Ocean Photography Awards 2021: winners' stunning deep-sea images unveiled

The photos are on show in London in a free-to-visit open air exhibition

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Winners of the Ocean Photography Awards 2021 have been announced, as the outdoor exhibition, showcasing some of the most striking submissions, opens to the public in London.

Waves, whales, penguins and turtles are recurring themes, with Aimee Jan named Ocean Photographer of the Year for her hypnotic image of a sea turtle crowded by a school of glass fish, taken on Ningaloo Reef in Australia.

“I was out snorkelling when one of my colleagues told me there was a turtle under a ledge in a school of glass fish, about 10 metres down,” Jan says of her image.

“When I dived down to look, the fish separated around the turtle perfectly. I said to her: ‘I think I just took the best photo I have ever taken’.”

Second place was awarded to Henley Spiers for her image of gannets diving for mackerel in the Shetland Islands, UK, and third place went to Matty Smith, for his shot of a turtle hatchling's first moments of life.

Including Ocean Photographer of the Year, there are eight awards in the competition.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the winning images, as well as a selection of commended entries.

Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, the Collective Portfolio Award, Community Choice Award, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year, Exploration Photographer of the Year, the Female Fifty Fathoms Award, and Young Ocean Photographer of the Year complete the categories.

An exhibition of more than 100 images is on display in an open-air public exhibition in London, which is free to visit until Sunday, October 17.

The display is located on The Queen's Walk near Tower Bridge on the River Thames.

Updated: September 22, 2021, 1:25 PM