, but it took me a while to spot the very well camouflaged female that he was trying to impress.”
Judges gathered for the British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP) annual print competition at the London International Dive Show (on Sunday 28 March). The Wildlife Trusts judge the British and Irish categories of the competition, rewarding those photographers who capture the essence of ‘Living Seas’ – the colourful, diverse and often surprising wildlife and habitats found around our coasts.
The runner-up was a portrait of a mighty spider crab, about which photographer Trevor Rees, said: “I took this shot at Stackpole quay in Pembrokeshire in May 2009. At the time there seemed to be a real congregation of spider crabs just off the shore, which is something I have seen there on a number of occasions. This one was just wandering about on the sand in about ten metres depth. The males are the ones to photograph as they are bigger and have larger, more impressive claws, although they can be quite aggressive at this time of year!”
Helen Wehner’s highly commended entry of a shanny, a small fish that lives in rockpools, proves that underwater life can be more visible than we might expect. Helen said: “I was exploring the rock pools in St Abbs, Scotland last August, and was on the south side of the harbour with my children. I had taken my housed Canon 30D SLR and 100mm macro lens ‘just in case’. First one shanny then several others came out to explore our feet in one pool, and gradually became more nosy and confident. Eventually I was able to stick my head under and take some shots in less than two feet of water.”
Lisa Chilton, Living Seas manager for The Wildlife Trusts, and a judge of the competition, said: “The BSoUP competition is one of the most important events in the calendar for the UK’s marine wildlife. Each year we are truly astounded by the remarkable entries, and overjoyed at the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the weird and wonderful goings-on beneath the ocean waves.
“Arthur’s image of a male black-faced blenny, a tiny fish that pluckily defends from all-comers his three-square metre territory on the seabed, illustrates precisely why we are working so hard to make sure the Marine and Coastal Access Act, finally announced in November 2009, is implemented correctly, with comprehensive protection for our marine wildlife and habitats.
“The dedication, artistry and skill of the photographers in this competition is not to be underestimated, but nobody would deny the true stars are those marine creatures that capture our hearts and minds year after year in the BSoUP competition.”
The winner and runner-up in each of the four main categories of the competition may be viewed on the BSoUP website www.bsoup.org.
Further information:
• Tanya Perdikou, media & campaigns officer, 07887 754657, tperdikou@wildlifetrusts.org
• Anna Guthrie, media & PR manager, 07887 754659, aguthrie@wildlifetrusts.org
Full list of 2010 British and Irish category images:
Winner: Black-faced blenny (Dorset) by Arthur Kingdon
Runner-up: Spider crab (Pembrokeshire) by Trevor Rees
Highly commended:
Flounder (Dorset) by Martin Davies
Hermit crab (Berwickshire) by Jim Greenfield/oceaneyephoto.com
Sea spider on peacock worm (Cornwall) by Cathy Lewis/cathylewisphotography.com
Sea hare (Pembrokeshire) by Robert Bailey
Cuttlefish eye (Cornwall) by Dave Peake
Shanny (Berwickshire) by Helen Wehner
Story by RSWT