2026 Edition

Offshore, Eastern Pacific Ocean, a wedge-tailed shearwater plunges into a football-pitch-sized school of lanternfish, struggling to single out a target. The fish move as one, their schooling defence working perfectly. The bird surfaces empty-handed, then circles back for another dive. Shearwaters are exquisitely adapted for life at sea and depend on healthy fish stocks. This encounter captures a rarely witnessed moment of open-ocean abundance—and one of the most extraordinary days of my career as an underwater photographer. Lanternfish are thought to be the most numerous vertebrates on Earth, accounting for up to 65% of deep-sea fish biomass. They form a critical link in the ocean food web, sustaining predators including seabirds, dolphins, tuna, and devil rays. Entered into force at the beginning of 2026, the BBNJ Agreement is the first international legal framework to protect scenes like this across the half of our planet that lies beyond national waters.

28 mm f/3.5-4.5 Lens - 1/500 sec at f/6.3 ISO 1000