The Dogfish Days of Summer are Over... (picture heavy)

Yvonne Etzkorn is the Donor Relations Coordinator at Living Oceans and is enjoying every last bit of Sointula summer.

Fall.  It means crisp air and beautifully coloured leaves. It also means the end of summer. But it's not all bad. Fall makes us appreciate what we have.  For example, this last week has been stunning despite the constant, heavy blanket of fog that covers everything until afternoon.  But after the fog lifts, when the sun comes out it, the view is breathtaking.  It really makes you appreciate the sun and the summer.

We've been very fortunate to have so many people not only appreciating summer but also appreciating the ocean and sharing that with us via our 3rd annual Ocean Exposures Photo Contest. The photos we have received are fantastic. (To see all of the photos we have received so far, check out our Living Oceans Friends Flickr page.)

From eagles:

Doug Emery - Gotcha

...to whales:;

Marcie Callewaert - Transient

From West coast:

Mike Heller - Siwash Rock at Sunset

Aiden Mahoney - Northern Sea

...to East coast: 

Still, we'd love to see more! The contest wraps up on September 30th so there's still time to submit your photos.

If you submit them to the Above the Ocean Surface category, like the pictures above, you too could have the chance to win a fantastic limited edition print of Eagle Dance from renowned Vancouver Island photographer, Dan Hillert.  Dan, who has lived in Sointula for the last eight years and owns the Sointula Gallery & Bistro, is a photographer whose books “Imagine an Island” and “Island Reflections” explore the coastal town of Sointula, Malcolm Island and the surrounding area.

Russell Stirrett - Setting a Purse Seine

Or maybe you've got some photos from your time on the docks or on the ships that can be entered into our Commercial Fishing Gear in Action category. This is a very specific category. We want to see commercial fishing in action.  Show us long lining, trolling, setting seine nets, pulling up gill nets, hauling prawn traps, a full crab trap, setting halibut strings, seeding farmed oysters and more. If you do, you could a Mountain Equipment Co-op gift certificate worth $100. 

Derek Bissell - Giant Pacific Octopus

Perhaps you're more interested in what's under the waves. If that's the case I'm sure you've got some fabulous photos for our Below the Ocean Surface category. Take the time to share the amazing world of colour, camouflage and beauty in the deep with those who haven't had the chance to see it.

Doing so will put you in the running for a pair of Mantaray fins from Nanaimo Dive Outfitters. I actually received my Open Water certification from them and I can tell you from first-hand experience that Shirley, Steve and the gang at NDO are not only knowledgeable and passionate but also a lot of fun to learn from and dive with. They have a full service Scuba Dive and Snorkeling shop located in Nanaimo, BC and they offer dive training, equipment rentals, tank refills, dive charter booking and dive trips. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @DiveNanaimo.

Either way, our judges are going to have their work cut out for them. I do know that Andrew Wright, who is presiding over our panel of judges, is looking forward to the challenge.  Andrew is a passionate conservation photographer and has published two photography books arguing for increased environmental stewardship in BC. His book, Emeralds at the Edge, published in 2009, received positive reviews in the Globe and Mail. His current book, Faltering Light, proposes an end to trophy hunting of bears. He is also a member of the international league of conservation photographers.

Judge, Chris Blondeau, will certainly get a treat as he peruses the underwater category. As a diver and SCUBA instructor himself, Chris is no stranger to the beauty that lies under the surface. Currently, Chris is the Director of Operations for Lester B. Pearson College. He also serves as the Director of Operations for Race Rocks, and with his wife Jane, serves as a Housefellow on campus.

So why wait? Dig out your camera and upload those photos. You'll not only get to spread a bit of summer cheer as the season winds down but you'll also be showing how beautiful and vast our oceans are, another reason they are so worth protecting.

No purchase necessary. Residents of Canada excluding Quebec are eligible to enter. There are six prizes: Two Mountain Equipment Co-op Gift Cards valued at $100; Two Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics gift cards valued $125; a limited edition 17" X 22" print by photographer Dan Hillert valued at $300; one pair of Mantaray dive fins valued at $170. To enter, contestants must submit one or more photos to one of the six categories provided. Judges will choose one contest winner from each category for first place. Photographs will be judged on exposure, composition, uniqueness, creativity, technical proficiency and relevance to chosen theme. Chances of winning are dependent on skill and the number of contest participants.  The contest closes on September 30, 2012. The winner will be announced on October 25, 2012. See contest rules for details.