Oceans cover 71 percent of Earth with 321,003,271 cubic miles of water. The the world’s largest mountain range and deepest canyon occupy these might waters, but warming waters and habitat destruction have left the ocean‘s creatures struggling. The 2026 Ocean Photographer of the Year competition celebrates Big Blue’s incredible beauty while also highlighting the urgent need to protect it in a rapidly changing world.

A bottlenose dolphin bites a small fish beside a traditional bagan…