Underwater Photos of Anilao Shines at The Pink Argonauts Awards Night

The recently concluded 2nd Pink Argonauts Underwater Photography Event was a splashing success. Participated by 44 underwater photographers from different parts of the country, the much-awaited awards night and graduation of the Zero to Hero Dive Master program were held last Sunday, May 4, 2025 at Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort located in Mabini, Batangas. The event was graced by the Department of Tourism IV-A Regional Director Marites T. Castro.

The proceeds of this event directly goes to the scholars of the The Pink Argonaut's "Zero to Hero Dive Master Program," which offers a transformative journey from novice to certified Dive Master. Combining diving skills with marine conservation, participants learn the intricacies of underwater exploration while actively engaging in conservation efforts, which in return will promote dive tourism in their locality.

The first batch of graduates receiving their PADI Dive Master Certificates and rewards from Pacifica Dive - Makati / ScubaPro.

Furthermore, they will serve as much-needed professional Dive Guides in Anilao for our growing underwater photographers from here and abroad.

With the support of sponsors, The Pink Argonauts funded the PADI Dive Master certification program for locals in Mabini, Batangas, which provides essential training from PADI Open Water to the Rescue Program. PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the world's leading scuba diving training organization, further supported these scholars by sponsoring their final Dive Master certification.

We are honored to welcome back world-renowned underwater photographers who flew in from different parts of the world who served as judges for the competition.

There are so many great entries, showcasing the beautiful waters of Anilao. Get to know our award-winning judges.

Judging the underwater photo entries at Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort in Mabini, Batangas. From left, Aaron Wong, Jennifer Hayes, and Michael Aw.

Jennifer Hayes of National Geographic is a marine biologist and photojournalist specializing in aquatic systems. She is an award-winning photographer, an author, and a speaker based in New York, USA.

Michael Aw is the CEO of Ocean Geographic Magazine and is an award-winning marine photographer and conservationist based in Singapore.

Aaron Wong is a ScubaPro Ambassador, the ADEX Ambassador for Photography, and an award-winnning commercial photographer from Singapore.

Their expertise and contributions to marine conservation brought prestige and inspiration to the event.

The Pink Argonauts (TPA), composed of a group of divers, golfers, and conservationists share their passion through the sport they love and at the same time, are taking this opportunity to give back to the community where they operate. The TPA is a brain-child of Tessa Neri, and Marivic Verdadero-Maramot, while the its Founding Members are Jocs Reyes, Dinah Duran, Brie Reyes, Arabelle Jimenez, Monch Henares, Joedyn Padua, Danny Luz, Mary Ann Luz, and Marco Santos.

The 2nd Pink Argonauts Golf Tournament is supported by the Department of Tourism Calabarzon Region IV-A, co-presented by Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort, Batangas Scuba Academy, Pacifica Dive, and PADI. Event partners are BuildMeUp Corp., and Ocean Geographic. Major sponsors are Armscor Global Defense, Inc., Bank of Singapore, and Scubapro. The Hole-In-One prizes are a HONGQi car, and 3 Strokes Apparel.

Thank you to all the dive participants, judges and sponsors! Winners and our Zero to Hero Dive Master Scholars received great prizes from Pacifica Dive - Makati/Scubapro!

Here are the winners:

OPEN CATEGORY

Macro / Super Macro