A Bryde’s whale ready to feast on a heart-shaped bait ball near Baja California Sur, Mexico.
2. Overall second place, Jade Hoksbergen
A northern gannet, the largest seabird found in British waters, plunges into the ocean to snatch its prey near the Isle of Noss in the Shetland Islands.
3. Highly commended, Adventure. Byron Conroy
A scuba diver ventures into the Silfra fissure in Iceland, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
4. Highly commended, the Human Connection. Noam Kortler
A local fisherman in his traditional canoe sets his sights on a massive school of sardines swimming in Milen Bay, Papua New Guinea.
5. Highly commended, Wildlife. Florian Ledoux
After a day of playful hunting in Svalbard, a polar bear takes a break on the ice floes.
6. Third Place, Ocean Portfolio Award. Filippo Borghi
This striking image from Borghi's collection shows a leopard seal, one of the Southern Ocean's most powerful predators, in the icy landscape of Antarctica.
7. Third Place, Ocean Portfolio Award. Filippo Borghi
A mesmerizing image of a transparent juvenile wonderpus captured under the night sky in the Philippines.
8. Highly commended, Adventure. John Barton
In the breathtaking Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, a surfer expertly plunges his board under a massive wave, tackling the challenges of a shallow reef break.
9. Highly commended, Fine Art. Ajiex Dharma
In the depths of Bali, Indonesia, a spectacular peacock mantis shrimp reveals its striking display of vivid blue, green, and orange shades, standing out against a shadowy background.
10. Third place, Fine Art. Mark Williams
An orca breathes out at the surface near Vancouver Island, Canada.
11. Third place, Wildlife. Andrey Shpatak
A giant Pacific octopus in the shallows, photographed in Russia.
12. Second place, Conservation (Hope). Edwar Herreño Parra
Near Cocos Island, Costa Rica, a whale shark swims beside the Sharkwater research vessel, which began its life in service of the Japanese fishing fleet but now focuses on scientific exploration.
13. Highly commended, Wildlife. Nataya Chonecadeedumrongkul
A colony of hingebeak shrimp lives within the depths of this barrel sponge. The red and white stripes of these captivating shrimp create a mesmerizing, dance-like motion as they gracefully sway with their beaks angled upward, as observed near Koh Haa in Thailand.
14. Highly commended, Conservation (Impact). Celia Kujala
A polar bear frolics with a plastic fragment, highlighting the harsh reality that even the remote Arctic regions are not immune to the widespread issue of plastic pollution. This striking image was captured on Kiepert Island, Svalbard.
15. Highly commended, Wildlife. Clayton Harris
A humpback whale breaches gracefully while migrating along the Australian coastline, spotted near New South Wales.
16. Highly commended, Wildlife. Laura Leusko
A stunning gathering of mobula rays was captured from above in the Sea of Cortez. As the photographer’s drone slowly approached, several rays began to leap from the water near Baja California Sur, Mexico.
17. Winner, Conservation (Hope). Shane Gross
After an accidental capture in the Seychelles, a green sea turtle was released back into the wild. Researchers, who were initially focused on catching sharks, swiftly untangled the turtle, recorded its measurements, tagged it, and set it free.
18. Winner, Adventure. Tobias Friedrich
A scuba diver swims next to a massive shipwreck in the Bahamas.
