Ocean photography competition shows spectacular shots from the sea

This amazing image of a Bryde’s whale feeding on fish was chosen from a selection of more than 15,000 pictures as the winner of this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year competition. Less than 100 Bryde’s whales exist in our oceans. Experts say they are at serious risk of extinction.

The competition categories included Wildlife, Adventure and Conservation and Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, among others. This image shows traditional stilt fishermen at sunset in Sri Lanka. They perch on a narrow bar tied to a pole and wait for a catch. The practice is passed down from generation to generation and requires a lot of patience - and balance!

Here is the winning entry from the Young Ocean Photographer of the Year category. An algae octopus shows off its fluorescence - this a chemical process when a material absorbs light and then gives off light of a different colour - under ultraviolet light. This picture was taken in North Sulawesi, Indonesia by Jacob Guy.

The competition celebrates some of the most incredible wildlife shots taken by professional and amateur photographers. Here we can see 'The Grinch', a polar bear resting on ice after a day of playing and hunting in Svalbard, Norway.

This second place entry in the Young Ocean Photographer of the Year category shows a perfectly camouflaged lizardfish with prey in its mouth. It was taken in Hawaii.

Coastal, drone and underwater images are all entered in the competition, showing the wonder of the ocean, and environmental challenges it faces. Here a diver is photographed with a fishtail costume. She is swimming with a school of sardines in the Philippines.

Here you can see scientists in the Bahamas carrying out a health check on a female tiger shark. They found she was pregnant and a device called a birth tag was used, which does not harm the mother or pups. The tag helps show where sharks the sharks are going and they have their babies so conservationists can keep an eye on them.

The third place entry in the Young Ocean Photographer of the Year category shows a California moray eel pausing at the surface as the tide goes out in the United States of America.

After being trapped in a fishing net for several hours, an injured leatherback turtle was rescued and nursed back to health at the Marine Species Rehabilitation Centre in the Algarve, Portugal. Here you can see it getting some special food squirted into its mouth.

A breaching humpback whale on its migration path along the coastline. This photograph was taken in New South Wales, Australia. Did you know humpback whales can live for around 90 years and a male's song can be heard up to 20 miles away. Wow!

The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year Competition have been announced.

The star pic was an amazing shot of a whale gobbling up a school of fish.

There were also awards for the Young Photographer of the Year.

Have a click through the gallery above to see more.