Ocean Photographer of the Year seahorse
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The gist
French photographer Julien Anton won Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 for a seahorse portrait.
The image of a male seahorse and two juveniles turns ocean conservation into a.
Background
The Ocean Photographer of the Year contest, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, announced its 2026 winners on September 9, 2026. The overall prize went to French photographer Julien Anton for a black-and-white portrait of an adult seahorse with two newly born juveniles in the shallow, seaweed-filled waters of Moorea, French Polynesia. In seahorses it is the male that carries and births the young, and the juveniles appear to pause and look back, giving the picture the feel of a farewell. The competition says it aims to show the wonder and fragility of the ocean and to celebrate the photographers giving it a voice.
How it unfolded
- Sep 9, 2026The Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 winners are announced; Julien Anton is named overall winner for his seahorse portrait shot in Moorea, French Polynesia.
- Sep 9, 2026UK photographer Jenny Stock is recognised with the Female Fifty Fathoms Award, which honours an overall practice that pushes the boundaries of women in ocean photography.
- Sep 10, 2026Coverage of the win spreads, including Anton's statement that he and others spent countless hours searching in difficult conditions with no guarantee of finding a single seahorse.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Contest founder and director Will Harrison said the judging panel fell silent when Anton's image appeared, calling it an image that demands reflection and pause for thought.
- Photographer
- Anton said winning is an immense honour he shares with his family and with the residents, naturalists and fishermen of Tahiti and Moorea whose knowledge made the image possible, and that he hopes it can bridge science, conservation and the public.
- Caution
- Reports note it is impossible to know whether the seahorses in the frame are actually related, so the farewell reading is an impression created by their arrangement rather than a confirmed family scene.
Still unverified
Whether the adult seahorse and the two juveniles are actually related is unknown; the 'farewell' interpretation is the impression created by their arrangement, not a confirmed fact. Some outlets spell the photographer's first name 'Julien' and one writes 'Julian'.