“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.
Second place was awarded to Jade Hoksbergen, who captured a northern gannet torpedoing into the sea for a meal, and third place saw Thien Nguyen Ngoc’s aerial view of a fishing boat amid swirling smoke and its swathe of green netting.
Explore more of our favorite finalists from this year’s contest, and see the entire gallery on the competition’s website. Follow updates about forthcoming exhibitions on Instagram.