Crocodile in submerged forest amongst 12 astonishing photographs from Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026

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The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026, introduced by Oceanographic and Blancpain, have been revealed, with French photographer Julien Anton introduced as the general winner of the competitors.

The Ocean Photographer of the Year competitors goals to shine a lightweight on the surprise and fragility of our blue planet, and to have fun the photographers giving it a voice.

The successful {photograph} is a portrait of a male seahorse and two tiny juveniles alongside him, simply barely seen in opposition to the darkness of the ocean.

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 winners

Overal winner

An grownup seahorse pictured with newly born juveniles within the shallow seaweed-filled waters of Moorea, French Polynesia. Credit: Julien Anton/Ocean Photographer of the Year

While it isn’t recognized if these seahorses are associated, their association creates the impression of a farewell, as if the tiny seahorses have gathered round their father after he has launched them into the world. Seahorses are actually uncommon in French Polynesia so this picture was the results of lengthy hours of looking out among the many seaweed.

“When Julien Anton’s picture first appeared on display, the judging panel fell silent,” said Ocean Photographer of the Year founder and director, Will Harrison. “It is a picture that calls for reflection, pause for thought, and it definitely obtained that from us.

“The picture is stuffed with quiet power, even when a few of that comes from us people imprinting our personal feelings on the {photograph}: the bow of the daddy’s head, the juveniles turning again in direction of him, the generational hole and the unknown futures of the newborns.

“What type of ocean are we leaving for individuals who come after us? It is ocean pictures at its strongest: intimate, pressing and inconceivable to disregard.”

Female Fifty Fathoms Award recipient

The recipient of this 12 months’s Female Fifty Fathoms Award is British photographer Jenny Stock. The Female Fifty Fathoms Award was created in 2021 by Oceanographic and Blancpain to have fun pioneering and boundary-pushing girls in ocean pictures.

Selected pictures by Jenny Stock

A inexperienced turtle approaches the digicam, showing interested by her reflection in its dome port, captured in French Polynesia. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year

In the chilly waters of Browning Pass, Canada, a large Pacific octopus emerges from a reef lined in gentle corals, sponges and clams. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year

An American crocodile strikes by the mangroves of Cuba, a habitat that gives shelter for feeding, breeding, nesting and elevating younger. Beneath the bushes, fallen leaves break down into nutrient-rich sediment. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year

In Western Australia’s Jurien Bay Marine Park, curious sea lion pups approached the photographer within the water. The playful animals chased, gently nipped and twisted across the digicam, fascinated by their reflections in its curved dome port. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year

A male weedy seadragon carries lots of of fertilised eggs on his tail within the coastal waters of Tasmania, Australia. Unlike seahorses, which carry eggs in a pouch, male weedy seadragons connect them on to their tails, the place they develop for round eight weeks. Credit: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year

Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds class winner

A ribbonfish rises vertically by the darkish waters of Osezaki, Japan. Its lengthy, silver physique and delicate fins are tailored for all times within the open ocean. Around the ribbonfish, a swarm of salps – small, jelly-like animals that feed on tiny particles within the ocean – creates a glimpse of life transferring by the deep sea. Credit: Mitsuna Kawai/Ocean Photographer of the Year

Human Connection class winner

Boa Vista, Cape Verde. Volunteers, surfers, lifeguards and conservation teams work collectively to refloat stranded short-finned pilot whales. While many animals initially returned to the ocean, the pod stranded once more additional alongside the coast, highlighting the complexity of mass strandings. Credit: Rui Filipe Cardoso Duarte/Ocean Photographer of the Year

Adventure class winner:

Dolphins journey the waves alongside surfers at Tamarama Beach, Sydney, Australia, throughout a strong swell and offshore winds. The pod stayed with the surfers for greater than an hour, transferring by the lineup as naturally because the folks round them. Credit: Gergo Rugli/Ocean Photographer of the Year

Conservation Impact class winner

A whale shark is surrounded by divers and snorkelers within the Raa Atoll, Maldives, revealing the overwhelming strain crowded wildlife tourism can place on marine animals. With virtually 50 folks seen within the body, this picture captures the fact behind some fashionable wildlife encounters. Credit: James Ferrara/Ocean Photographer of the Year

Conservation Hope class winner

A terrific hammerhead shark – often known as Tamataroa in French Polynesia – is photographed at 55 metres depth in Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa Atoll, throughout a inhabitants survey. This picture represents the second an nameless shark turns into a recognized particular person. Credit: Thomas Pavy/Ocean Photographer of the Year

Ocean Fine Art class winner

A tawny nurse shark glides by the nice and cozy waters of Alimathaa Island, Maldives, because the setting solar filters by the ocean floor. Beneath it, remoras journey alongside their host, illustrating a typical partnership by which the smaller fish achieve transport, safety and feeding alternatives. Credit: Matty Smith/Ocean Photographer of the Year

See the total gallery of finalists and winners here.

Top picture credit score: Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year

More superb pictures from world wide

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