UPY 2023

UPY  Marelux Wide Angle - Highly Commended
'Kelp forest gold'
Douglas Klug

Garibaldi are protected from fishing due to their status as the State Marine Fish in California. Under the right conditions, they are quite interactive with divers. For this image, I was diving in a shallow, sunlit kelp forest with near perfect conditions when this young adult took interest with it's own reflection in the dome port of my camera. The fish spent nearly half an hour making close passes and hovering in front of my dome port as the oceans energy moved the kelp around, creating a light show with the shifting beams of sunlight from above. I hovered there, neutrally buoyant, and watched the show unfold while waiting for the elements to line up until I had the shot.

Judge's comment: Garibaldis, overgrown and glowing orange damselfish, are iconic residents of kelp forests. Here it provides the perfect focal point for the stunning seaweed scenery that is so characteristic of California.
Alex Mustard