Ocean Photographer of the Year 2021 announced
posted Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 6:00 PM EST
The winners of the 2021 Ocean Photography Awards have been announced. The contest is organized by Oceanographic Magazine and the competition aims to highlight the ocean's beauty and how it's under attack through powerful imagery.
Photographer Aimee Jan, a tour guide and photographer from Australia, took home the grand prize title of Ocean Photographer of the Year. Jan's winning image of a sea turtle surrounded by glass fish was captured at the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. For her victory, Jan receives £2,500, a 5-day Instagram takeover of SeaLegacy's Instagram feed with 2.2 million followers, exposure, a feature in Oceanographic Magazine and more.
Of her winning image, Jan says, 'We were doing a back-of-the-reef snorkel when one of my work friends called me over to tell me there was a turtle under a ledge in a school of glass fish, about 10 meters down. When I dived down to look, the fish separated around the turtle perfectly and this is what I saw. I said to her, 'I think I just took the best photo I have ever taken.''
Additional awards include the Collective Portfolio award, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year, Ocean Exploration Photographer of the Year, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, the Community Choice Award and the new Female Fifty Fathoms Award. You can view some of these winning images below. To view all the winning images, head to the Ocean Photography Awards website. If you happen to be in London, an exhibition of the winners is running alongside the River Thames near Tower Bridge until October 17.
