Beneath the Surface: Exploring the beauty and mystery of the deep ocean

This year, Rafael Fernández Caballero was awarded the grand title for his stunning photograph of a Bryde’s whale feeding on a heart-shaped baitball, chosen from over 15,000 submissions.

Reflecting on his win, Caballero said, “This image captures perhaps the most incredible – and surreal – moment of my life. I’m overjoyed to have experienced and captured it.”

The winners’ exhibition will open at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney on 28 November 2024.

Every winter, orcas and humpback whales come to Northern Norway to feed on Atlantic herring. This huge humpback filled its mouth with the small fish, before swimming closely past the divers.  Friedrich received Highly Commended in the Ocean Adventure category. (Photo: Tobias Friedrich)

A giant Pacific octopus in the shallows, Russia. Shpatak took second place in the overall Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Photo: Andrey Shpatak)

A patch of clownfish eggs, taken care of by their parents near Lembeh, Indonesia. This photo received Highly Commended in the Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope). (Photo: Tobias Friedrich)

A fisherman uses a traditional fishing technique in Myanmar.  This photo won second place in the Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean. (Photo: Romeo Bodolai)

A juvenile African pompano looks very different from its adult version in Anilao, Philippines. This photo was Highly Commended in the Ocean Fine Art category. (Photo: Pietro Formis)

A hingebeak shrimp colony in the hollow of a barrel sponge. These striking shrimp, with vivid red and white stripes, display dance-like movement, swaying back and forth with their beaks pointed upwards in Koh Haa, Thailand. This photo was Highly Commended in the overall Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year category. (Photo: Nataya Chonecadeedumrongkul)

A spotted eagle ray’s natural pattern in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Gonzalez came Highly Commended in the Ocean Fine Art category. (Photo: Mizael Palomeque Gonzalez)

A group of walruses are resting on a beach, surrounded by snow-capped mountains near The Arctic Circle. Haluwana received Highly Commended in the overall Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Photo: Michael Haluwana)

A polar bear plays with a piece of plastic - a stark reminder that even the uninhabited reaches of the Arctic are not exempt from the pervasive grip of plastic pollution, Kiepert Island, Svalbard. (Photo: Celia Kujala)

A fever of mobula rays from above. When the photographer’s drone inched closer, some rays started to jump out of the water near Baja California Sur, Mexico. Leusko received Highly Commended in the overall Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Photo: Laura Leusko)

A surfer duck-dives his board under a large wave over a shallow reef break in Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. Barton got Highly Commended in the Ocean Adventure category. (Photo: John Barton)

Shark fins dry on a roof in East Java, Indonesia. The high demand for shark fins in Asian medicine, combined with declining fish stocks, forces many fishers to target these vulnerable species for their livelihoods. This photo got Highly Commended in the Impact category. (Photo: Jasmine Corbett)

In Papua New Guinea's Conflict Islands, conservation efforts have transformed former poachers into protectors, boosting turtle hatchling numbers. Amid this success, a rare leucistic green sea turtle was found amongst the nests of Conflict Islands. Yong got Highly Commended in the overall Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Photo: Chong Wan Yong)

A breaching humpback whale on its migration path along the Australian coastline near New South Wales. Harris got Highly Commended in the overall Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Photo: Clayton Harris)

Skilled freedivers hang upside down beneath a boat, defying gravity and basking in their unique moment of underwater grace near Sri Lanka. This photo was Highly Commended in the Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year. (Photo: Chong Wan Yong)

A peacock mantis shrimp in a stunning display of vibrant blue, green, and orange hues against a dark background in Bali, Indonesia. Dharma received Highly Commended in the Ocean Fine Art category. (Photo: Ajiex Dharma)

A large school of batfish swim in unison near Koh Tao, Thailand. Lynn won the Female Fifty Fathoms Award. (Photo: Ipah Uid Lynn)

A skeletal shrimp consumes its prey in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. Lynn won the Female Fifty Fathoms Award. (Photo: Ipah Uid Lynn)

A member of the Bajau holds a fishing spear in a traditional wooden boat, Selakan Island, Malaysia . Lynn won the Female Fifty Fathoms Award. (Photo: Ipah Uid Lynn)

A fishing boat off Hon Yen as its long trail of smoke perfectly aligns with the shape of the green nets under the surface in Vietnam. Ngoc took third place in the overall Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. (Photo: Thien Nguyen Ngoc)

A tiny goby perched on a delicate sea whip at Romblon Island, Philippines. Lynn won the Female Fifty Fathoms Award. (Photo: Ipah Uid Lynn)

A close-up shot of a nurse shark’s eye, Tahiti, French Polynesia. Julien Anton took second place in the Ocean Fine Art category. (Photo: Julien Anton)

A beach reflects the golden haze of the sunset, while a traditional fisherman wades through the water in China. This photo won the Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean. (Photo: Zhang Xiang)

Fishermen in coastal Fujian dry their nets in intricate fashion. As they are woven with hemp fibres, they swell easily after being immersed in the water in China. Xiang received Highly commended in the Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean category. (Photo: Zhang Xiang)

A whale shark swims alongside the Sharkwater research vessel, a ship that was initially used by the Japanese fishing fleet but is now used for research near Cocos Island, Costa Rica. This image got second place in the Conservation (Hope) category. (Photo: Edwar Herreño Parra) DM