September 18, 2024
Nature Photography
Kate Mothes

1st Place Winner: Rafael Fernández Caballero. A Bryde’s whale about to devour a heart-shaped baitball off the coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. All images courtesy of the photographers and Ocean Photographer of the Year

Bryde’s whales—pronounced “broodus”—are part of the baleen family, which includes humpbacks and blue whales. One particularly hungry marine giant was captured by Rafael Fernández Caballero, making him the 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year (previously).

“The image captures perhaps the most special—and craziest—moment of my life,” Caballero says in a statement, reflecting on the excitement and astonishing timing that enabled him to document the Bryde’s whale feeding on a baitball—a tight, spherical gathering that fish form to help protect themselves from predators. Caballero’s photo was chosen as the top image from more than 15,000 entries across categories from underwater to surf to drone shots. […]

3rd Place Overall Winner: Thien Nguyen Ngoc. A fishing boat off Hon Yen, Vietnam, sends a long trail of smoke that perfectly aligns with the shape of the green nets under the surface

Highly Commended, Adventure Category: Tobias Friedrich. Every winter, orcas and humpback whales come to Northern Norway to feed on Atlantic herring. This huge humpback filled its mouth with the small fish, before swimming past the divers closely

More: One Whale of a Meal Wins The 2024 Ocean Photographer of the Year Competition — Colossal