These award-winning underwater photos provide a rare glimpse beneath the world's oceans

An award-winning photo of a green turtle.

Jenny Stock/Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 The Ocean Photographer of the Year awards announced the winners of its 2026 contest.

Winning photos show wildlife such as sharks, turtles, dolphins, and ribbonfish.

A photo of a seahorse with newborn juveniles won the top prize.

There's more to the world's oceans than meets the eye.

Presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, the annual Ocean Photographer of the Year awards highlight photographs taken both above and below the water's surface, raising awareness of ocean conservation and the scientific research that helps preserve its delicate ecosystems.

The winning photos of the 2026 competition, revealed in September, were chosen from 15,000 submissions across categories including Wildlife, Human Connection, Fine Art, and Adventure.

The contest also gave out a Female Fifty Fathoms Award, created to recognize the work of female ocean photographers .

Take a look.

The winner of the Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds category was Mitsuna Kawai, with a photo of a ribbonfish.

A ribbonfish.

Kawai Mitsuna/Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 Mitsuna photographed the ribbonfish during a winter blackwater dive in Osezaki, Japan.

Rui Duarte captured a group trying to push a stranded short-finned pilot whale back to the water, winning the Human Connection category.

A stranded short-finned pilot whale.