Name: Pete McGee
Picture title: Seahorse sanctuary
Category: Underwater
Nationality: Australia
Occupation: Recreational underwater photographer who works as a HR Manager
Technical information
Camera: Sony NEX7
Lens: Sony 10-18mm
EXIF: 1/100, F11, ISO 200
Accessories: Nauticam underwater housing, Inon Z-240 and D-2000 strobes
HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY UNDERWATER
Pete McGee| Seahorse sanctuary
Name: Pete McGee
Picture title: Seahorse sanctuary
Category: Underwater
Nationality: Australia
Occupation: Recreational underwater photographer who works as a HR Manager
Technical information
Camera: Sony NEX7
Lens: Sony 10-18mm
EXIF: 1/100, F11, ISO 200
Accessories: Nauticam underwater housing, Inon Z-240 and D-2000 strobes
Pete McGee says:
Bare Island, Sydney is surrounded by exquisite sponge gardens. The sponges grow in many shapes and colours providing a stunning habitat for many animals including the Pot Belly Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis).
As a SCUBA diver I love exploring this remarkable place. Sometimes I feel like I’m exploring another planet, hovering weightlessly above this unusual seascape.
It was towards the end of a wonderful dive that I spotted this orange seahorse sheltering among the fingers of a magnificent red sponge. However, as luck would have it I was low on air and after a quick look needed to finish my dive.
The beauty of the scene stayed in my mind, and I planned to return the next day. Fortunately, the seahorse was still there in the same sponge as I hoped. I had to be patient as the ocean current was pushing the sponge and seahorse in all directions. Every now and then for a moment the sponge fingers opened, and the seahorse was revealed. I waited and waited and finally got this shot.
The marine environment and marine life like seahorses are vulnerable to human impacts. Sydney has incredible marine life, and more people are starting to realise the value of nature can play in our wellbeing and happiness and spend more time protecting and enjoying it.
Pete McGee
Australia
I’m Pete McGee, a slightly obsessed recreational diver and photographer from Sydney, Australia. I’ve spent much of my life enjoying the ocean, searching rockpools as a child before learning to snorkel and SCUBA dive.
The ocean is the place I go to relax and experience the wonder of nature. It’s my happy place, and with a camera in hand I can relive and share the magic moments with others. Sydney has tremendous dive sites with rich marine diversity. I try to dive a couple of times a week and escape on dive trips further afield when breaks from work allow.
I am a conservationist at heart and believe that if we value nature, we will protect it. Nature also plays an important role in our wellbeing and happiness. I would like the photos I take, and the wonderful images showcased in this competition to motivate people to enjoy and conserve our natural world.