Seahorse farewell crowns Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026

Julien Anton’s intimate seahorse portrait, taken in French Polynesia, won the overall Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026, depicting a father seahorse with two newborns in a farewell moment and described by judges as ocean photography at its most powerful—intimate, urgent and impossible to ignore. The competition also announced category winners such as Matty Smith (Ocean Fine Art, Maldives) and others across categories, with Anton thanking the Tahiti Moorea communities for their knowledge. The award is co-presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain.