Making a splash! The extraordinary winners of the 2023 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards revealed… which do YOU think is the best?

Making a splash! The extraordinary winners of the 2023 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards revealed… which do YOU think is the best?

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There’s unbelievable magnificence to be discovered within the depths of the Earth’s oceans, seas and lakes, as these magnificent photos reveal. 

They have been honoured on the Ocean Photographer of the Yr 2023 awards, an annual contest that has a mission to ‘shine a light-weight on the great thing about the ocean and the threats it faces’.

Hundreds of drone and underwater photos had been entered, with a heartwarming image of fish taking refuge beneath a turtle and a putting shot of a pair of playful humpback whales amongst people who caught the judges’ consideration.

Taking the title of Ocean Photographer of the Yr 2023 is marine biologist and novice photographer Jialing Cai together with her image of a paper nautilus – a species of the octopus household – off the coast of the Philippines. The shot, which is described as ‘beautiful’ by the awards’ organisers, was taken within the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.

Wish to see all of them up shut? All of this 12 months’s imagery will likely be showcased at a five-month exhibition on the Australian Nationwide Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia, that opens to the general public on November 17. 

Or just scroll right down to see 10 astonishing images that wowed the judges, together with Cai’s successful shot…

Counseled within the ‘Journey’ class, this beautiful image exhibits a freediver gazing up on the intricate ice patterns beneath the floor of a frozen lake in Canada

This heartbreaking picture was taken by Sirachai Arunrugstichai in Thailand. It shows a giant manta ray entangled in ghost nets (abandoned fishing nets) - leading to large wounds - off the coast of Thailand. The ray repeatedly approached divers and allowed them to remove some of the nets. The picture is one of a series that takes the top prize in the 'Portfolio' category

This heartbreaking image was taken by Sirachai Arunrugstichai in Thailand. It exhibits a large manta ray entangled in ghost nets (deserted fishing nets) – resulting in massive wounds – off the coast of Thailand. The ray repeatedly approached divers and allowed them to take away a few of the nets. The image is considered one of a collection that takes the highest prize within the ‘Portfolio’ class

In this jarring shot, fishermen carry a dead tiger shark to a notorious shark market in Lombok, Indonesia. Taken by Rike Brandt, it is highly commended in the 'Conservation Impact' category

On this jarring shot, fishermen carry a lifeless tiger shark to a infamous shark market in Lombok, Indonesia. Taken by Rike Brandt, it’s extremely counseled within the ‘Conservation Influence’ class

Jarvis Smallman earns the title of Young Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023 with this moody shot, showing a bodyboarder paddling out to sea in Western Australia. Smallman notes how big storm clouds blocked the sun when he took the image, creating an 'electric blue colour effect on the wave'

Jarvis Smallman earns the title of Younger Ocean Photographer of the Yr 2023 with this moody shot, exhibiting a bodyboarder paddling out to sea in Western Australia. Smallman notes how huge storm clouds blocked the solar when he took the picture, creating an ‘electrical blue color impact on the wave’

Photographer Merche Llobera, whose portfolio of work is the winner of the Female Fifty Fathoms category, snared this fantastic photograph of a sea lion and a striped marlin moving in on a bait ball off the coast of Mexico

This captivating shot from Merche Llobera's winning portfolio shows playful humpback whales swimming in the waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands

LEFT: Photographer Merche Llobera, whose portfolio of labor is the winner of the Feminine Fifty Fathoms class, snared this implausible {photograph} of a sea lion and a striped marlin shifting in on a bait ball off the coast of Mexico. RIGHT: This charming shot from Merche Llobera’s successful portfolio exhibits playful humpback whales swimming within the waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands

This striking photograph from Merche Llobera's winning portfolio shows fish taking refuge under a turtle in Costa Rican waters

This putting {photograph} from Merche Llobera’s successful portfolio exhibits fish taking refuge beneath a turtle in Costa Rican waters

This devastating shot shows an injured whale swimming towards the ocean's surface off the coast of Mexico. Its flukes (part of its tail) have been severely damaged from repeated entanglement. It was captured by Alvaro Lopez, who takes third place in the overall Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023 awards

This devastating shot exhibits an injured whale swimming in the direction of the ocean’s floor off the coast of Mexico. Its flukes (a part of its tail) have been severely broken from repeated entanglement. It was captured by Alvaro Lopez, who takes third place within the total Ocean Photographer of the Yr 2023 awards

Andrei Savin wins the silver medal in the awards with this mesmerising photograph of a crab sitting in the centre of a sea anemone as it sways in the ocean current off the coast of the Philippines

Andrei Savin wins the silver medal within the awards with this mesmerising {photograph} of a crab sitting within the centre of a sea anemone because it sways within the ocean present off the coast of the Philippines

Now for the winner... this is the image that has earned Jialing Cai the title of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023. Taken on a blackwater dive (a type of night-dive) after a volcanic eruption in the Philippines, it shows a paper nautilus drifting on a piece of ocean debris at night, surrounded by heavy sediment. Part of the octopus family, these creatures are found in 'temperate and tropical waters' of the open ocean and live 'typically less than a year and feed on small molluscs, crustaceans and jellyfish,' according to the Ocean Conservancy. Cai was inspired to start photographing on blackwater dives after learning about 'diel vertical migration', when zooplankton move from the deep ocean to the surface at night

Now for the winner… that is the picture that has earned Jialing Cai the title of Ocean Photographer of the Yr 2023. Taken on a blackwater dive (a kind of night-dive) after a volcanic eruption within the Philippines, it exhibits a paper nautilus drifting on a chunk of ocean particles at night time, surrounded by heavy sediment. A part of the octopus household, these creatures are present in ‘temperate and tropical waters’ of the open ocean and dwell ‘usually lower than a 12 months and feed on small molluscs, crustaceans and jellyfish,’ in accordance with the Ocean Conservancy. Cai was impressed to start out photographing on blackwater dives after studying about ‘diel vertical migration’, when zooplankton transfer from the deep ocean to the floor at night time 

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