The method of detection of life rafts and lifeboats in the water area of seas and oceans after shipwrecks based on the recognition of anomalies in the processed images, which increases the probability of recognition of monitoring objects, is proposed. The approach to solving such a problem is substantiated. The formulation of the problem of object recognition from the perspective of binary classification in the detection of anomalies is presented. The analytical expression for the decision-making algorithm is obtained. The possibility of formalization of image matrices in the form of histograms of color (brightness) intensity distributions is considered. The contrast of the feature space on their basis is estimated. It is suggested that the contrast of feature spaces be increased due to the secondary processing of histograms of distributions in the basis of multiple-scale wavelet decomposition. The possibility of realization of wavelet transformations on the basis of Haar functions and Gauss wavelets of the 1st and 2nd orders is considered. The mechanism of formation of secondary feature vectors from three-dimensional wavelet transforms by averaging their coefficients along the time shift axis is substantiated. It is shown that at the same dimensionality of histograms of brightness distribution with newly formed feature vectors, the latter provide higher contrast of feature spaces. It is recommended to use a Gaussian wavelet of the 2nd order for the formalization of images in jpeg format, which provides, other things being equal, a greater magnitude of differences for images containing anomalies. An approach to probabilistic evaluation of the algorithm for automatic image recognition is developed. The analytical expression is obtained and its constituent elements are justified. Graphical dependences of the probability of correct detection (recognition) of anomalies, depending on the size in relation to the total area of the frame and the dispersion of the underlying background are given. The results of the experiment on image recognition with a lifeboat in the ocean water area are presented. The directions of further research are defined.