Filippo Borghi. Finalist, Portfolio.
“One of the Southern Ocean’s most formidable predators, the leopard seal.”
The 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year contest finalists have been revealed. Culled from more than 15,000 photos submitted to the competition, the images highlight the beauty of the ocean and its perils.
In September, the Ocean Photographer of the Year and the youth competition winner will be announced. Individual categories spotlight the ocean, from Adventure and Wildlife to Conservation and Human Connection. Twelve finalist images were selected for each category, while three photographers—Filippo Borghi, Katherine Lu, and Shane Gross—were singled out thanks to the strength of their portfolios.
From incredible photos of a ferocious leopard seal to a portrait of a rare white sea turtle, these photos give us a new perspective on life underwater. At the same time, particularly in the conservation categories, they demonstrate the work that must be done to help it continue to thrive.
In one image, we see young common clownfish at a hatchery in Indonesia. While the species isn’t endangered, the photo shows that even plentiful fish can see large population drops due to overfishing.
While we wait to see the winners, scroll down to see some of our favorite finalists from the 2024 contest. Then, to see the full gallery, head over to the Ocean Photographer of the Year website.
Here are some of our favorite finalists from the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year contest.
Jake Wilton. Finalist, Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
“In Papua New Guinea’s Conflict Islands, conservation efforts have transformed former poachers into protectors, boosting turtle hatchling numbers. Amid this success, a rare leucistic green sea turtle was found amongst the nests.”
Byron Conroy. Finalist, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year.
“A scuba diver explores the Silfra fissure in Iceland, the tectonic boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates.”
Katherine Lu. Finalist, Portfolio.
“A nurse shark swims through a large school of jackfish.”
Giacomo d’Orlando. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope).
“Juvenile common clownfish in a hatchery. The common clownfish population off the Jakarta coastline has decreased significantly as a result of overfishing and the ornamental fish trade. To counteract this movement, the government has created a hatchery in 2018 to revive the local clownfish population.”
Shane Gross. Finalist, Portfolio.
“A crested sculpin hides in the stinging tentacles of a lion’s mane jellyfish.”
The finalists were selected from the more than 15,000 images submitted to the photography contest.
Zhang Xiang. Finalist, The Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean.
“Fishermen 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.”
João Pontes. Finalist, Young Ocean Photographer of the Year.
“A perfectly camouflaged lizardfish with prey in its mouth.”
Enric Adrian Gener. Finalist, Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year.
“A seagull rests on top of a sea turtle shortly before they both continue their own paths.”
Henley Spiers. Finalist, Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year.
“Juvenile Munk’s devil rays are attracted by a green light, seemingly flying through the water.”
Florian Ledoux. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope).
“A male and female polar bear rest after mating high in the mountains.”
The winners will be announced in mid-September.
Clayton Harris. Finalist, Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
“A breaching humpback whale on its migration path along the Australian coastline.”
Frederik Brogaard. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact).
“The 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.”
Scott Portelli. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact).
“A melting ice shelf in the Arctic creates numerous waterfalls.”
Laura Leusko. Finalist, Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
“A fever of mobula rays from above. When the photographer’s drone inched closer, some rays started to jump out of the water.”
Seán O’Callaghan. Finalist, The Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean.
“A whale watching trip boat encounters a dead sperm whale. Its demise allowed researchers on the boat to gather data and opportunistic samples to learn from its death.”