French photographer Julien Anton has been named Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 for an extraordinary underwater portrait of a male seahorse accompanied by two tiny juveniles.
More than 15,000 images were entered in this year’s international competition, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, with winners selected across categories including wildlife, conservation, fine art, adventure and human connection.
Anton’s winning photograph shows the two juvenile seahorses against the dark expanse of the ocean beside the adult male. In seahorses, the male carries and gives birth to the young. The photograph was initially selected as the winner of the Ocean Wildlife category before being elevated to the overall Ocean Photographer of the Year title.
“Winning Ocean Photographer of the Year is an immense honour – one I’m proud to share with my family, and with the local residents, naturalists and fishermen of Tahiti and Moorea whose knowledge made this image possible,” Anton said.
“We spent countless hours searching in difficult conditions, with no guarantee of finding a single seahorse. That is what made the moment so extraordinary – when the juveniles turned back towards the adult, it felt like something far beyond what I had dared to hope for.”
Anton said photography was his way of sharing what he sees and feels, adding that he hoped the winning image could act as “a bridge between science, conservation and a world that deserves to know what is at stake”.
Jenny Stock Takes Female Fifty Fathoms Award
British photographer Jenny Stock received the Female Fifty Fathoms Award, established in 2021 by Oceanographic and Blancpain to recognise pioneering women in ocean photography.
Wild Encounter: An American crocodile glides through the mangroves in Cuba, photographed by Female Fifty Fathoms Award recipient Jenny Stock
Unlike the competition’s other categories, candidates for the award are nominated by fellow ocean photographers before being judged by the Ocean Photographer of the Year jury.
“To be nominated by fellow ocean photographers means more to me than I can easily express – this community is everything,” Stock said. “I’m honoured beyond measure, and I hope this recognition inspires more women to pick up a camera and discover the magic that’s beneath the surface.”
Hidden Ocean Worlds Recognised
The new Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds category was won by Mitsuna Kawai for a photograph of a ribbonfish captured during a blackwater dive off Japan.
The category was introduced for 2026 to highlight some of the ocean’s smallest, least-seen and frequently overlooked inhabitants.
Rui Duarte won the Human Connection category with an image showing volunteers attempting to return a stranded pilot whale to the sea.
The Adventure category went to Gergo Rugli for a photograph of dolphins cresting a wave alongside surfers at Tamarama Beach in Sydney, Australia.
Conservation Images Highlight Pressures on Ocean
James Ferrara won Conservation Impact with an image of a whale shark surrounded by snorkellers and divers, highlighting concerns about overtourism's effects on marine wildlife.
Thomas Pavy won the Conservation Hope award for a photograph of scientific divers using laser-calibrated video photogrammetry during a population survey.
Matty Smith took the Ocean Fine Art title with a black-and-white portrait of a nurse shark flanked by remoras.
Ocean Photographer of the Year founder and director Will Harrison said Anton’s winning photograph immediately caught the judging panel’s attention.
“When Julien Anton’s image first appeared on screen, the judging panel fell silent,” Harrison said. “It is ocean photography at its most powerful: intimate, urgent and impossible to ignore.”
The Ocean Photographer of the Year competition, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, aims to highlight the beauty and fragility of the marine environment while recognising photographers documenting the world’s oceans.
The competition is part of the Blancpain Ocean Commitment programme, which supports ocean awareness, scientific research, and marine conservation.
