The Ocean Photographer of the Year has a simple mission: to shine a light on the beauty of the ocean and the threats it faces. The competition is produced by Oceanographic Magazine, this year in partnership with Blancpain, Arksen and Tourism Western Australia. After thousands of images were submitted from around the world by the planet’s best ocean photographers to this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year, the finalists have now been found. 

This year’s photographs reveal the full spectrum of ocean life through a wealth of drone, land and underwater images. They include stunning wildlife encounters such as airborne penguins, a lizardfish that has bitten off more than it can chew and a playful polar bear; spectacular seascapes, including humpback whales feeding next to cathedral-like icebergs, a herd of goats on the edge of a coastal desert and narwhals scything through silty water; beautiful interpretations of the human-ocean connection, from surfers queuing for a rainbow wave, divers discovering ancient Mayan skeletons in pitch-black flooded caves, and kayakers floating amongst the ice in the Arctic wilderness.

Ocean photographers of all disciplines and experience levels – amateurs and professionals alike – were invited to submit their most impactful imagery to be judged by a panel of some of the world’s leading ocean photographers.

A total of nine categories were judged, including the Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope), the Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact), the Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, the Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year, the Ocean Portfolio Award, the Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, as well as the Human Connection Award.

Last year, the BBC said about the competition: “The Ocean Photographer of the Year celebrates some of the most incredible underwater photographers and the awe-inspiring world that exists in the world’s oceans.” 

The category winners and the overall winner, The Ocean Photographer of the Year, will be announced in September. Follow OPY awards on Instagram for daily updates and all the news as it unfolds.

In our Winners Gallery, you can now meet the photographers and discover the incredible stories behind the finalist shots.