Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024: Jaw-dropping images of hungry whale, surfing seagull, and more
Some of the most stunning shots from the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year competition have been revealed, showcasing incredible ocean moments like a hungry whale mid-feeding, a seagull riding a sea turtle, a deadly baby octopus, and strange fish babies.
The competition, organized by *Oceanographic Magazine* and sponsored by Blancpain, saw over 80 photos shortlisted across 10 categories, with winners announced at London’s Somerset House on September 12. The top image, captured by Rafael Fernández Caballero, features a Bryde’s whale lunging to swallow a “bait ball” of fish in Baja California, Mexico, taking first place in the Ocean Photographer of the Year category. Caballero described the feeding frenzy as “the biggest show on Earth,” influenced by the El Niño event.
Another highlight was a photo by Enric Gener, showing a seagull perched on a turtle’s back in the Mediterranean. Gener snapped the shot after hours of searching the sea, initially mistaking the turtle for dead until he saw it was alive.
In the Ocean Portfolio category, Katherine Lu captured a juvenile poisonous ocellate octopus riding a pyrosome, a gelatinous deep-sea creature, during its nightly vertical migration. The octopus, just 2 cm tall, shares the deadly toxin of its blue-ringed relatives.
First place in the same category went to Shane Gross for his shot of baby plainfin midshipman fish, still attached to their yolk sacs, being guarded by their father in British Columbia. Gross was also recognized for a photo of a moray eel stranded between two pools in the Seychelles, demonstrating their surprising ability to survive out of water.
