Irish Marine Biologist Earns High Commendation in Wildlife Competition
Irish marine biologist Seán O’Callaghan has won a High Commendation in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, RTE.ie reported. O’Callaghan, who is from Killarney in County Kerry, secured his spot among 100 selected images chosen from a record-breaking pool of 65,403 entries submitted across 121 countries and territories.
His entry, titled ‘Frozen in Time’, was recognized in the Oceans – The Bigger Picture category. The photograph captures a dead humpback whale floating near the coast of Andenes on Andøya Island in northern Norway, after dying from entanglement in discarded fishing line. O’Callaghan captured the image while leading a whale-watching excursion north of the Arctic Circle.
Exhibition Plans at the Natural History Museum
The 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens on October 16, 2026, at the Natural History Museum in London, according to PetaPixel and Smithsonian Magazine. The showcase features O’Callaghan’s work alongside 99 other category winners and highly commended photographs.
Museum director Doug Gurr stated that the featured images capture moments that are intimate, surprising, and profoundly revealing, reminding viewers that every species plays a role in the complex web of life. The exhibition runs in London until July 11, 2027, before embarking on a United Kingdom and international tour.
Natural History Museum Competition Highlights Global Wildlife Entries
Organized by the Natural History Museum in London, the competition received 65,403 submissions this year from 121 countries and territories. Judges highlighted O’Callaghan’s entry as a sobering example of the impact discarded fishing gear has on whales.
Other notable winners in the 2026 competition include Federico Veronesi, who won the Behavior: Mammals category with a photograph of an elephant carrying a deceased calf, and Alex Lindbloom, who claimed the Oceans: The Bigger Picture category with an image of a whale shark investigating a mobile net-fishing platform in Papua, Indonesia.