What's your photograph of the day 1097?

With their dramatic marine wildlife encounters, gorgeous examples of our species’ connection with the ocean and stark reminders of the human impact on our seas, underwater photographers bring the best of our ocean planet to life and highlight the many perils it faces.

Conservation efforts have transformed former poachers into protectors. Amid this success swims the rare leucistic green sea turtle.

Philippines

Why is squid ink safe to eat, while skunk spray is not? What makes the two liquids different from each other?

Baby plainfin midshipman fish

SHANE GROSS - OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024

Portfolio Award, British Columbia, Canada

What are the potential economic consequences of the U.S. following Europe's lead on climate policies, as discussed in the article?

The hunt, Baja California Sur, Mexico

With many thanks to:

A crested sculpin hiding

What is the most comfortable heel height for women's dress shoes and what are the differences between wearing high heels and lower heels?

Papua New Guinea's Conflict Islands

JAKE WILTON - OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024

‘“As we gaze at this marine iguana, with half of its body submerged in the waters and the other half emerging above the surface, it's impossible not to marvel at the uniqueness of these creatures,” says Fernandez Caballero. “Without a doubt, marine iguanas are living dinosaurs, a testament to the countless stages and transformations life on our planet has undergone.”

What are the primary causes of the persistent smog crisis affecting Delhi and other parts of North India?

SHANE GROSS - OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024

RAFAEL FERNANDEZ CABALLERO - OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024

A 7 Image Gallery of Marine Photos Shortlisted For The Ocean Photographer Of The Year Contest. Just Awesome! Do Enjoy 🤍

Can a mother forget her child after she puts him or her up for adoption?

Above, pelicans in the sea off Mexico’s Baja California Sur dive from the sky in a well-coordinated dance. Underwater, mahi-mahi dart around at top speed, chasing sardines. “The surface was murky from the feast, with sea lions also joining the action,” says Merche Llobera. “Whales passed by, but none went for the sardines.”

PIETRO FORMIS - OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024

“The (African pompano) juveniles look very different from adults,” says Pietro Formis. “They are very thin, with a silver body and very long appendages on their fins. Usually, the filaments stretch out behind them, making it almost impossible to capture the whole fish. The long fins created circles around the silver fish, looking like neon lights at night.”’

What does it feel like to "lose your looks" to age?

A spotted eagle ray’s natural pattern

MIZAEL PALOMEQUE GONZALEZ, MEXICO - OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024

A crested sculpin hides in the stinging tentacles of a lion’s mane jellyfish. “The tentacles provide both shelter and food for the cryptic fish in Alaska’s Prince William Sound,” explains Shane Gross.

If a non-LGBT man (of any age) from a Western country attracts far more mosquitoes than potential dates, what does that say about him?

MERCHE LLOBERA - OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2024

Baby Plainfin Midshipman fish, still attached to their yolk sacs, are hidden under a rock in an intertidal zone in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

A marine iguana sits on a rock. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

How do you handle your mother-in-law after you heard her talking badly about you in the next room?

A spotted eagle ray’s natural pattern is on as-if-by-designer display. “On one of my dives, this beautiful eagle ray caught my eye,” says Palomeque Gonzalez. “It swam calmly across the sandy bottom as it exposed its intricate back to us all. I was amazed that nature inspires the most revolutionary creations. Its skin pattern reminds me of a binary code.”