Winners Gallery
Finalist Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean
Max Holba Cebu, Philippines
"The whale sharks that swim and feed in close proximity to the boats of local fishers are now a tourist attraction in Oslob in the Philippines," says Holba. "For years, this kind of tourism has been very controversial: While it enables the local community to have a steady income and presents them with an alternative to killing the animals for their meat and fins, the ever increasing amount of people that get too close to the animals is a worrying development."
BEHIND THE LENS
Max Holba Austria
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Coastal walk-in
- Taken on scuba equipment
- Early morning shoot
- Sunny conditions
MORE IMAGES BY Max Holba
Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean
2023 East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean
2022 Indonesia
Reconnect. Immerse yourself. Be inspired.
Enjoy the vibrancy, beauty and impact of each year's finalist photography, celebrated in our Ocean Photographer of the Year coffee table book collection.
