SCUBA PEOPLE: SITE OF THE YEAR AT THE FESTIVAL

It's midnight. I just took off from Kuala Lumpur after 10 days of reporting in the enchanting waters of Sipadan. Just before boarding, I was able to access the internet and discovered your many congratulatory messages: “Scuba People has just received the website of the year award at the World Underwater Image Festival in Marseille… "

I first pushed the doors of this prestigious event 18 years ago, and since then I have hardly ever missed an edition. And now the day I win a prize, I'm not here to receive it! Pardon Marine ...

Who could have imagined that less than 3 years after its creation, scuba-people.com would be honored by his peers, those who made us dream by delivering incredible images and who continue to do so.

How can you receive this prize without thanking the Festival's father, a “sacred character” who hides an enormous heart, as is often the case… Thank you Daniel.

How to receive this award without thanking Philippe Valette and his team, all volunteers without whom nothing could exist, and the city of Marseille who has been able to offer him a place of choice within it.

How can you receive this prize without thanking the team that contributes directly or indirectly to the creation of Scuba People and whom I like not to call collaborators but friends? Isabelle Croizeau who smokes a little too much… but that's normal for a fighter plane, Alexis Rosenfeld because he's been my friend for 20 years and he has a hell of a lot of talent, Francis Le Guen because sometimes you have to still messing around too, Patrick Marchand for his knowledge of stuff and his periods of disappearance even if we prefer when he gives us papers, Jêrome Espla for his kindness and his unwavering allergy to testosterone, Pierre Martin-Razi because he bends but don't give in, Didier Brandelet for his talents as a coach and lots of other stuff, Phil Simha for his unwavering professionalism, Pascal Kobeh because it's Pascal, Nicolas Barraqué because he has Wonder batteries, the ones that don't 'never stop, Pascal Baril because he is for sure the most "people" of all, Marie la Morue because she is just huge and we miss her, Anthony Leydet because he is bieau, Ludovic Savariello for its simplicity, Gérard Loridon because it is the Old Scaph… and all the others that I don't forget.

How to receive this prize without thinking of Bébert, the President and so many others who this year left to find their friends?

How to receive this prize without thanking the advertisers, more and more numerous to trust us, for the simple reason that you are important to them and which make it possible to finance the adventure of scuba-people.com.

How to receive this prize without thanking you, you who every day come more and more numerous to visit scuba-people.com and choose to become a member? Besides, you who read these few lines and who are not yet ... click here and support us!

And finally, how to receive this award without thanking the patience of my family who has supported for so long, not to say forever my choice never to give up.

Thank you all. Thank you to all of you. This price is also your price. It shows that passion and dreams are the strongest.

Manuel Lewin

Creator of scuba-people.com

PS: Special dedication to my friend, the one who knows that I love him with love 😉

A little nod also to Francis Le Guen who won the Corail prize for the book with “Narcose”, at Glénat, to René Heuzey, who with Marianne Cramer won the Nausicaa Prize, for: “Maurice et Rodrigues, des îles à share ”, to Robert Pakiela, Nicolas Barraqué, and Dominique Barray who won the best underwater guide award for:“ Underwater photography - Initiation and techniques for all ”, at TurtleProd Edition, which we presented to you a few years ago. weeks as well as to Hervé Colombini who came second in the black and white photo category.