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1st place The Ocean Photographer of the Year

Aimee Jan Western Australia

22°33′45″S 113°48′37″E

A green turtle, surrounded by a ball of glass fish, one of four turtle species found on Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing reef. “We were doing a back-of-the-reef snorkel when one of my work friends called me over to tell me there was a turtle under a ledge in a school of glass fish, about 10 metres down,” says photographer Aimee Jan. “When I dived down to look, the fish separated around the turtle perfectly and this is what I saw. I said to her: ‘I think I just took the best photo I have ever taken’.”  

BEHIND THE LENS

2021 Ocean Photographer of the Year, Aimee Jan

Aimee Jan Australia

ABOUT THE IMAGE

  • Early afternoon
  • Taken while freediving
  • Sunny conditions
  • Light wind

Aimee Jan lives in Exmouth, Western Australia, near the Ningaloo Reef where she spends most of her time swimming with sea life. She works on whale shark and humpback whale tours as a photographer. Her passion is to help look after the amazing reef and animals by taking people out to experience it and educating them about it. She says photography is a great way to show how beautiful Ningaloo Reef is and why it must be looked after.