While floating in the crystal-clear waters of the northern Great Barrier Reef, a sleek, dark shape glided toward Marcia Riederer. The Brazilian-born wildlife and underwater photographer watched as the dwarf minke whale approached, snapping a photo at the exact moment it turned and fixed one eye on her.
“These curious giants approach swimmers with an almost playful curiosity,” Riederer told Oceanographic Magazine. “The whales seem to acknowledge your presence, circling and interacting with you. It’s a humbling experience, reaffirming the wonder of the ocean and its inhabitants, and the urgent need to conserve it.”
Her stunning photo, shown above, won Riederer first place in the fine art category of the 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards. This competition, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, honors awe-inspiring images that showcase the ocean’s beauty and its fragility. Read on to dive into the rest of this year’s winning photos.
Wildlife photographer of the year: Takumi Oyama
Japanese marine researcher Takumi Oyama captured the larval dispersal behavior during the hatching of the yellow pygmy goby. © Takumi Oyama
The yellow pygmy goby is a small, brightly colored fish native to the western Pacific Ocean. Japanese marine researcher Takumi Oyama photographed this one mid-larval dispersal. “In gobiid fishes, male parental care is common, but unusually, in the yellow pigmy goby, females also participate in parental hatching care,” he explained. “This individual is a female, releasing newly hatched larvae into the water column from her mouth.”
Oyama’s research focuses on the reproductive ecology of fish, particularly of reef fish in Japan. He conducts scuba-based fieldwork to get up close and personal with marine life, using underwater photography to aid his research and share his observations with the world.
Adventure photographer of the year: Ben Thouard
French photographer Ben Thouard captured this dramatic shot of rough surf off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal © Ben Thouard
The coast of Nazaré, Portugal, is infamous for its massive waves, producing some of the largest swells ever surfed. French photographer Ben Thouard snapped this dramatic shot on a particularly rough day. “The wind was blowing from the north which makes the surf tricky,” he said. “It was the end of the afternoon; the light was interesting from the beach instead as from the usual cliff view. It was hard to shoot anything because of the big sets and the saltwater in the air. But, eventually, this moment happened.”
Thouard has been photographing the ocean ever since he was a teenager. He is now based in Tahiti—another part of the world known for its powerful waves—where he has developed his unique visual style.
Conservation (impact) photographer of the year: Hugo Bret
French photographer Hugo Bret hopes his photo of a deceased long-finned pilot whale fetus drives conservation of this species. © Hugo Bret
The traditional whaling practice of grindadráp is deeply rooted in centuries of Faroese culture. The hunts were once critical to human survival in the Faroe Islands, but today, conservationists argue that the mass killing of pilot whales poses a significant threat to the species. French photographer and marine biologist Hugo Bret captured this evocative image of a long-finned pilot whale fetus lying lifeless under its mother’s corpse after one such hunt.
“Each year, more than 1,000 cetaceans are killed during grindadráp, the slaughter of entire whale groups, including juveniles and pregnant females,” he said. “While these hunts were once an existential necessity, they are no longer subsistence practices. I hope this image drives global attention to end the grindadráp and, at a broader scale, advocates for a reconsideration of what the human relationship with other living beings should be.”
Conservation (hope) photographer of the year: Sirachai Arunrugstichai
An aquarist holds a glass jar with an early-stage embryo of an Indo-Pacific Leopard shark in this photo by Thai photojournalist and marine biologist Sirachai Arunrugstichai © Sirachai Arunrugstichai
Indo-Pacific leopard sharks were once abundant in the Coral Triangle, an area of exceptional marine biodiversity in the western Pacific. Today, this species is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of endangered species, driven nearly to extinction by overfishing and habitat loss.
This striking photo by Thai photojournalist and marine biologist Sirachai Arunrugsticha offers a glimmer of hope. “An aquarist holds a glass jar with an early-stage embryo of an Indo-Pacific Leopard shark (Stegostoma tigrinum), its egg case removed for a rearing experiment at Aquaria Phuket, one of Thailand’s largest private aquariums,” he explained. “Since 2023, the aquarium’s staff-driven breeding program has produced over 40 pups of this Endangered species, listed on the IUCN Red List.”
Human connection award: Craig Parry
Australian ocean and nature photographer Craig Parry documented the effort to save this beached humpback whale in New South Wales, Australia. © Craig Parry
Rescue teams and local community members worked for 15 hours to save this humpback whale that became beached in New South Wales, Australia. Australian ocean and nature photographer Craig Parry documented the tireless effort, snapping this aerial photo.
“Sadly, despite their dedication, she could not be saved,” Parry said. “While the outcome was heartbreaking, witnessing the collaboration and compassion shown by multiple agencies and volunteers was incredibly moving—a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose.”
Young photographer of the year: Aaron Sanders
UK-based underwater photographer and filmmaker Aaron Sanders snapped this intimate shot of two bobtail squids mating. © Aaron Sanders
These iridescent bobtail squid are wrapped in a tender embrace, mating on the seabed off the coast of the U.K. Underwater photographer and filmmaker Aaron Sanders carefully approached so as not to disturb the pair, capturing this dazzling photo.
“Waves of color rippled across their bodies as chromatophores pulsed in a mesmerizing rhythm, white flickered to gold, gold to red, and back again, transforming them into living, glowing jewels in the dark,” Sanders said. “These otherworldly creatures performed their courtship, creating the next generation of Bobtail squid.”
Ocean portfolio award: Matthew Sullivan
Florida-based underwater and wildlife photographer Matthew Sullivan captured this portrait of a mouthbrooding jawfish. © Matthew Sullivan
What looks like hundreds of tiny eyeballs in this male jawfish’s mouth is actually his own offspring. Mouthbrooding jawfish protect their fertilized eggs by carrying them around in their mouths for a week or more. During this period, they refrain from eating and regularly “juggle” the eggs—essentially spitting them out then sucking them back in—to make sure they receive enough oxygen.
“2025 was an exceptional year for spotting mouthbrooding males,” said Florida-based underwater and wildlife photographer Matthew Sullivan. “This particular male was quite bold and once he became comfortable with me, he allowed me to take this image.”
Female fifty fathoms award: Jualing Cai
In this photo by Chinese photographer Jialing Cai, a fish captures a jellyfish off the coast of Anilao, Philippines. © Jialing Cai
Off the coast of Anilao, a barangay in the Philippines, Chinese photographer Jialing Cai snapped this photo of a funky-looking fish that had captured a jellyfish in its mouth. “It potentially grabbed it for chemical defence by taking advantage of the toxins in its tentacles,” Cai explained. “While the fish was holding the jelly in its mouth, it looked like it was blowing a balloon.”
The ocean photographer of the year: Yury Ivanov
The grand prize goes to photographer and dive master Yury Ivanov for this macro photo of two “ladybugs of the sea” resting on a coral. © Yury Ivanov
The overall winner of this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year awards is Indonesia-based photographer and dive master Yury Ivanov. He captured this colorful image of two amphipods from the Cyproideidae family, each only measuring around 3 mm in body length, resting on a coral.
These tiny creatures are commonly known as “ladybugs of the sea,” and you can see why. Their black spotted bodies and insect-like features make them look like an otherworldly version of the common winged beetles. “It required a lot of patience and precision to compose and light the shot properly,” Ivanov said. “In total, it took me six dives to get the shot I wanted. The result reveals an intimate glimpse of underwater life that is often overlooked.
