A closeup of a leopard seal’s gaping jaws, an octopus sheltering in a plastic bag and a jackfish hiding inside a jellyfish are among the amazing photos selected as finalists in this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year competition.
The 105 images were selected from the more than 15,000 submitted by the best coastal, drone and underwater photographers from around the world, according to a statement from the organizers published Thursday.
Other finalists include an image of a fluorescent algae octopus, a shot of scientists performing an ultrasound on a female tiger shark and baby plainfin midshipman still attached to their yolk sacs.
“The Ocean Photographer of the Year, presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain, has a simple mission: to shine a light on the wonder and fragility of our blue planet, and to celebrate the photographers giving it a voice,” reads the press release.
Categories include wildlife, adventure, conservation, fine art, human connection and young photographer, with the overall winner and category winners scheduled to be announced on September 12.
The photos will be exhibited at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney from November 28, and at several more venues in early 2025.
Last year’s competition was won by Jialing Cai, whose photograph of a paper nautilus drifting on a piece of ocean debris at night, surrounded by heavy sediment, was taken in the Philippines.
A selection of the images selected as finalists this year can be viewed in the gallery at the top of this article.
Editor’s Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.