Features

Remember the Jacques Cousteau programmes on BBC1 back in the 1970s? For Richard Merritt, it was the start of something big!

Richard, a lecturer in computing at the University of Plymouth, went straight out and bought an underwater camera and took diving lessons. That was in 1976.

He spends several weeks each year, diving in some of the world's most exotic places and photographing beautiful marine life.

Richard Merritt

In 2007, he won a prestigious Gold Medal in the 150th International Print Exhibition run by the Royal Photographic Society.

"I was stunned to win the Gold Medal," said Richard.

"Only one Gold Medal is awarded each year.

"There were over 2,000 entries from 33 countries and the judges selected 125 photos for the exhibition."

The exhibition is currently at the University of Plymouth until 11 January 2008.

Richard's winning entry was of a scalloped hammerhead shark.

"I took the photo at Cocos Island in the East Pacific. It's uninhabited and has the most wonderful marine life.

Anemonefish trying to hide from Richard's camera!

"There were schools of hammerhead sharks everywhere there - hundreds of them. I just couldn't believe my own eyes.

"But they are quite difficult to get near because they are quite skittish.

"They are powerful animals, but not aggressive - and they are beautiful."

Richard took the photo with a wide angle lens, at a distance of 1.5 to 2 metres from the shark.

Richard's wife Sue acts as his 'spotter' - on the lookout for photogenic marine life while he is busy snapping away.

"It's good to have someone to keep an eye out, otherwise it's easy to miss out on something."

A beautiful turtle, snapped by Richard

Richard was brought up in Singapore and doesn't much care for the cold, grey waters around the British Isles.

He much prefers - and who can blame him - the warmer waters of the tropics.

"My favourite waters are in Indonesia, which is a very big destination - from Borneo in the west, across to the western end of New Guinea.

"There are a huge amount of coral reefs. It's the meeting of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which are very ancient."

Richard would love to take up his hobby full-time: "If I could do this successfully for a living, then I might have done, but a lot of photographers struggle to make a living.

"And I think it's a bit too late to do a career change now."

International Print Exhibition
University of Plymouth
Until 11 January 2008