OCEANOGRAPHIC: Hello Julien, it’s good to chat and huge congratulations on your breathtaking image, it really does give you space to pause and think quite deeply on our relationship with the ocean. What does the image represent to you?

Julien Anton: Thank you so much, this image represents several things for me. At the very beginning of my journey as a diver, I was still living in France, near Sète, where the Thau Lagoon is renowned for its seahorse sightings. These remarkable animals were my very first underwater love, from the moment I had the opportunity to observe them. Twenty years later, I learned that seahorses could also be found in French Polynesia. Sadly, their numbers have been in decline as a possible result of climate change and human impact. 

For the past few years, I have been gathering local information from naturalists, biologists, fishermen, and even local children, building up a map of where these seahorses were living. This journey took me from Tahiti to Mo’orea, and to an area in the south of the island where it seemed possible that I might find them.

It took many hours of searching to observe just a few of them. Although seahorses are known to be relatively sedentary, the area I had to explore was extensive and constantly changing, seemingly depending on currents and perhaps the freshwater streams flowing into the lagoon.

Out of only a handful of seahorse sightings, this magical moment emerged – when the adult I was about to photograph suddenly found itself face-to-face with several juveniles.

OCEANOGRAPHIC: What does it mean to you to be named the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026? And what compelled you to share this particular with OPY this year?

Julien Anton: For me, this is one of the most prestigious competitions dedicated to photography and oceans. The level is exceptional every year, and once again this year, I am amazed by the quality of the images. It is an immense source of inspiration for me. There are, once again, so many photographs that are incredibly poetic, beautiful and inspiring.

This image carries a great deal of sentimental value for me. The adult seahorse’s posture almost resembles a greeting – a gesture of reverence towards the juveniles. To me, it conveys both respect and fragility. These individuals did me the extraordinary honour of emerging into the light for just a short moment. I feel the image highlights a sense of paternal strength in contrast with the fragility of life.