“On the night we raised $1,500. Fanstastic!

Thank you!!”

Rochelle Ferris - Australian Seabird Rescue

by Tim and Wandy Hochgrebe - published 8 May 2008

The 2nd Byron Underwater Festival was a massive success. Sell out events and activities, glorious weather and calm seas made this an event to remember for everyone. Almost 60 people from all over Australia came to participate in the annual underwater photo and video shootout competition, making it the biggest event of this kind in the whole Australasia region. Over 20,000 dollars worth of prizes including cameras, underwater housings, dive gear and a dive trip for two to Papua New Guinea were handed over to winning participants in 7 categories. Biggest winner was Ballina resident Mark Gray who scored both first prize in the SLR camera category as well as the Underwater Portfolio. Two local school groups went out with sponsor cameras to take underwater photos for the first time and the winning students walked away with an underwater photography course, diving vouchers and books.

The Marine Visions open medium art competition held as part of the Underwater Festival in conjunction with Retrospect Galleries saw over 100 entries including sculptures, photographs and some amazing fine art. Over 300 people attended the launch event on Friday and it was pushing room only to get close to the works. Winner of the fine art prize was Paul Colby with his work titled “Marine Playground”. Some works can still be seen at Retrospect Galleries this week and will remain on display on the Underwater Festival website

Part of this year’s Byron Underwater Festival was also the Australian premiere screening of the anti-JAWS documentary “Sharkwater” by Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart. The screening was held as a fund raiser for “Australian Seabird Rescue” in Ballina and organised in collaboration with the BayFM “Generator” program at Byron Cinemas biggest screen on Saturday night. The night was a sell-out and the personal introduction to the film by world renowned underwater cinematographer David Hannan made the screening a huge success. Certainly a film everybody should go and watch when it get released Australia wide on May 15.

Other highlights of the festival were the underwater photography clinics by Mathieu Meur, who flew in for this festival all the way from Singapore. His clinics were sold out quickly and participants were putting their new learned skills to test immediately. Mathieu who authored 3 books on digital underwater photography promised to be back next year for more workshops.

Last years guest of honour, Australia’s own underwater pioneer Neville Coleman was back this year to launch his new book the “Nudibranchs Encyclopedia of Asia and Indo-Pacific”. Neville is the author of over 60 books and well known for his passion for the underwater world and the small and unusual critters it contains. Listening to him talk about his many decades of exploration is an inspiration and for those who managed to meet him during the festival or hear his radio interview on BayFM on Friday will realise what an amazing person he is.

The Byron Underwater Festival is an annual event and not just for divers. Aimed at everyone wanting to experience our marine environment for themselves it encourages all to participate - whether you want to learn more about it, dive it, snorkel it, kayak it … or even paint it. Only one year to go to the next one …

• Darren Jew with “Shark” Best Fine Art

• Paul Colbey with “Marine Playground”

Best Environmental Awareness

• Dalian Pugh with “Resting Wobbegong”

Best Sculpture

• Daniel Clements with “Shellform One”

People’s Choice

• Katka Adams with “Those who go to sea without biscuits return without teeth”

• 1st prize - Choice of Ikelite SLR housing (inc port) / video housing or DS-125 deluxe strobe package

Josh Jensen

• 2nd prize - Beuchat full wetsuit

Jorina van der Westhuizen

• 3rd prize - DVD Guide to Creating Underwater Video

Kieren Curry

Best Festival Photograph - Novice

• 1st prize - Olympus Mju 850SW

Lynton Burger

• 2nd prize - PADI Underwater Photography Specialty Course

Karen Haines

• 3rd prize

Karen Haines

• 4th prize

Lynton Burger

• 5th prize - Essential & Advanced Guide to Underwater Photography

Jodie Clark-Smith

Best Festival Photograph - Compact camera

• 1st prize - Olympus Mju 1030SW & PT-043 Housing & UFL-01 strobe

Cristhian Colli

• 2nd prize - 3 night/4 dive Dive/Accommodation package at PLANULA Divers Retreat/Byron Bay Dive Centre for TWO PEOPLE

Ryan Pedlow

• 3rd prize - a huge 900mm x 600mm canvas print of your winning image by Retrospect

Simon Stairs

Best Festival Photograph - SLR camera

• 1st prize - a dive holiday for TWO in PNG by Allways Dive & Jais Aben Resort - 5 nights, 6 dives - *flights and meals NOT included

Mark Gray

• 2nd prize - 10 dive voucher at Sundive Byron Bay inc gear hire if needed

Jorgen Rasmussen

• 3rd prize - a massive 1200mm x 800mm canvas print of your winning image by Retrospect

Eric Winters

Best Festival Portfolio - 5 images

• 1st prize - Full Beuchat SCUBA package including first and second stage regulators, occy & BCD

Mark Gray

• 2nd prize - Beuchat fins + mask

Ian Banks

• 3rd prize - Dolphin Kayaking voucher for 4 people

John Natoli

Best Festival Photograph - Local School Groups - OLYMPUS camera try-out

• 1st prize - PADI Underwater Photography Specialty Course

Caitlin Braithwaite

• 2nd prize - 2 dives with Sundive - all gear supplied

Matt Heazlewood-Ross

• 3rd prize - Essential Guide to Underwater Photography book

Rebecca McBride

Neville Coleman Awards

Most interesting critter find during the Underwater Festival

• 1st prize - autographed copy of Neville Coleman’s latest book - Nudibranch Encyclopedia

Ian Banks

• 2nd prize - autographed copy of Neville Coleman’s Underwater Naturalist

John Natoli

• 3rd prize - autographed Neville Coleman Wildlife Guide to the Great Barrier Reef

Gerard Braithwaite

• 4th prize - autographed Neville Coleman Wildlife Guide

Eric Winters

• 5th prize - autographed Neville Coleman Wildlife Guide

Nancy Scoleri - 3 shots of flatworms

Printed handy festival programs are also available at Sundive, Byron Bay Dive Centre, Byron Community Centre and Planula Divers Retreat. For those booked into the shootout, a program will be in your ’showbag’.

Mathieu Meur is coming all the way from Singapore and this is a very rare opportunity to learn from one of the top photographers in a hands on and very personal clinic.

Entries are now closed - However you can still join the MadFish Fish Bowl Wine Club where you can receive special member prices, access to new releases and cellar door only wines, information on MadFish events and much more!

This competition is open to Australian residents only.

And the winner is: Michelle Hunt from Canning Vale, WA

The winner will be notified by email and telephone on Wednesday 7th May 2008.

A very rare and special treat. Night dives are something not often organised in Byron Bay so make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity to check out Byron underwater at night.

For people booked into the shootout competition, you are allowed to submit photos from this dive as well.

You can book yourself into these limited spots at the event booking section of the secure underwater.com.au shop.

Please note this as a BYO torch event - if you are having trouble locating a dive torch please contact us.

SORRY - THIS DIVE IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

The Byron Underwater Festival will be the first place in Australia to show the new and amazing shark documentary Sharkwater ! A must see film for anyone that loves the ocean. A film that already won dozens of awards at international film festivals.

Sharkwater will be screened as a fundraiser on Saturday 3 May at Byron Cinemas - the biggest screen we have in Byron Bay!

Funds raised will support our local seabird & turtle rescue organisation Australian Seabird Rescue

Pre-book your ticket on the secure underwater.com.au website - or get them at Byron Cinemas. Don’t miss out - this will be a sell-out.

Sharkwater opens nationally in cinemas on May 15th - ONLY at the movies!

A synopsis of the film is below:

For filmmaker Rob Stewart, exploring sharks began as an underwater adventure. What it turned into was a beautiful and dangerous life journey into the balance of life on earth.

Driven by passion fed from a lifelong fascination with sharks, Stewart debunks historical stereotypes and media depictions of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters and reveals the reality of sharks as pillars in the evolution of the seas.

Filmed in visually stunning, high definition video, Sharkwater takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Sharkwater Shot in high Definition

In an effort to protect sharks, Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together starts with a battle between the Sea Shepherd and shark poachers in Guatemala, resulting in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.

Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth’s history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed.

Stewart’s remarkable journey of courage and determination changes from a mission to save the world’s sharks, into a fight for his life, and that of humankind.

Marine Visions is now accepting entries. So show off your talent and send in your underwater related artwork. Over $3000 worth of prizes, your art displayed in Byron Bay’s most prominent gallery and your chance to sell your artwork both on-line (through the UF08 website) and at the gallery.

More info, conditions of entry and entry forms at: http://www.underwaterfestival.com.au/activities-events/underwater-art-competition/