The Ocean Photographer of the Year competition aims to shine a light on the wonder and fragility of our blue planet, and to celebrate the photographers giving it a voice.
The winning photograph is a portrait of a male seahorse and two tiny juveniles alongside him, just barely visible against the darkness of the ocean.
An adult seahorse pictured with newly born juveniles in the shallow seaweed-filled waters of Moorea, French Polynesia. Credit: Julien Anton/Ocean Photographer of the Year
While it is not known if these seahorses are related, their arrangement creates the impression of a farewell, as if the tiny seahorses have gathered around their father after he has released them into the world. Seahorses are now rare in French Polynesia so this image was the result of long hours of searching among the seaweed.
“When Julien Anton’s image first appeared on screen, the judging panel fell silent," said Ocean Photographer of the Year founder and director, Will Harrison. "It is an image that demands reflection, pause for thought, and it certainly got that from us.
"The image is full of quiet energy, even if some of that comes from us humans imprinting our own emotions on the photograph: the bow of the father’s head, the juveniles turning back towards him, the generational gap and the unknown futures of the newborns.
"What kind of ocean are we leaving for those who come after us? It is ocean photography at its most powerful: intimate, urgent and impossible to ignore.”
The recipient of this year’s Female Fifty Fathoms Award is British photographer Jenny Stock. The Female Fifty Fathoms Award was created in 2021 by Oceanographic and Blancpain to celebrate pioneering and boundary-pushing women in ocean photography.
Selected photographs by Jenny Stock
A green turtle approaches the camera, appearing curious about her reflection in its dome port, captured in French Polynesia. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the YearIn the cold waters of Browning Pass, Canada, a giant Pacific octopus emerges from a reef covered in soft corals, sponges and clams. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the YearAn American crocodile moves through the mangroves of Cuba, a habitat that provides shelter for feeding, breeding, nesting and raising young. Beneath the trees, fallen leaves break down into nutrient-rich sediment. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the YearIn Western Australia’s Jurien Bay Marine Park, curious sea lion pups approached the photographer in the water. The playful animals chased, gently nipped and twisted around the camera, fascinated by their reflections in its curved dome port. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the YearA male weedy seadragon carries hundreds of fertilised eggs on his tail in the coastal waters of Tasmania, Australia. Unlike seahorses, which carry eggs in a pouch, male weedy seadragons attach them directly to their tails, where they develop for around eight weeks. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year
Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds category winner
A ribbonfish rises vertically through the dark waters of Osezaki, Japan. Its long, silver body and delicate fins are adapted for life in the open ocean. Around the ribbonfish, a swarm of salps – small, jelly-like animals that feed on tiny particles in the ocean – creates a glimpse of life moving through the deep sea. Credit: Mitsuna Kawai/Ocean Photographer of the Year
Human Connection category winner
Boa Vista, Cape Verde. Volunteers, surfers, lifeguards and conservation groups work together to refloat stranded short-finned pilot whales. While many animals initially returned to the sea, the pod stranded again further along the coast, highlighting the complexity of mass strandings. Credit: Rui Filipe Cardoso Duarte/Ocean Photographer of the Year
Adventure category winner:
Dolphins ride the waves alongside surfers at Tamarama Beach, Sydney, Australia, during a powerful swell and offshore winds. The pod stayed with the surfers for more than an hour, moving through the lineup as naturally as the people around them. Credit: Gergo Rugli/Ocean Photographer of the Year
Conservation Impact category winner
A whale shark is surrounded by divers and snorkelers in the Raa Atoll, Maldives, revealing the overwhelming pressure crowded wildlife tourism can place on marine animals. With almost 50 people visible in the frame, this image captures the reality behind some popular wildlife encounters. Credit: James Ferrara/Ocean Photographer of the Year
Conservation Hope category winner
A great hammerhead shark – known as Tamataroa in French Polynesia – is photographed at 55 metres depth in Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa Atoll, during a population survey. This image represents the moment an anonymous shark becomes a known individual. Credit: Thomas Pavy/Ocean Photographer of the Year
Ocean Fine Art category winner
A tawny nurse shark glides through the warm waters of Alimathaa Island, Maldives, as the setting sun filters through the ocean surface. Beneath it, remoras travel alongside their host, illustrating a common partnership in which the smaller fish gain transport, protection and feeding opportunities. Credit: Matty Smith/Ocean Photographer of the Year
See the full gallery of finalists and winners here.
Top image credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year
Magda is the content writer for discoverwildlife.com, and spends her days researching weird (and often deadly) animals. Outside of work, she enjoys engaging with and writing about fan culture in all its forms.
