Ocean Photographer of the Year

A diver diver wearing a mermaid fin costume, diving down towards a large school of fish.

Loading...

Celebrating the beauty of our blue planet by showcasing the wonders of our oceans and the urgent need to protect them. 

Explore the awe-inspiring beauty and fragility of our oceans through the Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition, returning to the Australian National Maritime Museum this November.  

Featuring 118 extraordinary images, this exhibition celebrates the vision of talented photographers from around the world.

A panel of expert judges selected the winning images, celebrating excellence in the categories of The Ocean, Wildlife, Fine Art, Adventure, Conservation (Hope), Conservation (Impact), Human Connection Award, Young Photographer of the Year and the Ocean Portfolio Award.  The exhibition includes the Female Fifty Fathoms Award created in 2021 by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain to promote women in the field. Each year it celebrates one woman’s portfolio of work nominated by her peers.

From breathtaking wildlife encounters and underwater vistas to compelling scenes of human connection with the ocean, each photograph tells a powerful story.

The Ocean Photographer of the Year competition, run by the London based Oceanographic Magazine, is in its 5th year and has quickly achieved recognition amongst photographers around the world

The Australian National Maritime Museum is proud to partner with Oceanographic Magazine in producing the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year.

Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in the beauty, adventure, and conservation stories that reflect the deep connection we share with our oceans. 

A seagull rests on top of a sea turtle shortly before they both continue their own paths.  Mediterranean Sea. 

Enric Gener

A surfer duck-dives his board under a large wave over a shallow reef break. Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. 

John Barton

A Southern stingray patrols a healthy seagrass meadow. The Bahamas. 

Remuna Beca

A poison ocellate octopus or mototi on a pyrosome, a pelagic colony of tunicates. Captured during a blackwater night dive, this juvenile octopus measured about 2 centimetres. Anilao, Philippines.

Katherine Lu

Juvenile common clownfish in a hatchery. Jakarta, Indonesia.

Giacomo d'Orlando

Juvenile Munk’s devil rays are attracted by a green light, seemingly flying through the water. Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Henley Spiers

1 - 6

"This extraordinary exhibition showcases life on, in and around the ocean and highlights its diversity. As Australia’s museum of the sea, we are proud to display these amazing images from ocean photographers globally to encourage visitors to consider their role in preserving the oceans around us."

Ms Daryl Karp AM - Director and CEO

A breaching humpback whale on its migration path along the Australian coastline. New South Wales, Australia.

Clayton Harris

Skilled freedivers hang upside down beneath a boat, defying gravity and basking in their unique moment of underwater grace.  Sri Lanka. 

Chong Wan Yong

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. China.

Zhang Xiang

One of the Southern Ocean’s most formidable predators, the leopard seal. Antarctica.

Filippo Borghi

Blancpain logo

Sydney exhibition sponsor

logo with a black square and black text OM SYSTEM