Photos: Tim Rock
Divers and judges are in Yap for the Manta Fest Photo Festival being held at Manta Ray Bay Hotel and Yap Divers of Micronesia.
This annual event features divers and judges from all over the world including Tauchen’s Frank Schneider, Euro video specialist Andy Schumacher, prolific ocean photojournalists Tim Rock of Guam and David Fleetham and Ikelite ghuru Steve Miller, local Yap pro Brad Holland and photo/TEK expert Ray Bullion. A photo contest, daily and evening seminars and the final judging highlight two weeks of shark diving, manta diving, macro and wide angle dives and specialty dives like the Vertigo sunset dive and the Mandarinfish Dive at Rainbow Reef.
Not only are big fish like mantas and reef sharks the focus of the photogs, but big schools of rainbow runners, bigeye jacks, barracudas and bumphead parrotfish also thrill the divers. And even the rare make the scene with past Manta Fest goers seeing orcas, molas and sailfish. Yap sits on the edge of the Coral Traingle and is known for a great diversity in corals, fish and invertebrates. It is a diver and photographer playground with lots to offer. All hotel rooms are boutique-style and the property offers the Mnuw, an Indonesia phinisi ship converted into an amazing floating pub and restaurant.
This is the 10th Annual Manta Fest Photo Festival in Yap, Micronesia and this year will be the biggest workshop with the best line-up of presenting professionals and the most prizes Yap Divers has ever given away.
Prizes include:
• $9,000 in Mares Gear - Regulators, computers, BCDs, gauges, wetsuits, knives, dive lights, masks, fins and gear bags!
• Ikelite $500 Vouchers
• Ikelite Gamma Torches
• Sola Light & Motion Dive and Photo lights
• Henderson Wetsuits
• Blue Blocker Masks
• Armor Gear bags
Grand Prize winners will also week-long trips to Yap, Chuuk Lagoon and Indonesia from Yap Divers, the Chuuk Odyssey and Dive Damai.
