2025 Ocean Art Contest Winners
The Underwater Photography Guide is excited to announce the world’s best underwater photography in this year’s 14th annual Ocean Art competition. 2025 featured thousands of entries from over 90 countries around the world! From mesmerizing blackwater photography of an elusive goosefish to dramatic wide-angle scenes of sailfish and playful pinnipeds, the winning photographs highlight the beauty, fragility, and diversity of underwater ecosystems while inspiring global conservation efforts.
Ocean Art could not have been possible without the help of our generous sponsors, who contributed over $60,000 in prizes this year! Please take a moment to check out our sponsors below and keep them in mind as you shop for underwater photo gear or dive travel.
This year’s competition featured 14 categories including breathtaking images of marine life behavior, stunning portraits, and dramatic black-and-white underwater scenes. The competition also featured two categories without editing restrictions — Underwater Digital Art and Underwater Fashion — encouraging limitless creativity.
The winners were asked to rank the prizes and were awarded one prize based on the total points earned from all their winning photos.
We would also like to thank our world-renowned judges Tony Wu, Mark Stickland, Marty Snyderman, Ipah Uid Lynn, and Bluewater Photo and Bluewater Travel for their utmost support. Click here to view the judges’ comments for Ocean Art 2025.
Ocean Art 2025 showcased the creativity, dedication, and technical excellence of underwater photographers from around the world. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, and sincere thanks to our judges, sponsors, and organizers for helping make this year’s competition possible.
Press Release and Media Contact: /ocean-art-2025-press-release
Please email info@uwphotographyguide.com
We hope you keep diving, learning and exploring.
Want to win next year? Join one of our underwater photo workshops
Need help finding the right underwater photo gear including from our sponsors, Ikelite, Ultralight, and Marelux? Check out Bluewater Photo!
Best in Show
Tired fish
Place: Best in Show
Name: Steven Kovacs
Location: Blackwater dive off Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
Thank to our Sponsors!
Click Here to Check Out All Prizes
Wide Angle
Last Light
Place: 1st
Name: Byron Conroy
Location: Jardines Del Reina marine Park in Cuba, Caribbean
Marlin and Diver
Place: 2nd
Name: George Kao
Location: Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Scads and Turtle
Place: 3rd
Name: Alex Lindbloom
Location: Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Concise Chaos
Place: 4th Place
Name: James Ferrara
Location: Magdalena Bay, Mexico
Parrotfish Frenzy
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Katherine Zhou
Location: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Catch me if you can
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Pedro Carrillo
Location: South of Bahia Magdalena, BCS, Mexico
Macro
Gliding
Place: 2nd
Name: Luis Arpa Toribio
Location: Indonesia, Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait
The Next Generation
Place: 3rd
Name: Nicholas More
Location: Pintu Colada, Indonesia
Giant Kelp
Place: 4th Place
Name: Bruce Hall
Location: Catalina Island, CA, Casino Dive Park, USA
Responsible Dad
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Lena Remy
Location: Chowder Bay, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Complements
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Luis Arpa Toribio
Location: Indonesia, Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait
Marine Life Behavior
Beautiful Birth
Place: 1st
Name: Jeon Min Seok
Location: Beaches in Kumamoto and Shinminamata, Japan
Nice Catch！
Place: 3rd
Name: Kazuhiro Katano
Location: Japan , Shizuoka-Pre. , Osezaki
Colorful Love
Place: 4th place
Name: Mark Chivers
Location: Indonesia, Lembeh Strait, Bianca dive site
Alciopid in Ink
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Jeffrey Milisen
Location: USA, Kona, Hawaii, blackwater
Devotion of a Damsel
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Devyn Winner
Location: Anilao, Philippines, Bubbles dive site
Portrait
Buddha’s Ear
Place: 2nd
Name: Imogen Manins
Location: Australia, Mornington Peninsula, Rye
Side Profile is the Best
Place: 4th Place
Name: Wen Chou Wu
Location: Indonesia, Tulamben, Gerombong Dive Site
Loco Lobos
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: James Ferrara
Location: Magdalena Bay, Mexico- Isla Santa Margarita
Grace of the Deep
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Alessandro Fantin
Location: Bahamas, Grand Bahama, Tiger Beach
Cold Water
One Way out
Place: 1st
Name: James Ferrara
Location: Tobermory, Ontario Canada (Lake Huron)
Spawning Lamprey
Place: 2nd
Name: Anton Sorokin
Location: California, USA, Big Sur Region
Grey Seal Contact
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Simon Temple
Location: UK, Isles of Scilly, Eastern Isles
Sea Lion Mayhem
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Allison Vitsky Sallmon
Location: Santa Barbara Island, California, USA
Nudibranchs
True Colors
Place: 1st
Name: Paolo Bausani
Location: Giannutri Island, Mediterranean Sea, Italy
Pride of Lions
Place: 2nd
Name: Brian Skjerven
Location: Canada, British Columbia, God’s Pocket Marine Provincial Park, Hooded Nudie Bay
Meet de Costasiellas!
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Paul Eijkemans
Location: Indonesia, Bali, Tulamben, Melasti divesite
Phyllodesmium friend
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Will Luckock
Location: Blairgowrie Pier, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
Blackwater
Tired fish
Place: 1st
Name: Steven Kovacs
Location: Blackwater dive off Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Female Angler
Place: 2nd
Name: Steven Kovacs
Location: Blackwater dive off Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Reality and Reflection
Place: 3rd
Name: Giancarlo Mazarese
Location: Anilao, Philippines
Intimate Couple
Place: 4th Place
Name: Steven Kovacs
Location: Blackwater dive off Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Shadows and Light Across the Water
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Yoichi Sato
Location: Anilao, Batangas, Philippines
Ocean Phantoms
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Akira Asahina
Location: Philippines, Cebu, House Reef
Underwater Conservation
Garbage Diving
Place: 3rd
Name: Pietro Cremone
Location: Indonesia, Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait
The Dangerous Toy!
Place: 4th
Name: Celia Kujala
Location: Mexico, Coronado Islands, Lobster Shack
The Price of Bycatch
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Theresa Guise
Location: Egypt, Southern Red Sea, Elphinstone Reef
Tamataroa
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Thomas Pavy
Location: Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia
Underwater Digital Art
Mysterious Pufferfish
Place: 1st
Name: Michal Stros
Location: Bunaken Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Vanishing Act – Southern Stingray
Place: 3rd
Name: Ysabela Coll
Location: Mexico, Cozumel, Palancar Gardens
Constellation Keeper
Place: 4th
Name: Lilian Koh
Location: Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia
Look
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Julio Martínez
Location: Portman, Murcia. Spain
Inmersed
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Ysabela Coll
Location: Mexico, Cozumel, Palancar Gardens
Black & White
Méduse
Place: 1st
Name: Patrick Désormais
Location: Pays-Bas – Zélande – site Den Osse
In the River at Night
Place: 2nd
Name: Jack Berthomier
Location: Ouenghi’s River, New Caledonia
Caribbean Reef Shark Blur
Place: 3rd
Name: Mehmet Gungen
Location: Bahamas, Grand Bahama Island, Tiger Beach
Just Chilling
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Tom Ingram
Location: Lundy Island, North Devon coast, UK
Underwater Fashion
Angel Flying Over Water
Place: 1st
Name: Bruce Campbell
Location: Waterbear exhibit pool in Gainesville Florida
Goddess of the Night
Place: 2nd
Name: Cassie Pali
Location: United States, Maui, Hawaii
The Pirate and the Kraken 3
Place: 3rd
Name: Claudia Weber-Gebert
Location: Germany, public pool in Bernkastel-Kues
Mermaid’s Repose
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Bruce Campbell
Location: Gainesville, Florida
The Silent Stage
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Sarah Teveldal
Location: Austin, Texas
Compact Wide Angle
Turtle and Snorkelers
Place: 1st
Name: Haemi Cho
Location: Shark Point, Komodo, Indonesia
Klunzigerś Home (Klunziger Wrasse)
Place: 2nd
Name: Enrico Somogyi
Location: Marsa Alam, Red Sea, Egypt
Defending the Cave
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Kevin McCown
Location: USA, California, Channel Islands – Santa Cruz Island
Peace
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Martina Favero
Location: Indonesia, Bunaken, Timur I
Compact Macro
Dancing on Eggs
Place: 1st
Name: Andrea Michelutti
Location: Anilao, Mabini, Batangas (Luzon), Philippines
Hypnosis
Place: 3rd
Name: Andrea Michelutti
Location: Anilao, Mabini, Batangas (Luzon), Philippines
Zoom ( Peackock Mantis Shrimp)
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Enrico Somogyi
Location: Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia
Compact Behavior
Frisky Dumplings
Place: 2nd
Name: Vadim Belakhov
Location: Melbourne, Australia, Port Phillip Bay, Rye Pier
The Drifting Feast
Place: 3rd
Name: Mohd Shakir
Location: Tenggol Island, Terengganu, Malaysia
One Against Four
Place: 4th
Name: Vadim Belakhov
Location: Whyalla, Stony Point, South Australia
Where all starts
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Pierre-Benoît Querton
Location: West Gili Lawa Darat, Komodo, Indonésia
Alien Invasion
Place: Honorable Mention
Name: Marco Lausdei
Location: Maldives – Baa Atoll – Hanifaru bay
Summary of Categories and Winners
-
Overall Winner
-
Best In Show: Steven Kovacs
-
Wide Angle
-
- 1st: Byron Conroy
- 2nd: George Kao
- 3rd: Alex Lindbloom
- 4th: James Ferrara
- Honorable Mention: Katherine Zhou
- Honorable Mention: Pedro Carrillo
-
-
Macro
- 1st: Daniel Sly
- 2nd: Luis Arpa Toribio
- 3rd: Nicholas More
- 4th: Bruce Hall
- Honorable Mention: Lena Remy
- Honorable Mention: Luis Arpa Toribio
-
Marine Life Behavior
-
- 1st: Jeon Min Seok
- 2nd: Suliman Alatiqi
- 3rd: Kazuhiro Katano
- 4th: Mark Chivers
- Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Milisen
- Honorable Mention: Devyn Winner
-
-
Portrait
-
- 1st: Galice Hoarau
- 2nd: Imogen Manins
- 3rd: Wojtek Meczynski
- 4th: Wen Chou Wu
- Honorable Mention: James Ferrara
- Honorable Mention: Alessandro Fantin
-
-
Cold Water
- 1st: James Ferrara
- 2nd: Anton Sorokin
- 3rd: Nicholas More
- 4th: James Ferrara
- Honorable Mention: Simon Temple
- Honorable Mention: Allison Vitsky
-
Nudibranchs
- 1st: Paolo Bausani
- 2nd: Brian Skjerven
- 3rd: Kirsty Andrews
- 4th: Franco Tulli
- Honorable Mention: Paul Eijkemans
- Honorable Mention: Will Luckock
-
Blackwater
- 1st: Steven Kovacs
- 2nd: Steven Kovacs
- 3rd: Giancarlo Mazarese
- 4th: Steven Kovacs
- Honorable Mention: Yoichi Sato
- Honorable Mention: Akira Asahina
-
Underwater Conservation
- 1st: Elio Nicosia
- 2nd: Dan Mele
- 3rd: Pietro Cremone
- 4th: Celia Kujala
- Honorable Mention: Theresa Guise
- Honorable Mention: Thomas Pavy
-
Underwater Digital Art
- 1st: Michal Stros
- 2nd: Conor Culver
- 3rd: Ysabela Coll
- 4th: Lilian Koh
- Honorable Mention: Julio Martínez
- Honorable Mention: Ysabela Coll
-
Black & White
- 1st: Patrick Désormais
- 2nd: Jack Berthomier
- 3rd: Mehmet Gungen
- Honorable Mention: Shunsuke Nakano
- Honorable Mention: Tom Ingram
-
Underwater Fashion
- 1st: Bruce Campbell
- 2nd: Cassie Pali
- 3rd: Claudia Weber-Gebert
- Honorable Mention: Bruce Campbell
- Honorable Mention: Sarah Teveldal
-
Compact Wide Angle
- 1st: Haemi Cho
- 2nd: Enrico Somogyi
- 3rd: Megan Dente
- Honorable Mention: Kevin McCown
- Honorable Mention: Marty Jung
-
Compact Macro
- 1st: Andrea Michelutti
- 2nd: Don Bouchard
- 3rd: Andrea Michelutti
- Honorable Mention: Enrico Somogyi
-
Compact Behavior
- 1st: Jo Taylor
- 2nd: Vadim Belakhov
- 3rd: Mohd Shakir
- 4th: Vadim Belakhov
- Honorable Mention: Pierre-Benoît Querton
- Honorable Mention: Marco Lausde
