50 Stunning Images From The 2025 Ocean Photographer Of The Year Awards

USA

Dominica

"I've been fond of whales since my childhood, so I was really excited to get the opportunity to swim with sperm whales for the first time in my life," says Barats. "I was extremely lucky on my first day at sea. We saw 15 whales socialising for 45 minutes or so. The sea was rough but when you get to see something like that you quickly forget the conditions. There were three of us in the water, spread out due to the action. The whales began to move out when I suddenly saw my buddy freediving from afar. I managed to get a shot of him surrounded by whales."

Indonesia

"This photo was captured after extensive fieldwork with the support of local rangers," says Alatiqi. "Our focus was to shed light on the Komodo dragon’s interaction with one of its main - yet commonly overlooked - habitats: coastal shorelines. As cold-blooded animals, Komodo dragons rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. During the scorching heat, they can be seen resting in shallow water or mud to lower their body temperature. As adept swimmers, they will also swim or walk across the seabed to expand their territorial search for food or mates."

Japan

"This image was taken near Mount Iwo on Satsuma-Iojima Island, where the underwater aurora can be seen," says Tsuchiya. "The volcano spews out iron-rich substances not only from above ground but also from the ocean floor, creating these rich colours. I hope this images pushes people to think about the connection between global warming and marine conservation. We must preserve these mysterious and fantastical landscapes, created by land and sea, for future generations."

Australia

"Each summer, male eastern gobbleguts carry their eggs in their mouths throughout the brooding season," says Sly. "Typically active at night, they remain shy and quick to hide, darting into crevices or kelp at the first sign of disturbance. This portrait was captured during a night dive beneath a busy fishing and ferry wharf in Sydney Harbour. After a long, patient wait, the gobbleguts finally emerged from the shadows. I used a narrow beam of light from above to softly illuminate the fish and its egg clutch helping it stand out from the cluttered background."

Galapagos

"Marine iguanas, endemic to the Galapagos, are one of the most iconic species in the archipelago," says de Frias. "They are like miniature dragons, especially in low-angle eye-to-eye portraits like this one. This individual was resting on the black rocks of Santa Cruz Island, sunbathing after a foraging dive. By sheer luck, I photographed the split-second in which it was sneezing the excess salt it had absorbed during its dive. Sneezing is not a discomfort signal; it is a perfectly natural behaviour. I made sure not to disturb the animal, shooting from a very safe distance, using a 600mm lens."

Bali, Indonesia

Two amphipods from the Cyproideidae family, each only measuring around 3mm in body length, rest on a coral. Commonly called "ladybugs of the sea", these tiny creatures display striking colouration and symmetry. "It required a lot of patience and precision to compose and light the shot properly," says Ivanov. "It was taken at a depth of 19 metres, during a sunny day with calm sea conditions. 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."

Spain

"I've always been fascinated by the resemblance between jellyfish and space rockets," says Bertran Regàs. "I was looking for a photograph that conveyed that connection: a rocket leaving Earth. To do this, I used a fisheye lens and took the photo just as the sun was rising. Snell's Window helped me create the Earth, the particles were the stars, and the sun luckily appeared behind it. I don't think I'll ever be as close to space as I was that day."

Hawai'i

"Inside the world’s largest albatross colony at one of the most remote locations on the planet, a specially trained technician from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) carefully weaves their way through thousands of albatross chicks while carrying a large ghost net," says Sullivan-Haskins. "During their gruelling nineteen-day mission, the team removed more than 70,000 pounds of marine debris from this critically important wildlife habitat ensuring that these young albatross chicks will have a better chance at survival. Over the past four years PMDP has removed more than one million pounds of marine debris from Papahānaumokuākea. This is action-based conservation at its finest."

USA

"After years of studying the true pygmy seahorses, I finally encountered this dwarf seahorse during some downtime at a Florida conference," says Smith. "Although their conservation status is ‘Least Concern’, few people see them in the wild due to their incredible camouflage. The true pygmies have several adaptations for life in miniature, and although Hippocampus zosterae is equally small, it doesn’t share these extreme specialisations. Endemic to Florida and Gulf of Mexico waters, these tiny seahorses require a keen eye to locate. I found a pair thriving in 1-2 feet of water. This female was accompanied by her pregnant male partner, but only her colour matched the emerald green Halimeda algae she was clinging to."

USA

An opportunistic pelican swoops in to steal a fish from strand-feeding dolphins. "When dolphins strand-feed, they corral baitballs of fish and rush them onto the shore," says Zhou. "Pelicans usually lurk nearby, hoping to take advantage of an easy meal. Following the pelicans is usually a good indicator of where along the beach the dolphins might strand next. Though there are around 350 dolphins that call South Carolina home, this rare strand feeding behaviour is only performed by a few members of one pod."

USA

"This photo, taken on July 13, 2024, captures one-year-old Bigg’s orca T065B3 - known as 'Rook' - near Bird Rocks, WA," says Ling. "Against the glowing sunset, Rook proudly displays a harbour seal he found while his family patrolled nearby and later helped him capture. At this age, orcas typically rely on milk and rarely hunt alone, making this moment especially impressive. His emerging skill highlights the ecological richness of the Salish Sea, where both harbour seal and Bigg’s orca populations have rebounded thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 - a testament to the impact of long-term conservation efforts."

Indonesia

"Fear, fuelled by films like Jaws, blinds us to the truth: more than 100 million sharks are killed each year by humans - many as accidental bycatch," says Flormann. "I captured this image in West Papua, where three sharks died in a net meant for anchovies. Nearby, the half-cut-off caudal fin of a whale shark tells another sad story of human impact. Sharks are essential to ocean balance, yet we are driving them toward extinction. This moment is a quiet plea: to see sharks not as danger, but as endangered - and worth saving."

Australia

"Dwarf minke whales are known to visit the northern Great Barrier Reef during the winter, making it the only known predictable aggregation of these whales in the world," says Riederer. "These curious giants approach swimmers with an almost playful curiosity. Floating in the turquoise water, watching a sleek, dark body glide effortlessly towards you, its eye meeting yours in a moment of connection. 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."

Japan

"This photo shows the larval dispersal behaviour observed during the hatching of the yellow pigmy goby," says Oyama. "In gobiid fishes, male parental care is common, but unusually, in the yellow pigmy goby, females also participate in parental hatching care. This individual is a female, releasing newly hatched larvae into the water column from her mouth."

Antarctica

"It’s amazing how fast gentoo penguins are able to build a colony during the austral summer in the Antarctic peninsula," says Barats. "Port Charcot is usually a good place for this. This sheltered bay surrounded by mountains and icebergs is a perfect base for gentoos. We anchored our sailboat in this bay for three days, near the colony. We got in the water every day to enjoy the spectacle of these highly curious birds, who came to check on us so many times. Clumsy on land, these birds are fast and agile in the water."

French Polynesia

A pair of synchronised humpback whales. "Putting myself out in the field has taught me lessons no textbook ever could," says Takahashi. "It has also deepened my understanding of the profound biophilia held by the Tahitian people on the island of Mo’orea. These two humpback whales are always seen together, and I was fortunate to capture this rare moment of synchronicity. To me, this photo reflects the strong bond between them while also revealing their playful and curious personalities."

Indonesia

"This is an image of a juvenile Pinnate Batfish captured using a slow shutter speed, snooted light, and deliberate camera panning to create motion and drama," says Arpa Toribio. "Juveniles are known for striking black bodies outlined in vibrant orange — a coloration lost within months. I encountered this restless subject in the tropical waters of Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait. Capturing the image required patience and persistence over two dives, as these active young fish constantly dart into crevices for cover, making the shot particularly challenging to execute without interfering with the fish’s natural behaviour."

"I've been diving in the Rudnaya Bay area for more than 40 years, but I've never seen a pea crab," says Shpatak, "I was lucky. Pea crabs spend most of their lives inside the shells of grey mussels, a symbiotic relationship that only ends when the mussel or crab dies. I can only assume that this pea crab was looking for a home when I managed to photograph it."

French Polynesia

"A freediver, accompanied by two humpback whales in French Polynesia, maintains a respectful and prudent distance," says Herrero. "Recently, social media has been flooded with images of people getting very close to wildlife, including whales, often captured without proper knowledge, respect, or regard for safety and animal welfare. Many of these encounters are hastily staged or driven by the desire for striking photos. I share this photograph to promote a message of respect and responsible observation. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining safe distances and acting ethically."