"These photographs don't just capture what’s beneath the surface; they surface the stories our planet most needs us to hear. As the pressures on our ocean grow, so does the importance of the artists who bear witness to them"

An elephant seal peers underwater at the viewer, its whiskered face enlarged beneath a rippling waterline and dramatic sunset clouds.

The Ocean Photographer of the Year has just announced its 2026 finalists, revealing 84 extraordinary images of ocean wildlife, underwater landscapes and fragile ecosystems in need of our protection.

New this year, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds takes photographers into a rarely seen world – capturing the ocean's smallest and most elusive inhabitants for the first time.

"These photographs don't just capture what’s beneath the surface; they surface the stories our planet most needs us to hear," said Ocean Photographer of the Year founder and director, Will Harrison. "As the pressures on our ocean grow, so does the importance of the artists who bear witness to them."

Ocean Photographer of the Year is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain. You can see all the 2026 finalists on the Oceanographic Magazine website.

Finalist highlights: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026

Category: Adventure

In the darkness, careful buoyancy is essential to avoid disturbing fine silt, allowing the cave's remarkable clarity and geological history to remain undisturbed (Image credit: Romona Reynolds / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Romona Robbins Reynolds
A cave diver follows a yellow guideline through the winding passages of a Mexican cenote. Formed over thousands of years as limestone dissolved and caves flooded, these submerged systems preserve spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Category: Conservation (Hope)

Through photo identification and laser-calibrated video photogrammetry, scientists can track sharks over time, measuring size, sex and population trends (Image credit: Thomas Pavy / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Thomas Pavy
A great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) is photographed at 180 feet / 55 metrers depth in Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa Atoll, during a population survey. This image represents the moment an anonymous shark becomes a known individual.

Category: Conservation (Impact)

More than 1,000 whales are typically killed each year, despite ongoing concerns over high levels of heavy metals in the meat (Image credit: Karsten Michels / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Karsten Michels
During a Grindadráp in the Faroe Islands, a pilot whale lies on the shore as hunters carry out the final stages of the hunt. Children watch a tradition that has been passed between generations. The visible wounds and hunting tools show the injuries caused during a process that can last for hours.

Category: Fine Art

Cleaning shrimp play an important role on reefs by removing parasites and dead tissue from other animals (Image credit: Ajiex Dharma / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Ajiex Dharma
A Hingeback Cleaning Shrimp rests against a pink barrel sponge, its eye sharply focused while the surrounding colors dissolve into a soft blur.

Category: Human Connection (People and Planet Ocean)

Water movement has carved patterns into the tidal flats, creating a transition from warm golden tones to cool teal waters (Image credit: Lin Yongxuan / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Lin Yongxuan
Four fishermen stand in the shallow waters of Xiapu’s intertidal zone, using traditional push nets that spread across the surface like colorful sails.

New Category – Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds

Christmas tree worms are tube-dwelling marine worms that use colorful feeding crowns to capture plankton from the water (Image credit: Lale Alev Ozten Low / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Lale Alev Ozten Low
During a coral spawning night dive, a Christmas tree worm releases a stream of tiny eggs from the coral surface where it lives.

Category: Wildlife

These young seals must quickly learn to swim and survive independently (Image credit: Matthew Smith / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Matthew Smith
Southern elephant seal pups explore shallow rock pools on Sea Lion Island in the Falkland Islands, testing their first movements in the water after being weaned by their mothers.

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