Ocean Photography 2024: 10 stunning and vibrant shots of marine life

The world of marine animals is fascinating and a mystery to most. The deep oceans bear within themselves millions of creatures that are elusive and hard to catch. The Ocean Photography 2024 has given us a peek into this world. These photographs capture the beauty, uniqueness, and grace of each animal up close. Some of them are rare clicks, as they prefer to live within the deep ocean. The photographs are a testament to the skills of the photographers as well as the hidden beauty of marine life. Let us look at the photographs of the 10 Winners of Ocean Photographer of the Year.

The picture shows an elated common dolphinfish, posing for the camera with her catch. The photographer, Manuel Castellanos Raboso, was awarded first prize in the wildlife category. This creature, also known as mahi mahi and dorado, is a ray-finned fish that prefers to stay close to the surface. They are often found in offshore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters worldwide.
Image Credit: Manuel Castellanos Raboso

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This image of a puffin fish with fishes caught in her beak made the photographer Merche Llobera a finalist in the fine arts category. According to Merche, this photograph is of a mother puffin taking the fish to feed her chicks. These fish have a unique ability to inflate themselves into a ball shape as a way to defend themselves.

Image Credit: Merche Llobera

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Captured by Henley Spiers, this image of juvenile Munk's devil rays managed to win in the fine arts category. Spiers explains that in this image, the green light effect was included by hanging green light from the back of the boat. These fish have a horizontally flattened body, with eyes bulging on the sides.

Image Credit: ​Henley Spiers

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This image, which shows a northern gannet diving into the water to catch its prey, was captured by Jade Hoksbergen. These birds mostly spend their time at sea but can be caught at the beaches on the Atlantic coast. As they live near water bodies, the birds have adapted to dive from great heights and can hit the water at a speed of 60 miles per hour.
Image Credit: Jade Hoksbergen



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This daring close-up picture of a shark’s eye won Julien Anton second position in the Fine Art category. This unconventional point of view details the patterns on the shark’s skin, and the subject’s eye contrasts against this background.

Image Credit: Julien Anton

Uid Lynn captured this image of a school of batfish moving through the deep waters, and along with them poses an ocean diver. The picture, according to Lynn, emphasizes the harmony between the diver and the marine life around them.
Image Credit: Uid Lynn

Shane Gross, the capturer of this image, explains that this image was taken when this creature got caught along with the sharks intended for research. When the researchers realized that a turtle was caught along, they were quick to take its measurements and attach a tag before releasing it into the waters.
Image Credit: Shane Gross

The aim of capturing this image was to raise awareness among people against the whaling of these huge whales. The image is one of hopelessness as the whale awaits its end. Fin whales are the second-largest animals after the blue whale, and they are under threat due to extensive whaling.
Image Credit: Frederik Brogaard


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Due to their body structure, these octopuses blend in perfectly with the reef. Jacob Guy won 1st place in the Young Photographer of the Year category. These are the only cephalopods that can fluoresce under ultraviolet light. They are usually found along the Indonesian, Philippine, and Northern Australian coastlines.

Image Credit: Jacob Guy

The peacock mantis shrimp is a colorful species, and the image captures the vibrant blue, green, and orange hues quite well. Ajiex Dharma, the photographer, wrote about how the bulging eyes of the peacock are almost alien-like. These critters are mostly found in the shallow parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Image Credit: Ajiex Dharma