The Winners of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025

Matt Growcoot
Two tiny, spotted crustaceans with translucent bodies and red eyes sit on a colorful, coral-like branch against a vivid blue background.
Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025. Two amphipods from the Cyproideidae family, each only measuring around 3 millimetres 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. “The result reveals an intimate glimpse of underwater life that is often overlooked.” | Yury Ivanov

After the finalists of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, now it can be revealed that Indonesian-based macro photographer Yury Ivanov has been named the winner for his vibrant image of two synchronized ‘ladybugs of the sea.’

Ivanov took the photo at his local dive site in Bali, Indonesia — beating off more than 15,000 other pictures from all over the world.

“Winning Ocean Photographer of the Year is an incredible feeling; I’m deeply grateful for the recognition. This award is not just about one image, but about celebrating the ocean itself — its fragility, its diversity, and its extraordinary power to inspire us,” Ivanov says.

A total of nine category winners have also been named today.

A small boat navigates through rough, dark ocean waves under a cloudy sky, with large waves crashing dramatically in the background. The scene is moody and intense, with mist and spray in the air.
Winner of the Action category. A rough Nazaré day. “The wind came from the north which made the surf tricky,” says Thouard. “Not many surfers went out and it was hard to shoot anything because of the big sets but eventually, this.” | Ben Thouard / Ocean Photographer of the Year
A close-up of a tiny, round fish with soft, translucent spines covering its body, resembling a pufferfish, set against a solid black background.
Winner of the Female Fifty Fathoms category. 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,” says Cai. | Jialing Cai / Ocean Photographer of the Year
A black and white photo of a whale, likely a Minke whale, swimming gracefully against a dark, featureless background, highlighting the whale’s smooth body and grooves along its throat.
Winner of the Fine Art category. A dwarf minke whale curiously eyes the photographer. “These whales are known to visit the northern Great Barrier Reef during the winter, making it the only known predictable aggregation of the species in the world,” says Riederer. | Marcia Riederer / Ocean Photographer of the Year
A bright yellow fish with large eyes emerges from a crevice, facing a cluster of tiny, translucent fish fry against a dark, black background.
Winner of the Wildlife category. A female yellow pygmy goby releases newly hatched larvae into the water column from her mouth. “In gobiid fishes, male parental care is common. In the yellow pygmy goby, however, the females also participate in parental hatching care, ” says Oyama. | Takumi Oyama / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Aerial view of a large whale washed ashore on a sandy beach, partially covered with white and blue tarps. Several people stand around the whale, some in the water and some on the sand. Waves lap at the shore.
Winner of the Human Connection category. People try to rescue a stranded humpback whale. “For 15 hours, they worked tirelessly,” says Parry. “Sadly, she could not be saved, but the compassion shown is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people come together.” | Craig Parry / Ocean Photographer of the Year
A close-up of a rough-textured, camouflaged fish with blue eyes and orange markings, lying flat on the seafloor in dark, murky water.
Winner of the Portfolio category. A batfish lies on the seabed. “Polka-dot batfish are a common sight in Florida waters, but they are notoriously difficult to photograph,” says Sullivan. “After years of trying, this individual seemed relaxed, and I was able to finally take a head-on portrait.” | Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Underwater close-up of a crocodile resting on a bed of leaves, with its mouth slightly open, showing sharp teeth. Fish swim in the background, and sunlight filters through the murky water.
Winner of the Portfolio category. Resting on the bottom of a cypress swamp, a large American alligator lies motionless. “Almost 12ft long, she never moved a muscle for over an hour,” says Sullivan. “The setting sun darkened the water, upping the intimidation factor of those big white teeth.” | Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the Year
A manatee swims gracefully underwater in clear blue water, with sunlight filtering from above and aquatic plants visible below.
Winner of the Portfolio category. Taken under permit, this photograph of a manatee in a spring-fed river showcases the animal’s curiosity. “The river is home to a population of manatees. Like a puppy, this individual followed me around for hours,” says Sullivan. | | Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Two hands hold a round container with a small aquatic animal, possibly a baby fish or amphibian, and a spherical object inside, all viewed from above against a light background.
Winner of the Hope category. An aquarist holds an early-stage embryo of an Indo-Pacific leopard shark, its egg case removed for a rearing experiment at Aquaria Phuket. “Since 2023, the aquarium’s breeding programme has produced over 40 pups of this Endangered species,” says Arunrugstichai. | Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Ocean Photographer of the Year
A person’s hand reaches under the body of a whale, touching a bloody organ or tissue on a wet, reflective surface. The scene suggests scientific examination or a post-mortem on the beached whale.
Winner of the Impact category. A long-finned pilot whale foetus lies lifeless under its mother’s corpse in the Faroe Islands. “Each year, more than 1,000 cetaceans are killed during grindadráp, the slaughter of entire whale groups, including juveniles and pregnant females,” says Bret. | Hugo Bret / Ocean Photographer of the Year
A close-up underwater photo of a translucent, speckled bobtail squid with large, shiny eyes, illuminated against a dark background.
Winner of the Young category. Under the cover of night, two tiny bobtail squid engage in an intimate display, their arms intertwined as they mate on the seabed. “Waves of colour rippled across their bodies as chromatophores pulsed in a mesmerising rhythm,” says Sanders. | Aaron Sanders / Ocean Photographer of the Year

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 has handed out over $13,500 worth of equipment to the winners. An Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 exhibition is to be showcased in the UK at The Historic Dockyard Chatham on March 28, 2026. The first international Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition will open at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, on November 6.

All of the winners can be viewed on the Oceanographic website.

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