Monster wave surf shot wins Ocean Photographer of the Year 2022
French Polynesia-based photographer Ben Thouard has won the 2022 Ocean Photographer of the Year competition.
Out of thousands of entries, it was Thouard who most impressed judges with his incredible image of a surfer battling against one of the heaviest waves in the world, captured off the coast of Teahupo’o in Tahiti.
This year’s finalists in the annual award, produced by Oceanographic Magazine in support of conservation organisation SeaLegacy and in partnership with Princess Yachts, also included images of posing pods of pilot whales, humans exploring the farthest reaches of the ocean, and recovered reefs booming with biomass.
Second place: A blanket octopus shows off its beautiful patterns and colours. Photo taken in the Philippines by Katherine Lu
The finalists’ images will again be displayed as part of a public free open-air exhibition at Tower Bridge in London from 5 October–7 November, 2022.
This year’s submissions were judged by a panel of some of the world’s leading ocean photographers, including SeaLegacy co-founder and Sony artisan, Paul Nicklen, founder of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Cristina Mittermeier, Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Shawn Heinrichs and deputy director of photography at National Geographic, Sadie Quarrier.
Third place: A cormorant dives through a huge school of baitfish, creating a series of shapes that mimics that of a human face. Photo taken in the United States by Brook Peterson
Earlier this month, MIN reported that the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society had also announced the winner of its annual photography competition, showcasing images relating to all aspects of the UK’s historic relationship with the sea.
