UPY 2025

UPY  Wrecks - Highly Commended
'Inside the SS Thistlegorm wreck'
Alex Dawson

This image was shot on my first Rebreather Tri-Mix trip that I was hosting in the Red Sea in February 2022. This was taken during a night dive on the SS Thistlegorm, when we were alone on the wreck and there were no bubbles! The depth is around 30m but with the rebreather you get very spoiled with time at these depths due to optimised PPO2 and almost no decompression. This image was shot on the fly as I like to do but with a fairly well-planned briefing before the dive. The trucks are in great condition considering they have been over 80 years in high salinity water and on the back of them there are motorcycles stacked in rows.

Judge's comment: A very clean image both visually and viz wise thanks to rebreathers providing a new take on an oft photographed subject. A shot ‘on the fly’ might have produced a snapshot but this is perfectly timed and composed image with just the right amount of additional lighting. Well observed.
Peter Rowlands