Tuesday 8 October 2024
 10.3°C   NNE Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Arts / Diving gannet shot earns Ocean Photographer award praise

The Plunge, taken off Noss last summer, earned photographer Jade Hoksbergen second place at the Ocean Photographer of the Year awards. Photo: Jade Hoksbergen

A PHOTO of a gannet diving underwater at Noss has earned a photographer who grew up in the Philippines international acclaim. 

Jade Hoksbergen’s image of the plunging gannet earned second place at the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards.

Describing her reaction to the news, she said: “Honestly, I couldn’t believe it.

“This year over 15,000 images were submitted, so to have your image picked out and deemed as ‘second best in the whole competition’ is a pretty big achievement.”

Hoksbergen – who now lives in Devon with her husband, fellow photographer Henley Spiers – said the couple first took up underwater photography as a hobby in the Philippines.

She said it has not become “not only our passion, but our work”.

“My husband has been to the Shetland numerous times now, and every year for the last few years,” she said.

“Last year, in the summer of 2023, my husband was in Shetland to do some photography work and I tagged along with our two daughters, who were aged three and six.

“Seeing that my daughters were on summer holiday, it was the perfect opportunity for join him and see for ourselves what it was like to be entranced by Shetland’s spell.”

The family went out on a wildlife tour with Shetland Seabird Tours around Noss, witnessing “over 25,000 northern gannets lining the high sandstone cliffs”.

Hoksbergen said she had taken her suit and underwater camera with her, and decided to get in the water.

“The water was cold, but I quickly forgot about it when suddenly I was in the middle of a gannet feeding frenzy.

“It was jaw-dropping watching this unique foraging behaviour unfold in front of my eyes.

“The most special part of all this though was to be able to share this moment with my daughters and to know they were right with me when I took the image.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

“They were watching the diving gannets from the surface on the boat, while I watched the very same ones from down below.”

She said she took several photos that day which she loves, but described the one which was highly commended as “very atmospheric”.

“I am a big fan of paleontology and dinosaurs, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was in the Jurassic seas, and that northern gannets were diving pterodactyls,” she added.

Hoksbergen said she is “very keen to return” to Shetland – and to cross off another much-photographed bird from her bucket list.

“My daughters are keen to spend time with the ponies there again, and I’m keen to spend more time in the water there.

“And hopefully, next time we are there, we get to see the puffins.”

You can see more of her work on Instagram at @jadehoksbergen, or by going to her website http://www.jadehoksbergen.com/

Meanwhile her partner Spiers is no stranger to enjoying success with photos from Shetland.

Back in 2022 he scooped a cool £100,000 prize for an underwater image he took in Shetland – ironically also of a gannet shooting into the waters off Noss.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.