• Submitted by: manso
• Travel and Tourism
• 04 / 15 / 2011

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2011.04.14 - 19:53:57 / radiorebelde.icrt.cu. Underwater photography. NUEVA GERONA, Cuba. -Chile ended champion of the PHOTOSUB 2011 international underwater photography competition, held at the Colony Hotel of the Isle of Youth special municipality.

Among the 11 finalists, 34-year old Fernando Olivares occupied the place of honor in Macro and Fish, two of the four categories regulated for competitions, and finished second in Environment with Model, after Cuban Julio Santos.

Olivares thanked hosts for the quality and organization of the event, which on this occasion brought together underwater photographers from Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, Mexico, Germany, Canada, Russia, Italy, Serbia, England, Sweden, Spain, Chile and Cuba.

Cuban Daniel Perez ended second in the Macro and Fish category and third in Model Environment, the latter along with his fellow team member Themis Garcia, who stood out as the best undine.

From 1982 to 1997, the Colony Hotel –the event’s venue- was acknowledged as a privileged spot for underwater photography events. After 12 years of silence, it reappeared in 2009 to establish itself as favorite among those who choose immersion as their hobby.

The Colony Hotel, a tourist destination with 56 diving areas in the platform of the marine natural park of Punta Frances, where Cuban Deborah Andollo set a record in free apnea with variable ballast (67 meters), is 42 kilometers away from Nueva Gerona, capital city of this special municipality.

While closing PHOTOSUB 2011, Mayra Garcia, representative of the tourism Ministry in the Isle of Youth special municipality, announced that Cuba is getting ready to host the 15th World Championship of Underwater Photography in 2013 in Cayo Largo, habitat of numerous species of tropical fish and mollusks.    (ACN)