Annually, on the August bank holiday the Marine Reserve organizes an under water photographic competition or �Splash-In�. Open to all divers visiting the shores of the reserve wishing to capture the stunning underwater environment and its inhabitants.

The competitors collect their films at 8am, after which they head out into the Marine Reserve to test out all their expensive photographic equipment! After a frantic day of photography, the films are handed back to the Marine Reserve Ranger to take up to Edinburgh for professional processing. Once the films have been returned to the photographers they face the difficult decision of choosing their best shots to enter into the competition. The following evening a slide show is organized in St. Abbs village hall to present all the entries. There is always fantastic support from locals, visitors and other divers at the slide show. The audience votes for the winner, which helps to generate a competitive spirit amongst the entrants.

Throughout the years that the competition has been running, there have been a variety of categories, but through trial and error four have emerged which cover the broad range of underwater photographic opportunities. These categories include:

• Marine Life Portrait � a close up shot to capture the amazing diversity of marine life found within the Reserve.
• Diver Scenic � a wide-angle shot to capture divers in the sub aquatic environment.
• Reserve Atmospheric � a wide-angle shot to portray the Marine Reserve in all its glory.
• The John Goldie Most Humorous Shot � the most recent addition to the competition in memory of John Goldie, a local diver and photographer who helped set up the Marine Reserve. This category open to interpretation and can include any amusing aspect of the Marine Reserve, its inhabitants or visitors!

Every year the �Splash-In� has benefited from the support of local businesses and diving organizations, which have kindly donated the competition prizes. Special thanks go to Scoutscroft Dive Centre for their invaluable help.