Another spectacular edition of the Mares Underwater Photo Marathon Cup was held this year for the eighth time, organized by the Diving Club "Roniti se mora," from September 20 to 22, 2024, on the Island of Rab. This year, Rab once again became the host of one of the most prestigious underwater photography competitions in the world. The competition achieved a series of significant innovations this year, including two new underwater videography categories, a record number of competitors, and an expanded prize fund.

In partnership with the Tourist Board of the City of Rab and with logistical support from the Kron Diving Center, KPA Amfora, and the Mirko Diving Center, the event gathered over 100 photographers, videographers, and their assistants and models from 17 different countries.

The excitement of the competitors was further heightened by the fact that the event brought together over 100 participants—divers who could register as photographers, assistants, models, and for the first time this year, as videographers, arriving from 17 different countries. Competitors from Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Serbia, Denmark, Belgium, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Hungary, and even more distant countries like the USA, China, and Cuba were present, making the Mares Underwater Photo Marathon Cup one of the most diverse and well-attended underwater competitions in Europe.

In addition to the standard competition categories, including Wide Angle with Model, Wide Angle without Model, Fish, Macro, and Creativity, this year's edition introduced two completely new videography categories. This innovation attracted a large number of participants interested in capturing dynamic moments from the underwater world, as well as land shots of the picturesque Island of Rab, making the competition even more appealing to the international community of underwater enthusiasts and all other lovers of the Adriatic Sea and what our coast and islands have to offer.

Videographers had the opportunity to submit their works in two new competitive categories: the Rab Island Promo Video, showcasing the complete beauty and specifics of Rab from land, air, and underwater shots, while the second category, called Underwater World, exclusively depicted the underwater beauty of Rab's waters.

A special addition to this year's competition was a new award for the best female underwater photographer, included in the prize fund to promote and encourage female participation in underwater photography. This award attracted a significantly higher number of female competitors than ever before. “We are extremely happy and proud to see an increasing number of women participating in this competition, enriching the diversity and creativity of the showcased works,” stated the organizers.

As in previous years, competitors enjoyed the crystal-clear sea and beautiful underwater scenes of the Rab archipelago. This year, the competition took place at the Veli and Mali Ćutin locations, under nearly ideal conditions—sunny and warm weather, with calm seas and gentle currents, despite poor forecasts in the days leading up to the event.

The excursion boats DC Mirko - Lucky Luke, Old Big Mouse, Barba Šime, Barba Frane, and Drveni transported competitors to the locations where they could make two dives for a maximum of 90 minutes to capture their underwater shots.

In addition to the awards for individual categories in photography and videography, the competition also highlighted and awarded the talents of underwater models and assistants, as well as awarded prizes for the best national teams in the Cup of Nations. This year, the Cup of Nations was dominantly won by the Portuguese team, dethroning Italy after three consecutive years of victory.

Additionally, a unique feature of this competition is the Blue Spirit Trophy, awarded to the competitor who particularly stood out for their contribution and spirit of fair play. This year, it was rightfully awarded to videographer Adnan Drnda from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Blue Spirit Trophy reflects the organizers' belief that this competition is not just a battle for victory, but an opportunity to gather and connect people through a shared love for the sea, diving, and underwater photography and videography.

The esteemed international jury, which this year consisted of six members—three in the photography category, made up of judges Danijela Frka (Croatia), Gianni Pecchiar (Italy), and Kerim Sabuncuoglu (Turkey), as well as three judges in the videography category—Grega Verča (Slovenia), Pedro Vasconcelos (Portugal), and Matthias Lebo (Switzerland), took on the challenging task of selecting the best works from the competition. The day after diving, the winners were announced.

In the videography category for the Rab Island promo video, first place was awarded to Adnan Drnda (Bosnia and Herzegovina), with Vladimir Mladenović (Serbia) in second place and Maria Manuela Passos (Portugal) in third. In the Underwater World video category, Michael Fafalios (United Kingdom) took first place, with Maria Manuela Passos (Portugal) and Vladimir Mladenović (Serbia) exchanging second and third places.

Among DSLR cameras, the top three positions were held by Nuno Gonçalves (Portugal) in first place, Rui Bernardo (Portugal) in second, and Fabian Alvarez Gómez (Cuba) in third. In the compact camera category, Italians dominated, with Andrea Michelutti taking first prize, followed by Diego Masin, both from Italy, while third place went to Paola Antonelli Corradi (Italy).

In the Croatian rankings, the first places were taken by two women, with Ivana Grgić winning first place in the DSLR category, while Dalibor Andres and Nikola Hrženjak secured second and third places. In the compact camera category, the winner was Alessandra Giordani, followed by Nenad Škorić and Dean Ganza.

The best models of the competition were Verdiana Vellani (Italy) in first place, with Ana Gomes and Sónia Bernardo (Portugal) in second and third places, respectively.

The best female photographers were Ivana Grgić (Croatia) in first place, Paola Antonella Corradi (Italy) in second, and Mojca Šimnic Šolinc (Slovenia) in third.

The prestigious Best of Show award for the best photograph of this year's edition went to Luís Campos (Portugal), confirming his exceptional talent in capturing the underwater beauty of Rab's waters.

The organizers especially expressed gratitude to the Tourist Board of the City of Rab and the general sponsor Mares, as well as other sponsors Garmin, Marelux, Fotografit, Yellowstore Croatia, Watch Centar, Zlayart, Badurini, Divevolk, Hotel International Rab, ILIKE Liveaboard, Karang Divers Bali, Fun&Sun - Dive&Travel, Deep Blue Aqaba, the Kvarner Tourist Board, Croatia Full Of Life, and media sponsors Scubalife, Scuba Skener, and Morski.hr.

The Mares UWPM Cup is not just a competition, but a catalyst for creating new friendships among different people connected by a shared passion, regardless of the differences above or below the sea's surface. This event serves as a hub for connecting and exchanging experiences about underwater photography, videography, and the magical world beneath the surface.