Winning Photos From 2022’s Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards Will Take Your Breath Away

Winning Photos From 2022’s Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards Will Take Your Breath Away
Coutersy of Ben Thouard
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After capturing unique, breathtaking interactions with marine life on camera, thousands of photographers from around the world submitted their most impressive shots to Oceanographic Magazine’s Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards 2022. The cream of the crop exemplifies the magic and majesty of the ocean.

Each year, the Ocean Photographer of the Year Award puts a spotlight on the beauty of the ocean and the threats it faces. In celebration of the diversity of the marine world, the awards comprise nine categories including several new for 2022—Wildlife, Fine Art, Conservation (Impact), Conservation (Hope), and Human Connection—and feature a plethora of provocative photographs from international artists that must be seen to be believed.

The Winner

Six judges unanimously awarded first place to French Polynesia-based photographer, Ben Thouard. His winning photo—alive with power and movement—features a surfer battling a formidable wave off the Tahitian village of Teahupo'o (meaning “place of skulls”).