SHOWING sharks in their natural habitat won underwater photographer Allen Walker of Warner Beach the number one spot for the shark photography category at the World ShootOut 2018 awards.
SOUTH African diver and underwater photographer Allen Walker of Warner Beach, south of Durban, took the number one spot for the shark photography category at the World ShootOut 2018 awards held at the Boot Düsseldorf dive show in Germany.
“I am thrilled about having won. It puts South Africa firmly on the world map of underwater photography and will promote tourism to South Africa in the diving industry, more specifically shark diving, which has become a very popular activity for underwater divers and photographers,” he said.
Walker said Aliwal Shoal on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast boasted some of the best shark diving in the world and was “a must-visit attraction”. “I hope this will also strengthen South Africa’s resolve to protect these animals for future generations and the tourism industry.”
Hundreds of photographers from 40 countries take part in the World ShootOut competition each year, submitting thousands of images and videos, ranging from those that capture the calm lakes of the Nordic countries and Canada, to showcasing the dramatic great white sharks in the Gulf of Mexico.
In South Africa, underwater photography was relatively small because equipment was relatively expensive, Walker said.
He said that with the modernisation of digital cameras, there had been an increase in novice and intermediate level underwater photographers.
Walker is the national field manager for Huawei and enjoys underwater photography as a hobby.
“This makes me even more happy, because I am competing against guys who do it for a living.
“I have been doing it since 2007, I started small and as I got better I got a better camera, better housing and then I earned a number of international accolades over the years.
“Every weekend I drive to Aliwal Shoal, hop on a boat and dive. Our country has such diverse marine life.”
Walker said he was introduced to diving at a young age but only took it seriously later.
“We took a tour to Aliwal Shoal and I saw diversity that I had never seen in my life, it blew my mind. I became a dive instructor, but never touched a camera until a friend stuck a camera in my hand and said dive with it.”