Bizarre fish, kaleidoscopic coral and majestic whales: 35 astonishing images from Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024
Discover the wonder and fragility of our blue planet with a selection of breathtaking photos from this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year shortlist.
By Daniel Graham
Published: Thursday, 15 August 2024 at 17:00 PM
The finalists for the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 have been announced.
Celebrating all things ocean, the competition includes work from some the planet’s finest coastal, drone and underwater photographers.
Expect stunning images of dramatic wildlife encounters, beautiful examples of how humans interact with the ocean, as well as stark reminders of the impact we have of our blue planet.
Category winners, the recipient of the Female Fifty Fathoms Award, and the overall winner of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 will be announced on 12 September.
For now, here is a selection of spectacular images from the shortlist of finalists.
Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 finalists gallery
A hingebeak shrimp colony in the hollow of a barrel sponge. These striking shrimp, with vivid red and white stripes, display dance-like movement, swaying back and forth with their beaks pointed upwards. Koh Haa, Thailand. Credit: Nataya ChonecadeedumrongkulNumerous jellyfish have been isolated in this saltwater lake without predators for thousands of years. Over time, they have lost their ability to sting. Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Credit: Katherine LuFishermen in coastal Fujian dry their nets in intricate fashion. As they are woven with hemp fibres, they swell easily after being immersed in the water. China. Credit: Zhang XiangA triumphant mahi-mahi or common dolphinfish proudly displays its catch amidst a feeding frenzy. Baja California Sur, Mexico. Credit: Manuel Castellanos RabosoA giant Pacific octopus in the shallows. Russia. Credit: Andrey ShpatakA marine iguana sits on a rock. Unlike other iguanas around the world, these are the only ones that have evolved to swim and feed underwater, holding their breath for up to 60 minutes. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Credit: Rafael Fernandez CaballeroA group of walruses are resting on a beach, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The Arctic Circle. Credit: Michael HaluwanaThe Bamsebu whaling station in Svalbard where hunters exclusively targeted belugas. With beluga whaling now banned in Svalbard, piles of bones scattered along the shores remind visitors of the horrors of the past and the possibility of change. Svalbard, Norway. Credit: Kristiyan Dimitrov MarkovA fever of mobula rays from above. When the photographer’s drone inched closer, some rays started to jump out of the water. Baja California Sur, Mexico. Credit: Laura LeuskoA coconut octopus found a hideout spot inside a plastic sandwich bag. Philippines. Credit: Pietro FormisWestern toad tadpoles migrating from the deeper part of a lake to the sunlit shallows to feed on algae and other organic matter. British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Shane GrossA school of sardines swirls in unison, while predators such as sea lions, dorado and diving seabirds hunt them from above and below. Baja California Sur, Mexico. Credit: Filippo BorghiA curious octopus looks out from its hiding place. South Africa. Credit: Kate JonkerBaby plainfin midshipman fish, still attached to their yolk sacs. British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Shane GrossAn elusive and captivating Rhinopias scorpionfish. North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Credit: Filippo BorghiA freediver amidst a shoal of sardines. Bohol, Philippines. Credit: Benjamín YávarAn anglerfish, also known as monkfish, preys on a torpedo ray. Italy. Credit: Filippo BorghiA beach reflects the golden haze of the sunset, while a traditional fisherman wades through the water. China. Credit: Zhang XiangA critically endangered Cuban crocodile mouths the photographer’s camera dome. Cuba. Credit: Shane GrossScientists conduct an ultrasound on a female tiger shark off the coast of Grand Bahama. She was discovered to be pregnant, and a groundbreaking device called a birth tag was inserted into her uterus which does not harm the mother or pups. The Bahamas. Credit: Tanya HouppermansA fisherman uses a traditional fishing technique. Myanmar. Credit: Romeo BodolaiA mother and calf humpback whale pair in the waters off Tahiti where these whales migrate to from Antarctica to mate and give birth. Tahiti, French Polynesia. Credit: Renée Grinnell CapozzolaA puffin carries fish to feed its chicks. Saltee Islands, Ireland. Credit: Merche LloberaA seagull rests on top of a sea turtle shortly before they both continue their own paths. Mediterranean Sea. Credit: Enric Adrian GenerA gannet, entangled in discarded fishing gear, hangs off a cliff. Isle of Noss, Shetland Islands. Credit: Rebecca DouglasThe impact of rising sea levels: Fisherman Abdul Latief (62) sits in his flooded home. His house flooded for the first time in 2008. Since then he has raised it twice, in 2009 and 2019. The floods are getting higher but Abdul doesn’t have enough money to raise his house again. Demak Regency, Indonesia. Credit: Giacomo d OrlandoNurse sharks cross on a shallow sand flat as part of a days-long courtship ritual. The Bahamas. Credit: Shane GrossThe second biggest whale, the fin whale, lies waiting for its turn to be butchered at a whaling plant in Iceland before getting sent to Japan. Iceland. Credit: Frederik BrogaardA mesmerising spectacle beneath the waves: Like clockwork, thousands of corals spanning hundreds of kilometres synchronise their efforts to reproduce, releasing egg and sperm bundles into the open sea. Israel. Credit: Tom ShlesingerA Southern stingray patrols a healthy seagrass meadow in the Bahamas. Seagrass beds are among the world’s most productive and ecologically important ecosystems, playing a pivotal role in mitigating climate change by capturing and storing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere at a rate much faster than forests. The Bahamas. Credit: Remuna BecaA whale shark swims alongside the Sharkwater research vessel, a ship that was initially used by the Japanese fishing fleet but is now used for research. Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Credit: Edwar Herreño ParraA surfer rides an epic wave, a bright rainbow forming behind it. New South Wales, Australia. Credit: Sébastien BachellereauA scuba diver explores the Silfra fissure in Iceland, the tectonic boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates. Iceland. Credit: Byron ConroyA scuba diver is dwarfed by a shipwreck. The Bahamas. Credit: Tobias FriedrichEvery winter, orcas and humpback whales come to Northern Norway to feed on Atlantic herring. This huge humpback filled its mouth with the small fish, before swimming past the divers closely.Norway. Credit: Tobias Friedrich
The Ocean Photographer of the Year, presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain, has a simple mission: to shine a light on the wonder and fragility of our blue planet, and to celebrate the photographers giving it a voice.
The first Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 exhibition will open at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, on 28 November, followed by several additional venues in early 2025.
