On a dark March night off the coast of Japan, a ghostly ribbonfish trailing gossamer filaments rises through a swarm of salps. Photographer Mitsuna Kawai was there to capture it – and her camera choice was inspired
Mitsuna Kawai's blackwater portrait of a ribbonfish among salps won the Ocean Unseen category of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026; here's how
In a dramatic scene, a ribbonfish with trailing filaments rises vertically through dark waters off the coast of Osezaki, Japan, in March 2023, as salps swirl around it. The photograph, taken by Mitsuna Kawai, appeared as the winner of the Ocean Photographer of the Year competition's new category, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds. This underwater image, captured on a Canon EOS R10, features a ribbonfish against a background of salps, giving it a fantastical appearance.
The photographer used a 24MP APS-C mirrorless camera and the RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens, set to its widest 18mm. The shot was taken at 19:45pm local time, with an exposure of 1/160 sec at f/9 and ISO200, focusing just 28cm away from the subject to capture strong colors, contrast, and minimize backscatter. The competition, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, received over 15,000 entries, with Julien Anton's seahorse portrait winning the overall title.
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