Snorkel Venture’s Friendly Photo Competition 2025 Results

This summer, we held our first-ever Snorkel Venture Friendly Photo Competition, and we were thrilled to see the results of your photographic endeavors! So many great photos from your snorkeling adventures around the world.

From the first of June 2025 and up until the end of the month, the powers that be over here at Snorkel Venture HQ were sequestered away into a dimly lit room with no connection to the outside world aside from these wondrous photos displayed upon the whitewashed stone walls. With nothing more than a few right-angled wooden chairs and a straw mattress on the floor, the deliberation phase was in full swing. Now, if you’ve ever deliberated before, it’s a long and tedious process. Fueled by Açaí smoothie bowls and bottomless oat-milk matcha lattes, our esteemed judging panel were sequestered until they agreed on a champion, which was announced via multicolored smoke from an undisclosed chimney in the global epicenter of all things artistic, Paris…Texas. Also, Facebook and email. The Champion was eventually crowned on the 1st of July, 2025.

Big congratulations to Mary Sirchel for her stunning image of a red crinoid seemingly dancing on top of an immaculate piece of hard coral. She will soon receive her bounty from Fourth Element, who’ve been kind enough to donate these wonderful prizes to this fun little competition. Also, a big round of applause to Brenda MacAlpine, Robert Orrizzi, and Pat Goding for their beautifully captured images!

Winner | Mary Shircel |”Dancing on Coral”

Judges Comments: This is a perfect example of a common subject being flattered by the photographer using very simple techniques for a truly stunning image. We loved the little rainbow effect of the natural light on the hard coral below. The way the light hits only a few of the arms of the crinoid/feather star also really helps make it pop and provides a lot of texture. Finally, shooting with a slight upward angle has allowed Mary to compose this beautiful scene against the water’s surface, where there’s a bit of a reflection of the reef, adding a whole other dimension to the image.

Runner Up | Brenda MacAlpine | “Mangrove Magic”

Judges Comments: A truly amazing image that perfectly combines both worlds of the magical mangroves in Raja Ampat. This is a very technical photo as Brenda was using a Ricoh WG-80 Camera; therefore, the surface area on the lens is very small. To be able to hold the camera steady enough to get a perfect over-under shot like this is a real accomplishment! Not only that, but to be able to balance the bright lights from above and the more moody light from below requires a lot of attention to the exposure.

Runner Up | Robert Orrizzi | “Swimming with a Dugong”

Judges Comments: A very rare encounter captured perfectly with the buddy swimming alongside this elegant dugong in clear blue water! With large pelagic species like this, it takes a lot of patience and anticipation of where the animals are going to potentially move through, so you can put yourself into a position where you can frame the moving subject from the side, and with your partner behind! A photo and encounter we’re all jealous of!

Honorable Mention | Pat Goding | “Bounty of Halmahera”

Judges Comments: This is a photo worth framing for sure! The combination of the vibrant coral scene below with the water column absolutely packed full of the pale blue chromis, all facing the same direction, is energizing to the soul. There’s just so much life, energy, and color in this image, perfectly framed and captured by Pat.

Thank you all for participating in this competition, it’s been a lot of fun to see your images and to hear your stories of how they came to be!