The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 competition have been announced, presenting a breathtaking collection of underwater images that celebrate the ocean's beauty while highlighting the urgent need for marine conservation. The prestigious competition, presented by Oceanographic magazine and luxury watch brand Blancpain, has once again brought together some of the world's most talented underwater photographers.
Yury Ivanov from Indonesia claimed the overall winner title with his extraordinary macro photograph of two tiny amphipods from the Cyproideidae family. Each measuring just 3mm in body length, these minute creatures rest delicately on a coral formation. Commonly known as "ladybugs of the sea," these amphipods display remarkable coloration and symmetry that Ivanov captured with stunning precision.
The portfolio category saw fierce competition, with Matthew Sullivan from the United States taking first place. His winning collection included a remarkable head-on portrait of a polka-dot batfish lying on the seabed. "Polka-dot batfish are a common sight in Florida waters, but they are notoriously difficult to photograph," Sullivan explained. "After years of trying, this individual seemed relaxed, and I was able to finally take a head-on portrait." Sullivan also captured a striking image of a curious jawfish, noting that "2025 was an exceptional year for spotting mouth-brooding males. This particular male was quite bold and once he became comfortable with me, he allowed me to take this image."
Giancarlo Mazarese from the Philippines secured second place in the portfolio category with his fascinating documentation of a sheep nudibranch (Costasiella kuroshimae) depositing its eggs in a circular arrangement while feeding on algae. "This enables kleptoplasty, effectively making the nudibranch solar-powered," Mazarese explained. "The algal substrate provides a microhabitat for early egg development. It demonstrates the relationship between feeding, habitat selection, and reproductive success."
The ocean adventure category winner was Ben Thouard from Portugal, who captured the raw power of a rough day at Nazaré. "The wind came from the north which made the surf tricky," Thouard described. "Not many surfers went out and it was hard to shoot anything because of the big sets but eventually, this moment occurred." The competition also featured Romain Barats from Dominica, whose image of a diver surrounded by a pod of sperm whales served as the main promotional image for the competition. "We saw 15 whales socializing," Barats recalled. "The sea was rough but when you get to see something like that, you quickly forget the conditions."
The fine art category showcased creative interpretations of marine subjects. Ysabela Coll from Mexico earned third place with her dramatic capture of a stingray creating a swirling cloud of sand. "With a powerful sweep of its pectoral fins, a stingray vanishes into the blue, leaving behind a swirling cloud of sand," Coll observed. "This dramatic burst isn't just beautiful – it's a survival tactic." Hitomi Tsuchiya from Japan presented an otherworldly image of a turtle swimming through what appears to be an underwater aurora near Mount Iwo, where "the volcano spews out iron-rich substances from above ground and from the ocean floor, creating these colors."
Conservation themes featured prominently in the competition, with Hugo Bret from the Faroe Islands winning the conservation impact category with a powerful and disturbing image of a long-finned pilot whale fetus lying lifeless under its mother's corpse. "Each year, more than 1,000 cetaceans are killed during grindadráp, the slaughter of entire whale groups, including juveniles and pregnant females," Bret explained, highlighting the brutal reality of traditional whaling practices. Claudio Moreno from Spain earned third place in this category with an image representing "one of the most profound moments" of his life – a humpback whale hopelessly entangled in fishing nets while being chased by dozens of sharks at Australia's Ningaloo Reef.
The female fifty fathoms category, celebrating women in underwater photography, was won by Jialing Cai from the Philippines with her capture of a larval pufferfish roughly the size of a thumbnail. "Although adult pufferfish are typically found around coral reefs, they begin life as plankton, drifting in the open ocean before eventually settling to the seafloor," Cai explained. Jade Hoksbergen, also from the Philippines, contributed a charming image of a tiny juvenile candy crab measuring just one centimeter, perched on pink coral that also serves as "her favorite source of nutrition."
The wildlife photographer category winner was Takumi Oyama from Japan, whose image documented "the larval dispersal behavior observed during the hatching of the yellow pigmy goby." The human connection category featured Yifan Ling from the United States, who captured the special relationship between land-based whale watchers and orcas in Puget Sound, Washington. "In Puget Sound, there is a community of people who prefer watching orcas from the land rather than from boats," Ling noted. "Land-based whale watchers can sometimes get lucky, as these wild apex predators occasionally approach the shore, seemingly curious about their human spectators."
The competition also celebrated underwater adventure photography, with Karim Iliya from Hawaii capturing a windsurfer at the famous Hookipa Beach, known for its big waves and strong winds. "From this view, you can really feel the power of the ocean and the connection between the rider, the wave, and the wind," Iliya observed. Alex Dawson from Mexico earned third place in the ocean adventure category with his exploration of the unique Yab Yum cave, "close to 100 meters in diameter and more than 70 meters deep, considered the largest water-filled sinkhole that has ever been documented."
Brooke Pyke's image from the Galapagos rounded out the portfolio category with a stunning capture of a scalloped hammerhead near Darwin's Arch. "This was one of my favorite safety stops ever," Pyke explained. "Drifting over the white sand, I looked down to see several fish swarms. Underneath them passed several scalloped hammerheads." The Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 competition continues to demonstrate the incredible diversity and beauty of marine life while serving as a powerful platform for ocean conservation awareness through the universal language of stunning visual imagery.
