Eleven countries took part in Monaco’s 2nd International Challenge on Friday morning, kicking off three days of underwater photography competitions organised by the Monaco Underwater Exploration Club (CESMM).
Teams from Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, and Tunisia gathered at 8:30am for briefings before taking to the water at 9:00am for the day dives.
The competition runs alongside the 20th National Contest and Junior Contest conclusion, making this weekend Monaco’s biggest underwater photography event of the year under the high patronage of Prince Albert II.
During the morning’s dives teams were able to encounter and photograph colourful Mediterranean fish, nudibranchs, and juvenile species in the Principality’s protected waters.
The photographs are set to be revealed on Sunday during the awards ceremony.
Portuguese team opens up about their first dive
Ana Ferro, representing Portugal alongside dive partner Vanda Gonçalves, described the welcoming contrast of Monaco’s waters with their home conditions.
“In Portugal, the water is much colder. So it’s very nice to be in warmer water,” Ferro told Monaco Life. The team observed various species including colourful fish, what Ferro described as “beauty branch” sea slugs, and small blue fish during their dive.
For Ferro, underwater photography offers more than competition. “It’s very relaxing. You forget about your daily life, your daily stress, your daily problems,” she explained, while Gonçalves described diving as her preferred “anti-depressive”.
When asked about her photographs from the morning dive, Ferro remained cautiously optimistic: “Let’s hope. I think they’re good, and I believe one or two are really good.”
The photographers use professional equipment with interchangeable settings for macro and wide-angle photography, plus external flashes triggered by the camera’s internal system. Competition rules require photographers to present sealed cameras to judges before opening them to ensure fairness.
World-first night challenge tonight
While Friday focused on standard day diving, the evening introduces underwater night photography to international competition for the first time. Teams will gather again at 8:30pm for briefings before taking once more to the water for their night dive.
“For our 2nd International Challenge, we wanted to innovate with a world-first: underwater night photography. Shooting conditions are much more challenging at night, especially with lighting, and the marine life encountered is entirely different,” said Roger Mullot, CESMM President.
Photographers must capture images across four categories: macro photography, fish portraits, wide-angle shots, and an imposed theme across three total dives.
Weekend programme
Saturday will feature the 20th National Contest, bringing together 13 teams to compete in CESMM’S flagship annual event for the perfect shot.
The competition concludes on Sunday with the awards ceremony starting at 10:00am in the Oceanographic Museum’s Conference Hall.
The weekend reinforces the club’s motto “To know better is to protect better”, using photography to raise awareness of marine environment protection.
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Main photo by Monaco Life.