Kerry photographer recognised in Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest

Seán O'Callaghan, a marine biologist from Killarney, County Kerry, has been Highly Commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, RTE.ie reported. His photograph was chosen as one of 100 images selected for special recognition out of more than 65,000 entries. [1]

The awarded photograph, titled Frozen in Time, earned the commendation in the Oceans The Bigger Picture category. The picture shows a dead humpback whale floating near the coast of Andenes on Andøya Island in northern Norway, after the animal became entangled in discarded fishing line. O'Callaghan captured the image while leading a whale watching tour north of the Arctic Circle, according to RTE.ie. [1]

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is currently in its 62nd year, RTE.ie reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Italian photographer Federico Veronesi won the overall Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 title with an image of a female elephant carrying a dead calf in Namibia. That winning entry was selected from a total pool of 65,403 submissions from 121 countries and territories. [1][4]