The British photo contest Ocean Photography Awards has just revealed the beautiful winners for 2021. The prestigious Photographer of the Year 2021 award was given to Aimee Jan for her photo of a turtle in the midst of a school of glass fish.
Photographer of the Year 2021 – Aimee Jan
A green turtle, surrounded by glass fish. « I was snorkeling when one of my colleagues told me there was a turtle in the middle of a school of glass fish, about 10 meters deep, » explains the photographer Aimee Jan. « When I dove to take a look, the fish perfectly parted around the turtle. I told her, ‘I think I just took the best photo I’ve ever taken.’ »».
Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Second place – Henley Spiers
« Diving amidst gannets, I witnessed an intense synchronization of these impressive seabirds as they plunged into fishing dives « , explains the photographer Henley Spiers. « They hit the water at 60 mph (96 kmh), an impact they can withstand only because of specially developed air sacs in their head and chest. The birds transition smoothly from air to sea where they also swim at incredible speeds. »
Noss Island, Shetland, UK
Third place – Matty Smith
« A juvenile hawksbill turtle measuring only 3.5 cm long and just a few minutes old swims for the very first time « , explains the photographer Matty Smith. « It had emerged from an egg just minutes earlier along with a hundred of its siblings. They quickly made their way into the ocean to disperse as quickly as possible to avoid predation from birds and fish. I had to work fast for this shot.»
Lissenung Island, Papua New Guinea
« Adventure » Photographer of the Year
1st place – Ben Thouard
Surfer Matahi Drollet catches a wave known as Teahupo’o in Tahiti.Tahiti, French Polynesia
2nd place – Ben Thouard
The wave of Teahupo’o, seen from below.Tahiti, French Polynesia
3rd place – Sébastien Pontoizeau
A freediver plunges to take a photo of a humpback whale.Réunion Island
Portfolio
1st place – Stefan Christmann
2nd place – Matty Smith
3rd place – Alex Kydd
Public Choice Award
1st place – Phil de Glanville
Surfer Jack Robinson rides the famed break known as « The Right, » which is home to some of the heaviest waves in the world.Denmark, Western Australia
Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year
1st place – Kerim Sabuncuoglu
A dead moray eel on an abandoned fishing line.Bodrum, Turkey
2nd place – Galice Hoarau
A seagull caught on a ghost fishing line.Saltstraumen, Norway
3rd place – Steven Kovacs
A female nautilus drifting on a piece of garbage.Anilao, Philippines
Exploration Photographer of the Year
1st place – Martin Broen
Speleothems cast long shadows in the Dos Pisos cenote.Quintana Roo, Mexico
2nd place – Steven Kovacs
A rare deep-water cusk eel larva.Florida, United States
3rd place – Matty Smith
Portrait of a squid.Bushrangers Bay, Australia
Female Award Fifty Fathoms of the Year
1st place – Renee Capozzola
A blacktip shark aligns its dorsal fin with the setting sun in Moorea, French Polynesia. « This composite image was achieved by using a wide-angle lens, a large dome, and a strobe to illuminate the underwater portion of the image« , explains the photographer Renee Capozzola. » Sharks are abundant in French Polynesia due to strong legal protections and are a sign of a healthy marine ecosystem. ». « Moorea, French Polynesia
2nd place – Aimee Jan
A manta ray feeds in calm waters. « We were on a tour with humpback whales when manta rays were spotted feeding, swimming back and forth on the surface and gulping huge bites of plankton « , explains the photographer Aimee Jan. « That day there was no wind—we call it glass because the surface of the water looks like glass. We swam and it was just beautiful. I snapped a few photos. This one was my favorite. »
Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia
3rd place – Emilie Ledwidge
Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Young Photographer of the Year Award
1st place – Hannah Le Leu
A freshly hatched green turtle cautiously surfaces for air, in a sky full of hungry birds.Heron Island, Australia
2nd place – Jack McKee
A juvenile flying fish, photographed from below.Lady Elliot Island, Australia
3rd place – Mikayla Jones
Two gray whales seemingly pose for the camera.Baja California, Mexico
Opening photo – Photographer of the Year 2021 – Aimee Jan © Aimee Jan – Ocean Photography Awards