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The ocean is a mystical place. No one knows what's deep down in it. What creatures live there, what lost civilizations are at the bottom of it. Some people are really scared of that unknown and unexplored ocean; however, it can be very beautiful and stunning. Not to mention that it's vital for our survival.
The Ocean Photography Awards are back on Bored Panda to show you the beauty of our oceans. Photographers from all over the world gathered up and submitted stunning photos that could be the winners of the 2021 contest. The Ocean Photography Awards have a mission of showing the importance of preserving marine life and environments. The awards are divided into six different categories, which each will have their own winners in addition to the overall champion.
More info: oceanphotographyawards.com | Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Conservation Photographer, Nicholas Samaras
"A seahorse clings to a face mask (in Stratoni, Greece)"
Bored bunny 4 years ago
I feel bad for the seahorse, hope that people wont throw mask in ocean 😔
ZooMom 4 years ago
I don't think people are necessarily directly and intentionally disposing them into the ocean. The wind blows these little face parachutes from landfills, barges, and sea side trash receptacles. It's still a commentary on conservation but let's not pretend it's simply and individual responsibility.
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Barannya Kakaty 4 years ago
Some humans are fighting hard for nature conservation through social awareness and scientific studies and at another side are just adding fuel to the fire.
Helene Trottier 4 years ago
Nature’s message: please remove elastic pieces before discarding to avoid harm to all creatures, in and out of waters.
Jo Morris 4 years ago (edited)
I would have thought Ocean Photography award-winners would capture the beauty (like the seahorse) and majestic-nature of the ocean, not a discarded mask. Just imagine how many disposable masks have been thrown out over the past couple of years, some getting into our waterways and oceans? That's why it's recommended to cut or break the ear-loops before discarding.
WildBerry 4 years ago
The seahorse could still grab ahold of a mask if the ear loops have been cut. The mask here is not untangled on this seahorse - he's holding it with his tail and can release it should he choose. Their tails are like prehensile tails.
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chris chris 4 years ago
"So the seahorse has a unique muscular tail that is prehensile, meaning it can grip objects the way your hand does. ... Having a muscular tail helps seahorses hold onto any object making it easier to eat their food without being pushed around by the current. Seahorses also use their tails as protection from predators"
Here's what Oceanographic says on their website: "The Ocean Photography Awards™ is a celebration of our beautiful blue planet, as well as a platform to highlight the many plights it is facing. A total of eight awards, including the inaugural Female Fifty Fathoms Award, will be announced this year, with the overall winner, the Ocean Photographer of the Year, announced on September 16th."
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#2
Youth Photographer, Hannah Le Leu
"A green sea turtle hatchling cautiously surfaces for air, to a sky full of hungry birds in Heron Island, Australia."
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago (edited)
I don't think most people can understand how immensely beautiful these turtles are. I'd go so far to say one of the most beautiful species in the world.
#3
Exploration Photographer, Matty Smith
"A southern bobtail squid puts on a performance. Wollongong Harbour, Australia "
Hannah Edwards 4 years ago
Such an alien looking creature! So beautiful. I had a google of them and they are very, very cute!
"The Ocean Photography Awards offers photographers the opportunity to win some truly unique and career-changing prizes. As well as cash prizes, equipment from generous ocean brands and social media exposure to millions of ocean photography enthusiasts, entrants also have the chance of securing a year-long residency as a member of the SeaLegacy Collective. The prizes on offer have a total value of more than £500,000, though some, in truth, are priceless." Click here to see the prizes in detail!
#4
Community Choice Award, Michael Haluwana
"A pod of dolphins catches a wave. Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia"
Otter 4 years ago
I hope when human surfers see the dolphins catching a wave, they give them right of way?
Daria B 4 years ago
I don't know if you're serious or not, but it's a good question. Can surfers control their movements like that? How dependent are they on the force of water? Probably, less expert surfers can't, obviously, but how about the skilled ones?
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#5
Stefan Christmann
SentimentAndBadJokes 4 years ago
Seen several of these dudes photos, I really love what he does with penguins exposure. I love all of his works!
Oceanographic want to help save the ocean: "Oceanographic is a magazine that is both about and for the ocean. We donate 20% of annual profits to marine conservation charities, making us part of the fight for a healthier blue planet. Because part of our donation total is derived from magazine sales, that means our readers are part of the fight too. Become an Oceanographic reader, become an ocean conservationist!"
#6
Matty Smith
#7
Adventure Photographer, Sebastien Pontoizeau
"A freediver duck dives to capture a photograph of a humpback whale."
Milkboimiouwu 4 years ago
Lmao imagine another guy taking a picture of the guy who took a picture of the guy who took a picture of a whale
"Oceanographic is partnered with some of the most committed and effective marine conservation charities working today, ensuring all donations are used purposefully in the pursuit of a better-protected ocean. Real change can only be fostered by empowering a variety of ocean communities, from divers to surfers, via yachters and kayakers. Oceanographic is delighted to be partnered with esteemed and diverse charities, including Project AWARE® and Blue Sphere Foundation."
#8
Community Choice Award, Phil De Glanville
"Surfer Jack Robinson rides the famous break known as ‘The Right’, home to some of the heaviest waves in the world."
#9
Adventure Photographer, Grant Thomas
"Playful grey seals – a species that has been protected in the UK for decades under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Farne Islands, United Kingdom"
Theresa McCreary 4 years ago
They are so cute !!!! These are underwater dogs - playful and happy !!
#10
Adventure Photographer, Martin Broen
"A diver descends into a cenote. Quintana Roo, Mexico"
Otter 4 years ago
See that cloud? It's silt, and it's what makes cave and cenote diving so dangerous. Kick up the silt with a careless flipper and you immediately lose your visibility, and sense of direction. (And that's why I've never done serious cave diving.)
WildBerry 4 years ago (edited)
We call them fins, not flippers. Serious cave divers are trained to either follow the pre-existing line or to reel out their own line and not leave it. Follow it in, follow it back out. In addition, silt is not limited to caves and cenotes. It's found in rivers and lakes and can be found inside wrecks. (We wreck divers use lines also) I've been to a couple of the cenotes in Quintana Roo and where they branch off into caves, they had lines already in place in the areas we dove. They also make you watch a short film about the cenotes/caves and dive safety before you go off.
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Hannah Edwards 4 years ago
Even having a cool sounding job like ‘Adventure Photographer’ wouldn’t induce me to go into an underwater cave.
#11
Stefan Christmann
#12
Adventure Photographer, Daisuke Kurashima
"A humpback whale dives into the blue, emitting a trail of bubbles as it descends. Okinawa, Japan"
Barannya Kakaty 4 years ago
I hope it remains safe. Otherwise we all know the fishy evil business of Japan related to dolphins and whales.
#13
Stefan Christmann
#14
Adventure Photographer, Tanya Houppermans
"An American crocodile glides through the water at sunset at Gardens of the Queen, Cuba, a protected marine reserve since 1996."
#15
Adventure Photographer, Steve Woods
"Sea lions swarm a diver. Vancouver Island, Canada"
Theresa McCreary 4 years ago
Boss, could not get my work done today, those seals kept pestering me all day !!! Tough day at the office !!!! lol
Hannah Edwards 4 years ago
This made me feel uncomfortable, I don’t quite know why, I like sea lions, but they seem to be mobbing the diver.
WildBerry 4 years ago (edited)
I've been diving with them in Galapagos and off of La Paz, Mexico. They are truly like puppies and want to play. They'll imitate you so that if you turn, they'll turn... go up, they'll go up...etc. Sometimes they'll pull on a diver's fin. Still as cute as they are, they are wild animals and so it's not advised to put your fingers out or to go too close to one of their youngsters/babies.
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#16
Alex Kydd
Nixxy 4 years ago
Would not like to be inside the middle of that swarm, imagine the stings ouch
Chewie Baron 4 years ago
These don't sting. These are Golden Cow Nose Rays.
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Stefan Christmann
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago (edited)
🐧🐟Parent Penguins Parent Part-time, Partaking Portions of Fish Fillets during Feeding Forays. (They Take Turns.)🐠🐧
PixxelDust 4 years ago
wouldn't it be dads, seeing as the male holds the egg usually?
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#18
Matty Smith
SomePeopleCallMeMaurice 4 years ago
It looks like a portal to another beautifully psychedelic dimension! I want to got to there!
#19
Adventure Photographer, Ben Thouard
"A wave known as Teahupo’o, as seen from below. Tahiti, French Polynesia"
Em 4 years ago
Is this photo taken from under the wave? Wow, haven't seen anything like it before.
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago
Yes, that's what "when taken from below" implies.
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Gin. No tonic 4 years ago
A good spot for waves gets a name. It might be named after a place or get a nickname. The single wave has no name, but all the waves of that particular place are called the same. So every wave at Teahupo'o is a Teahupo'o, and every wave at The Mavericks is a Maverick wave.
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#20
Matty Smith
#21
Collective Portfolio Award, Stefan Christmann
"Male emperor penguins huddling during polar night, to stay warm as a group."
Warren Falcon 4 years ago
The live version of "Happy Feet", Mr. Robin Williams spirit is there with them.
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago
The sun is "weird' at the poles, that's why they specified "polar night". Google is our friend, Knowledge is Power
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Adventure Photographer, Rodrigo Thome
"A shiver of hammerhead sharks."
#23
Adventure Photographer, James Ferrara
"A sperm whale and sargassum seaweed. Roseau, Dominica"
WildBerry 4 years ago
Each little bunch of the sargassum seaweed is like a little world of it's own. On a scuba trip once, our dive master pulled up sargassum and put it in a bucket of seawater to examine. He was recording for an environmental group and we got to watch and see what he saw. Tiny fish, clams, crabs, all in the sargassum. It's very cool how it protects little groups of sea life but when large amounts wash up on the beaches, these critters die as well as the seaweed itself. The result is a very bad smell that can ruin resort beaches for guests and cause problems for land-going turtles, birds, etc
#24
Exploration Photographer, Steve Woods
"Coastal wolves play on a remote beach. British Columbia, Canada"
TheAnimalLady 4 years ago
"Doggone it Gerald, I'm cold & wet and now it's starting to rain! Take me back to the den right now!! Or else I'm gonna go bit(h on your stupid as s!!!!"... "Yes, dear."
#25
Young Ocean Photographer, Jack Mckee
"A juvenile flying fish, photographed from below. Lady Elliot Island, Australia"
#26
Exploration Photographer, Steven Kovacs
"A rare deep water cusk eel larva. Florida, USA"
#27
Community Choice Award, Fabrice Guerin
"A sea lion hunts mackerel off the coast of Baja (California Sur, Mexico)."
WildBerry 4 years ago
My favorite thing to dive around... a bait ball !! The amount of fish in a large bait ball will actually drown out the sunlight completely and make you feel like you're scuba diving at night. And then you're almost guaranteed to see some huge amber jacks come by to feed... or sharks.
#28
Galice Hoarau
#29
Ocean Conservation Photographer, Henley Spiers
"An olive ridley turtle ensnared by fishing gear, far offshore in the Pacific Ocean.
Baja California Sur, Mexico."
Aiyanna Clements 4 years ago
I’m sure they did! It would be sad if they didn’t.
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#30
Adventure Photographer, Scott Portelli
"A humpback whale calf crashes back into the ocean after a breach. Neiafu, Tonga "
#31
Exploration Photographer, Scott Portelli
"False killer whales, in black and white. Ovaka, Tonga"
#32
Steven Kovacs
#33
Collective Portfolio Award, Matty Smith
"Pacific Man o’ War, a colorful marine invader under an apocalyptic red sky."
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Uhm... how is it a "marine invader"? Doesn't it live in the ocean? *confused*
#34
Collective Portfolio Award, Steven Kovacs
"Larval lobster carrying four larval acorn worms which are one of its food sources."
#35
Young Ocean Photographer, Mikayla Jones
"Two gray whales seemingly pose for the camera. Baja California, Mexico"
#36
Exploration Photographer, Tobias Friedrich
"Life beneath a frozen fjord. Tasiilaq Fjord, East Greenland"
#37
Exploration Photographer, Fabrice Guerin
"A freediver makes their way back to the surface following a dive. Quintana Roo, Mexico"
#38
Galice Hoarau
#39
Ocean Conservation Photographer, Steven Kovacs
"A lizardfish tries to eat a cigarette filter. Florida, USA"
Nixxy 4 years ago
It be smokin (but seriously, stop littering, it kills millions of fish and sea life every year)
MysteriousLegBruise 4 years ago
I have a water bottle in my car at all times so I don't chuck it out of the window. I recognize that this is a huge problem. That being said, I look like this fish after a stressful day lol
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#40
Collective Portfolio Award, Grace Hoarau
"Snooty the lemon shark, Jupiter, Florida."
#41
Adventure Photographer, Jake Wilton
"A manta ray, surrounded by a school of fish. Coral Bay, Western Australia"
#42
Exploration Photographer, Matthew Bagley
"A southern bottle tail squid in the palm of a hand. Western Port Bay, Australia"
#43
Matty Smith
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Looks like a Zebra Shark. http://natural-wild-life.blogspot.com/2011/09/zebra-shark.html
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Ocean Conservation Photographer, Stefan Christmann
"An emperor penguin chick stands on the edge of the ice-shelf, staring at the open water below. Atka Bay, Antarctica"
#45
Exploration Photographer, Nadia Aly
"Emperor penguins stand tall against bracing winds. Snow Hill, Antarctica"
#49
Ocean Conservation Photographer, Steven Kovacs
"A female paper nautilus drifts along on a piece of trash. Anilao, Philippines"
#51
Exploration Photographer, Martin Broen
"Speleothems cast long shadows at Cenote Dos Pisos (in Quintana Roo, Mexico)."
#54
Exploration Photographer, Martin Broen
"A cave diver is silhouetted against a colorful backdrop in cenote Chikin Ha, created by tannic acid. Quintana Roo, Mexico"
#58
Alex Kydd
Vivian Orr 4 years ago
I hate it when the photographer or the poster doesn’t give a name for the creature who’s picture they’re taking or posting.
#60
Conservation Photographer, Kimball Chen
"An endangered yellow-eyed penguin under a starry sky (in Curio Bay, New Zealand)"
#61
Ocean Conservation Photographer, Thien Nguyen Ngoc
"Anchovy fishing boats photographed from above along the coastline of Phu Yen province, Vietnam. Phu Yen province, Vietnam"
#62
Exploration Photographer, Matty Smith
"A portrait of a squid. Bushrangers Bay, Australia"
#63
Exploration Photographer, Scott Portelli
"A diver observes mating cuttlefish. Port Bonython, South Australia"
#64
Adventure Photographer, Ben Thouard
"Surfer Matahi Drollet catches a wave known as Teahupo’o in Tahiti. Tahiti, French Polynesia"
#66
Community Choice Award, Ben Thouard
"A surfer wipeout, as captured from below the surface. Tahiti, French Polynesia"
#68
Galice Hoarau
#71
Community Choice Award, Maxwel Hohn
"A sea nettle drifts in the shallows of Monterey Bay. California, USA"
#75
Galice Hoarau
Llama_flower93 4 years ago
Ocean creatures just look like Sci-fi to me, I find it so extremely awesome that they are real! What a beautiful creature!
#79
Adventure Photographer, Gergo Rugli
"A common dolphin photographed in the Port Stephens Marine Park off Broughton Island. Port Stephens, Australia "
#87
Ocean Conservation, Galice Hoarau
A shark with a fishing hook and line protruding from its mouth.
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