A striking image of a giant oceanic sunfish gliding through the clear waters of Mexico's Baja Peninsula is one of the finalists for Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026. The photograph captures the moment the diver and the huge fish appear startled by each other.
Heaviest Bony Fish in the World
The sunfish is the heaviest bony fish in the world and can reach 11ft long and weigh up to 5,000 lbs. Organisers said they had received thousands of “extraordinary images” for the competition.
Other contenders making the shortlist include an eye-opening snap of a cute Southern elephant seal pup as it explores shallow rock pools on Sea Lion Island in the Falkland Islands. Hawaiian green sea turtles (honu) were also captured resting together inside a sheltered sea cave on Maui at sunset. Once heavily hunted, these turtles have recovered through decades of protection, and gatherings like this show the progress made.
Dolphins Riding Waves with Surfers
In another beautiful shot, which made the shortlist of 20, dolphins ride the waves alongside surfers at Tamarama Beach in Sydney, during a powerful swell and offshore winds. The pod stayed with the surfers for more than an hour, “moving through the lineup as naturally as the people around them”.
Other finalists include a cave diver following a yellow guideline through the winding passages of a Mexican cenote, a freediver surrounded by a vast school of sardines that part to form a striking halo, and two orcas working together to carry a humpback whale calf they hunted.
New Category for Hidden Worlds
A new category has been introduced this year titled “Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds” which, they say, “turns the lens to the ocean’s smallest and least-seen inhabitants.” Ocean Photographer of the Year Director, Will Harrison, said: “These photographs don’t just capture what’s beneath the surface; they surface the stories our planet most needs us to hear.
“As the pressures on our ocean grow, so does the importance of the artists who bear witness to them. This year’s finalists have produced work of extraordinary depth and courage, and we’re proud that Ocean Photographer of the Year continues to be the platform where those stories reach the world.”
