Seal of approval: Fran’s photo was highly commended in the BSAC’s Great British Diving photo competition

A SCUBA diver from Pembrokeshire has won national recognition for her photography after coming close up and personal with a grey seal.

The stunning image of the seal was highly commended in the British Sub- Aqua Club’s (BSAC) nationwide Great British Diving photo competition.

The photo, was taken by Fran Hockley, 29, of Stackpole near Pembroke, who is an Open Water Instructor with BSAC’s Cardigan Sub- Aqua Club and also dives with Cardiff University Sub-Aqua Club.

Fran said: “It was a really lucky shot, I was diving with Cardiff University Sub-Aqua Club at Skomer Island, which is a national marine reserve off the coast of Pembrokeshire.

“There were lots of mums with their pups playing around and I took a few shots, but it wasn’t until I got home and had a look at the photos that I realised how well this one had come out, with the seal’s head half above and below the water.

Fran, who has a PhD in Freshwater Biology and works as a freelance dive instructor for the Ministry of Defence, won third prize in the topside category of the BSAC Great British Diving photo competition.

“I’m really delighted,” she said. “Great British Diving is a phrase I completely agree with; I truly believe the UK has the best diving in the world. We have so much wildlife and so many wrecks – there is so much to explore.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested to get involved through their local BSAC club.”

BSAC is the national governing body for scuba diving and is made up of 120 dive centres and 900 plus family friendly and sociable clubs, run by volunteers, up and down the country and abroad. The Duke of Cambridge is the club’s President.

It represents more than 30,000 scuba divers and snorkellers and welcomes new members from complete beginners upwards, including those who have trained with other agencies.

BSAC chief Executive Mary Tetley said: “The BSAC Great British Diving competition was launched to boost the presence of British divers on social media and to show the world just how great British diving really is.

“We had lots of wonderful entries from all over the UK, from divers with huge post-dive smiles, to fantastic wrecks, to many seal and examples of marine life.

“Fran’s photo is really fun and truly shows the spirit of Great British Diving and we are so pleased she entered – it’s a great candid capture.”

Fran, who is originally from Yeovil in Somerset, studied at Westfield Comprehensive School before taking a place at Cardiff University to study for a degree in Ecology in 2008.

While at university, she worked her way up from Ocean Diver to Open Water Instructor, and then took some time out after finishing her PhD when she worked as a dive guide in Egypt before returning to the UK.

The photo competition was run online via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #GreatBritishDiving, between July 15 and October 7.

There were 343 photos entered and more than 2,300 people voted for the picture they thought best encapsulated the spirit of Great British Diving in two categories – topside and underwater.