Vietnamese lensman wins in Sony photo contest with 'Turtle Dream'

The photo shows a woman diver gliding alongside a sea turtle off Perhentian, dubbed Malaysia’s island paradise, a scene Thien describes as "harmonious coexistence between humans and nature."

A woman diver glides alongside a sea turtle off the coast of Malaysia's Perhentian Island. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Ngoc Thien

The northeastern island is protected by the government with a ban on fishing. It is home to sea turtles and small blacktip sharks.

Thanks to the clear blue waters, it is famous for scuba diving and snorkeling.

The winners of the National Award are selected from 200,000 entries representing a diverse range of images from across the globe, according to the contest organizing committee.

This year there were 61 National Award winners who received Sony digital imaging equipment and whose works will be included in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition and book.

Since its inception in 2007, the Sony World Photography Awards has been a platform for some of the world's most powerful photography.