The ocean has long been an intriguing place for many people to explore, but its creatures are considerably more fascinating than its waters. There is so much unexplored life in the water. Although we know a lot more about life on land, our understanding of marine life is still very limited even to this day.
The Ocean Photographer of the Year award winners were announced in September 2022 (find previous posts here and here). According to the official website, the award serves as a celebration and awareness of our planet's oceans and will donate 20% of the profit generated in the contest to the preservation of the oceans.
The award brings together amateurs and professionals to celebrate the importance of marine life. Throughout all categories, there were nine winners in total.
#1 Finalist, Conservation (Hope) Photographer Of The Year
Ellen Cuylaerts, Canada.
"Every year harp seals make their journey from the Greenland area to fast ice floes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to give birth to their pups at end of February / early March," says photographer Ellen Cuylaerts. "The mothers feed the pups for just two weeks with milk rich in fat and nutrients. Soon the mothers abandon their pups to join the males for courting and mating, leaving the vulnerable white young on the ice until they moult, lose most of their reserves and learn to swim and hunt by themselves. During this time they fully depend on strong sea ice that lasts at least another four weeks."
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120points
Way back in 2020, Bored Panda reached out to the contest organizers with some questions. One of the representatives of the Ocean Photography Awards told us, "Each of these judges works tirelessly to protect the ocean, using extraordinary storytelling and photography to catalyze real change. Their time, energy, and expertise are such an important and valuable part of these Awards."
#2 Finalist, Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Nadia De Lange, Svalbard, Norway.
Two polar bear cubs cozy up to their mother. Security and warmth.
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115points
#3 1st Place, Young Photographer Of The Year
Ryuta Ogawa, Japan.
A baby green sea turtle photographed at the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. "The baby turtles born on the islands have to migrate more than 1000km north to their feeding habitat," says photographer Ryuta Ogawa. "I came across this hatchling in the shallows. It almost looked as if it was calmly preparing for its long journey ahead. I waited for the moment it surfaced for a breath of air to get this particular shot."
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108points
The competition itself is described as "A celebration of our beautiful blue planet, as well as a platform to highlight the many plights it is facing."
Some of the top ocean photographers in the world make up the jury for Ocean Photographer of the Year. Expedition leaders and prize winners who have made important contributions to the establishment of MPAs, the preservation of certain species, and more extensive public education and ocean literacy initiatives are aware of what it takes to produce compelling ocean pictures.
#4 3rd Place, Conservation (Impact) Photographer Of The Year
Dmitry Kokh, Russia.
Polar bears make a 'home' of an abandoned station on Kolyuchin Island, in the Russian high Artic.
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96points
#5 Finalist, Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Andreas Schmid, Norway.
An orca mother and her calf. "This was the most beautiful day I've had in Northern Norway," says photographer Andreas Schmid. "The mother stayed in front of her calf while they swam past me, making sure I couldn't get too close while still giving the calf a chance to have a good look at me. During the winter months the sun above the Arctic circle is very low or doesn't even rise at all. The window for in-water whale encounters with bright light and sunrays is short. Out of dozens of days this was the only time it all came together."
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96points
A panel of some of the world's top ocean photographers, including Paul Nicklen, a member of the International Photography Hall of Fame, Cristina Mittermeier, the founder of the International League of Conservation Photographers, and Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Shawn Heinrichs, invite ocean photographers of all specialties and levels of expertise to submit their most powerful images.
#6 Finalist, Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean
Reiko Takahashi, Japan.
A narrow waterway alongside a busy resort in Kagoshima is home to a bloom jellyfish during the short summer period.
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94points
#7 Finalist, Fine Art Photographer Of The Year
Gergo Rugli, Australia.
A seagull flys past a large wave breaking in the light of the rising sun. "The mysterious yellow light and the flying bird inspired me to call this image Griffin as this half-eagle, half-lion mythical creature is mostly represented as a yellow bird-like creature," says photographer Gergo Rugli.
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90points
There are only nine categories in the Ocean Photographer of the Year, and the Ocean Photographer of the Year is the overall winner. The categories' scope is vast, and some individual interpretation is possible. This is done to ensure that the Awards are as inclusive as possible and to prevent the most fearless and brave photographers from entering because their photographs don't fit within prescriptive categories.
#8 2nd Place, The Ocean Photographer Of The Year
Katherine Lu, Philippines.
A blanket octopus displays its beautiful colours and textures. "I was very sick during this dive," says photographer Katherine Lu. "I spent a lot of time trying to equalise near the surface. When my guide frantically signalled for me to come down I hesitated for moment, but went for it, pushing myself down. Luckily my ears equalised and there before my eyes was this beautiful blanket octopus. We swam alongside her and then, like magic, she opened up her blanket to show herself in all her glory."
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89points
#9 Finalist, Fine Art Photographer Of The Year
Brooke Pyke, Western Australia.
"This day was special. The kind of day you wish would never end," says photographer Brooke Pyke. "The ocean was the glassiest I have ever seen it - a dream. I swam alongside this whale shark for around 40 minutes admiring its perfect reflection. Trying to capture this perfection was a challenge - if I dived down it disturbed the water. As I began to let the shark go, I caught a glimpse of a new angle and had to capture it. I will never have this moment again."
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88points
#10 2nd Place, Conservation (Hope) Photographer Of The Year
Andreas Schmid, Maldives.
"Because this was the last dive on a liveaboard trip before I flew out early the next day I had to stay shallow while everybody else went deep," says photographer Andreas Schmid. "This allowed me to play around with what the site has to offer in the shallows without any other divers around: schooling bannerfishes and pink whiprays."
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87points
#11 1st Place, Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Rafael Fernandez Caballero, Strait Of Gibraltar, Spain.
A pod of pilot whales pose for a family portrait. "Pilot whales are incredibly special and intelligent beings that enjoy tight family bonds," says photographer Rafael Fernandez Caballero. "They are curious and territorial, so most encounters involve them coming close to see what you want. With love and respect most moments are about a unique interaction, playful moments with different members of each family. This particular picture represents one of the first encounters of that day. A whole family came together to welcome me and to make sure I wasn't a threat."
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87points
#12 1st Place, The Ocean Photographer Of The Year
Ben Thouard, French Polynesia.
The moment a surfer gets wiped out and worked by the turbulence of one of the heaviest waves in the world. "This is the unseen part of surfing," says photographer Ben Thouard. "I have so much respect for both the wave and the surfers - surfing such a heavy wave is a huge challenge."
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85points
#13 2nd Place, Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean
Simon Lorenz, Sri Lanka.
"When searching for whales in the open ocean we always inspect islands of flotsam as they can be interesting wildlife aggregators," says photographer Simon Lorenz. "This large ghostnet island was a death trap for an Olive Ridley sea turtle which we found entangled and struggling. She still looked healthy and strong so, when approaching her we had to be careful not to aggravate her. Getting her disentangled took a machete and more than 30 minutes of hard work. When all the netting was removed we checked the turtle over and sent her on her way."
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84points
#14 3rd Place, Conservation (Hope) Photographer Of The Year
Renee Capozzola, Hawaii.
Three green sea turtles gather under the sun in Maui, Hawaii. "Turtles thrive in Hawaii thanks to the legal protections they are provided."
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82points
#15 3rd Place, The Ocean Photographer Of The Year
Brook Peterson, The United States.
A cormorant and baitfish form the shape of a human face. "This image was made under the oil rig platform, Ellen, off Los Angeles, California," says photographer Brook Peterson. "There was a large school of baitfish under the platform for several weeks and, as a result, numerous other animals there to feed off the baitfish - sea lions, bonita, and cormorants. The image depicts a cormorant hunting through a large bait ball."
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82points
#16 Finalist, Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Sean Scott, Cape Arid National Park, Western Australia.
Southern right whales off a beach in Western Australia. "This is a drone image taken in Cape Pasley in Western Australia," says photographer Sean Scott. "This is a remote part of the incredible Western Australia coastline. The beauty and ruggedness of the Cape Arid National park is second to none and is one of my favourite places in the world to explore. With my outback photography 4WD I camped out down here for more than a week to photograph and watch the beautiful southern right whales as the families socialised in some of the clearest water in the world. They travel up from Antarctica and hit the coast here before heading back."
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81points
#17 3rd Place, Adventure Photographer Of The Year
Martin Broen, Mexico.
"Shot in an abandoned sinkhole-like cenote, where the organic matter that has fallen in the water has decomposed and generated a Hydrogen Sulphide cloud around it," says photographer Martin Broen, "It creates a spooky atmosphere accentuated by the natural framing and darkness of the cenote. It is a unique and strange natural environment, and a dream-like experience, like floating within in a haunted forest."
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78points
#18 Finalist, Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Magnus Lundgren, Philippines.
A beautiful juvenile scalloped ribbonfish. "This image was captured in open water while earthquakes were rolling like thunder underwater," says photographer Magnus Lundgren. "As an adult this fish looks like another species, much bigger, shiny silver, with red markings. Sometimes ribbonfish are called “earthquake fish” because they have appeared as adults on the ocean's surface following major earthquake events."
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77points
#19 Finalist, Fine Art Photographer Of The Year
Vanessa Mignon, Australia.
"Port Jackson sharks congregate in Jervis Bay during winter and spring in order to breed," says photographer Vanessa Mignon. "I had tried several times to photograph a shark over the kelp but never got the right conditions - until the weather was perfect. I saw several sharks but most of them were quite deep or resting on the sand or under rocks. The water was cold and after 45 minutes I started shivering. But I persisted. Eventually this shark swam slowly on top of the kelp, possibly looking for a mate, a place to lay an egg, or a place to rest."
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74points
#20 Finalist, Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean
Brook Peterson, Egypt.
"I was waiting for sunset so that I could take some split shots showing the beautiful corals under the water when several snorkelers came down the pier and prepared to get in," says photographer Brook Peterson. "I realised the best story my image could tell was how people enjoy the sea and its beautiful corals, so I made this image with that intent."
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70points