Rafael Fernández Caballero was named Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024. His photo of a Bryde’s whale feeding on a baitball was chosen from over 15,000 images showcasing the ocean in all its aspects, underwater, at the surface, from the coast, or the air.
This image captures perhaps the most special – and craziest – moment of my life. It fills me with joy to have lived this moment and to have captured this image.
This nomination is a dream come true. It’s spectacular! Being part of the best compilation of ocean photographs this year – and receiving the highest recognition – pushes me to continue believing in what I do and to continue showcasing the wonders of the ocean.
Rafael Fernández Caballero
This year’s award-winning photographs include spectacular wildlife encounters, such as a baitball devoured from the air and sea, a moray eel slipping over rocks at low tide, and a shimmering mahi mahi photographed with a mouthful; marvelous examples of the bond uniting our species to the ocean: a boat crew pulling a remarkably large net from the water, environmental defenders tending to coral nurseries, and a freediver plunging into the depths of a blue hole; and harsh reminders of our impact on the ocean: an octopus seeking shelter in a plastic bag, a fin whale brought ashore for dismemberment, and a gannet accidentally hung after its artificial nest turned into a noose.
the Female Fifty Fathoms award
This year, the Female Fifty Fathoms award is presented to Malaysian photographer Ipah Uid Lynn. This award, created in 2021 by Oceanographic Magazine et Blancpain, celebrates pioneering women in marine photography. Unlike other categories, the recipient of this award is named by her peers and judged by the jury of the Ocean Photographer of the Year Award and a delegation from Blancpain led by its CEO, Marc A. Hayek.
Receiving the Female Fifty Fathoms Award is an incredible honor and a validation of the passion and dedication I’ve poured into my work over the years. It’s a surreal and deeply gratifying feeling. It is recognition that goes beyond personal achievement; it highlights the importance of storytelling through photography and amplifying women’s voices in this field. It is with great humility and inspiration that I continue pushing the boundaries of what I can capture and share with the world.
Ipah Uid Lynn
The Ocean Photographer of the Year competition, presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain, has a simple mission: to highlight the wonder and fragility of our blue planet, and to celebrate photographers who give it a voice.
The first exhibition showcasing the winning photos will open at the Australian National Maritime Museum, in Sydney, on November 28, followed by several other locations early in 2025.
The 2024 lineup of the OPY
Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024
1st prize – Rafael Fernández Caballero
A Bryde’s whale about to devour a heart-shaped baitball.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
2nd prize – Jade Hoksbergen
A gannet, one of the largest seabirds in British waters, dives into the water to catch its prey.
Isle of Noss, Shetland Islands
3rd prize – Thien Nguyen Ngoc
A fishing boat off Hon Yen, whose long trail of smoke aligns perfectly with the shape of the green nets beneath the surface.
Vietnam
Adventures
1st prize – Tobias Friedrich
A diver overshadowed by a wreck.
The Bahamas
2nd prize – Sébastien Bachellereau
A surfer rides a spectacular wave, with a bright rainbow forming behind him.
New South Wales, Australia
3rd prize – Daan Verhoeven
Free diver Sun Young Kim dives in the ‘no fins’ category during Vertical Blue 2021, a freediving competition, at the famous Dean’s Blue Hole.
The Bahamas
Ocean Conservation – Hope
1st prize – Shane Gross
A green turtle is released by a researcher after being captured while trying to catch sharks. Acting swiftly, the researchers untangled the turtle, took measurements, and tagged it before releasing it back to where it was caught.
Seychelles
2nd prize – Edwar Herrenó Parra
A whale shark swims alongside the research vessel Sharkwater, a ship that was initially used by the Japanese fishing fleet and is now used for research.
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
3rd prize – Matty Smith
A White’s seahorse, an endangered species, in Sydney Harbor. Their numbers have declined due to human activities, but thanks to conservation programs, captive breeding, and release, their numbers are recovering.
Sydney, Australia
Ocean Conservation – Human Impact
1st prize – Frederik Brogaard
The second largest fin whale awaits its turn to be carved at a whaling factory in Iceland before being sent to Japan.
Iceland
2nd prize – Rebecca Douglas
A gannet, entangled in discarded fishing gear, hangs from a cliff.
Isle of Noss, Shetland Islands
3rd prize – Andrew Sullivan-Haskins
Free divers from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project work to remove a large ghost net from the waters of the uninhabited Pearl and Hermes Atoll. By this point, the team has worked nearly two months straight and has removed nearly 90 tons of ghost nets from this marine protected area.
Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii
Female Fifty Fathoms – Ipah Uid Lynn
A whale shark surrounded by a swirling school of fish at night.
The Maldives
A tiny goby perched on a delicate sea whip.
Island of Romblon, Philippines
A member of the Bajau ethnicity holds a fishing spear in a traditional wooden boat.
Selakan Island, Malaysia
A diver explores the underwater world of a mangrove forest.
Selakan Island, Malaysia
A caprellid consumes its prey.
Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
A diver explores a cave network filled with complex rock formations.
Bau Bau, Indonesia
Close-up of a curious goby.
Tenggol Island, Malaysia
A diver swims in a small cavern.
Tenggol Island, Malaysia
A moray eel emerges from its hiding place in coral.
Selakan Island, Malaysia
A large school of batfish swims in unison.
Koh Tao, Thailand
Fine Art
1st prize – Henley Spiers
Juvenile Munk’s devil rays are attracted to a green light and appear to fly in the water.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
2nd prize – Julien Anton
Close-up of a nurse shark’s eye.
Tahiti, French Polynesia
3rd prize – Mark Williams
An orca exhales at the surface.
Vancouver Island, Canada
Human Connection
1st prize – Zhang Xiang
A beach reflects the golden mist of the sunset, while a traditional fisherman walks in the water.
China
2nd prize – Romeo Bodolai
A fisherman uses a traditional fishing technique.
Myanmar
3rd prize – Yue Hongjun
A freediver with her custom mermaid tail swims among a school of sardines.
Moalboal, Philippines
Portfolio
1st prize – Shane Gross
A male and female pink salmon spawn as their final act before perishing and feeding the forest in Campbell River.
British Columbia, Canada
A threatened chupare stingray feeds on a sandbar at dawn.
Bahamas
A critically endangered Cuban crocodile swallows the photographer’s camera dome.
Cuba
A decorated warbonnet hides in the stinging tentacles of a lion’s mane jellyfish.
Alaska
Western toad tadpoles migrate from the deep part of a lake to the sunlit shallows to feed on algae and other organic matter.
British Columbia, Canada
A mother humpback whale nudges her calf in a unique show of love.
French Polynesia
California squid mate and lay eggs. The female deposits 100 to 300 eggs in the sand and covers them with a sticky substance to anchor them to the sea floor and protect them from predators.
British Columbia, Canada
An octopus explores the pristine coral reefs of Indonesia, accessible only by boat.
Indonesia
Nurse sharks cross paths on a shallow sandbank as part of a mating parade lasting several days.
The Bahamas
Plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus) fry still attached to their yolk sac.
British Columbia, Canada
2nd prize – Katherine Lu
A group of lemon sharks rises to the surface at sunset.
Bahamas
A juvenile ringed octopus displays its translucent body.
Anilao, Philippines
A tiger shark swims against a healthy, fish-rich reef. The hook in its mouth serves as a brutal reminder of their vulnerability to human impact.
The Bahamas
A nurse shark swims amid a large school of jacks.
The Bahamas
A nautilus leaves a trail of ink after being startled by the photographer’s presence.
Anilao, Philippines
A whale shark swims alongside a diver in a remote region of Indonesia, giving a sense of scale.
Indonesia
Many jellyfish have been isolated in this saltwater lake, predator-free for thousands of years. Over time, they lost their ability to sting.
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
A juvenile trevally hides inside a jellyfish, demonstrating their unique symbiotic relationship.
Anilao, Philippines
A mother humpback whale teaches her young calf to swim in a warm, calm lagoon.
Mo’orea, French Polynesia
Venomous ocellated octopus or Amphioctopus mototi on a pyrosome, a pelagic colonial tunicate. Captured during a black water dive, this juvenile octopus was about 2 centimeters in size.
Anilao, Philippines
3rd prize – Filippo Borghi
A school of sardines swirls in unison, while predators such as sea lions, snapper, and diving seabirds hunt them from above and below.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
A crowd of mobula rays, with fluid and hypnotic movements.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
An anglerfish targets a torpedo ray.
Italy
A humpback whale and her calf move through the water.
Réunion Island
Photograph of a juvenile ringed octopus, taken at night.
Philippines
An elusive and captivating leafy scorpionfish.
North Sulawesi, Indonesia
The hidden wonders of the Mediterranean Sea: In its deepest regions, unique communities of coralligenous and sponges are found.
Italy
One of the most formidable predators of the Southern Ocean, the leopard seal.
Antarctica
A curious blue shark inspects the photographer’s photo gear.
Azores
A shark egg, attached to a gorgonian. Through the lens, the photographer could see the developing embryo inside.
Italy
Marine Life
1st prize – Manuel Castellanos Raboso
A mahi-mahi or dorado proudly showcases its catch amid a feeding frenzy.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
2nd prize – Rafael Fernández Caballero
A marine iguana sitting on a rock. Unlike other iguanas in the world, they are the only ones that have evolved to swim and feed underwater, holding their breath for up to 60 minutes.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
3rd prize – Andrey Shpatak
A giant Pacific octopus in shallow waters.
Russia
Young Photographer 2024
1st prize – Jacob Guy
An elusive octopus (Abdopus aculeatus) shows its fluorescence under ultraviolet light.
North Sulawesi, Indonesia
2nd prize – João Pontes
A perfectly camouflaged lizard fish with prey in its mouth.
Hawaii
3rd prize – Julian Jacobs
A California moray eel takes a pause at the surface of its rapidly shrinking world as the tide recedes.
California
opening image © Rafael Fernández Caballero – Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024