The Ocean Photographer of the Year not only recognized stunning ocean imagery, but also complex conservation issues playing out within our planet’s waters.
And at this year’s edition of the event, Mexican diver, tour operator, and underwater photographer, Daniel Taylor, highlighted the challenging relationships between conservation groups and local shark fishermen in Baja California, Mexico, with two powerful images.
In the first of Taylor’s frames commended in the “Conservation (Impact)” category, we see a silky shark, which he told the competition organizers was circling “helplessly” while snagged on an illegal longline.
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And in the second, we see the deadly fate of these prized sharks, as a pair lie side by side on the beach, the bodily wounds from their fateful last struggle visible.
Daniel Taylor’s gear and settings
While generations of families in Baja communities have relied on shark fishing for survival, modern NGOs have realized that hard restrictions cause severe economic harm.
To enable more sustainable practices, in 2012, the Mexican government enacted a seasonal fishing ban (May 01 to July 31) to safeguard vulnerable shark and ray species during critical reproductive periods.
Taylor explained that he shot both photos in the hours after the ban lifted but that longlines – very long main lines with hundreds or thousands of baited hooks attached – remain illegal because they cause severe overfishing and accidental bycatch.
Daniel Taylor’s gear and settings
- Canon EOS 70D
- ISO 100 | f/ 10 | 1/320 Sec
But Taylor said that he didn’t take these shots to “condemn” the fishermen, rather, he wanted to confront the ongoing “complex relationship” where threatened wildlife and human livelihoods intersect.
What’s more, the diver and photographer hopes that the images will further highlight the “urgent” need to provide local fishermen with more sustainable income alternatives.
The Ocean Photographer of the Year is an annual competition run by London-based Oceanographic Magazine and co-presented with Blancpain to celebrates the sea and highlight marine conservation.
Selected from over 15,000 entries, the 2026 competition featured multiple core categories and key winners, which you can see here.
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