16 breathtaking images from the 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year contest

16 breathtaking images from the 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year contest

Posted on By rehan.rafique No Comments on 16 breathtaking images from the 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year contest

Oceans cover 71 percent of our planet. Inside these mighty waters, creatures massive and tiny struggle to adapt to warming waters and habitat destruction. The 2025 Ocean Photographer of the Year competition celebrates Big Blue’s striking beauty and also highlights the urgent need to protect it in a rapidly changing world.

“In the midst of a deepening climate and biodiversity crisis on our blue planet, ocean photography has never been more important,” Ocean Photographer of the Year Director, Will Harrison, said in a statement. “These images are far more than just beautiful – they are powerful visual testaments to what we stand to lose, and they remind us of the urgent need for protection. Ocean Photographer of the Year continues to be a vital platform for sharing critical stories from above and below the waterline. We’re in awe of this year’s finalists and look forward to revealing the winners to the world next month. Their work has the power to inspire change.”

This week, co-presenters Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain announced the finalists for this year’s contest. The category winners and overall winner will be announced in September. (Click to expand images to full screen.)

a minke whale photographed from below
“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.”
Location: Australia
Credit: Marcia Riederer / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 Marcia Riederer
a whale shark swims under a net filled with small sharks and fish
 “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.”
Location: Indonesia
Credit: Daniel Flormann / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 Daniel Flormann
a drooling komodo dragon stands in clear water
“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.”
Location: Indonesia 
Credit: Suliman Alatiqi / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
a shark swims amongst garbage
“In recent years, Sixgill Sharks have been spotted at our local dive spot, Redondo Beach in Des Moines, Washington,” says Miller. “Every time I encounter one of these ancient animals, it is truly a spiritual experience. When I initially took this image, I almost discarded it due to the toilet and traffic cone. But something drew me back to it. I believe it is the contrast between a 200 million year old prehistoric animal and trash that humans have created. This image is a juxtaposition between nature’s beauty and humanity’s destructive nature.”
Location: USA
Credit: Jesse Miller / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
a humpback whale tied in ropes
“This image represents one of the most profound moments of my life,” says Moreno Madrid. “It was my first year in Exmouth, drawn by the stories about Ningaloo Reef. With just a kayak and an obsession with the ocean I explored the reef weekly. On this particular day, a friend and I went to Turquoise Bay, where we encountered this humpback whale, hopelessly entangled in fishing nets, chased by dozens of sharks. In a moment of desperation, knowing it was beyond us to help, I tried to document the situation. I hope this image turns tragedy into awareness, inspiring real change for our ocean.”
Location: Australia
Credit: Claudio Moreno Madrid / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
two humpback whales
“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.”
Location: French Polynesia
Credit: Yuka Takahashi / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
two squid mate
“Under the cover of night, two tiny Bobtail squid engaged in an intimate display, their arms intertwined as they mated on the seabed,” says Sanders. “Waves of colour rippled across their bodies as chromatophores pulsed in a mesmerising rhythm, white flickered to gold, gold to red, and back again, transforming them into living, glowing jewels in the dark. These otherworldly creatures performed their courtship, creating the next generation of Bobtail squid. I felt privileged to have witnessed this rare and tender moment. Approaching with care, I documented this encounter without disturbing the pair, capturing their brilliant display in all its intricate detail.”
Location: United Kingdom 
Credit: Aaron Sanders / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
a surfer flies above the water in a splash with a rainbow
 Professional surfer Noa Deane flies through a rainbow at Huzzas surf break, Western Australia. “This image is baffling,” says Feast. “It was created at sunset. I had to track the surfer coming at me and then lose him for a moment as he prepared to launch. I had to turn blindly and shoot, predicting that he would fly through my frame. The resulting rainbow I was not prepared for – it’s something I’ve never seen before and not been able to replicate since.”
Location: Australia
Credit: Kim Feast / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
a stranded humpback whale covered in wet sheets on the beach. humans stand around it
“In the early hours of July 1st, we received a call about a stranded humpback whale,” says Parry. “Wildlife veterinarian Steve Van Mill quickly assessed the situation and contacted SeaWorld Marine Rescue and other key agencies to coordinate a response. For 15 hours, rescue teams and the local community worked tirelessly in a unified effort to save her. Sadly, despite their dedication, she could not be saved. 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.” 
Location: Australia 
Credit: Craig Parry / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
sperm whales surround a diver
 “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.”
Location: Dominica
Credit: Romain Barats / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
An opportunistic pelican swoops in to steal a fish from strand-feeding dolphins
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.”
Location: USA
Credit: Kat Zhou / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
fish with a mouth full of eggs
“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.”
Location: Australia
Credit: Daniel Sly / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
rodent walks across sand
A Rakali, a semi-aquatic rodent native to Australia, runs toward to the ocean in search of food. “I wanted to get a shot of a running Rakali, showcasing the contrasting colours of the orange belly and the blueish wet sand and water,” says van Duinkerken. “I planned on panning along with the running Rakali, using a slow shutter speed. The panning along was hopefully going to create some streaking motion blur, and the flashes would freeze the details of the Rakali at the end of the exposure. I waited in silence and dead still at this spot for hours over several nights to get this shot.”
Location: Australia
Credit: Daniel van Duinkerken / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
penguins swimming through the water
“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.”
Location: Antarctica 
Credit: Romain Barats / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
a close-up of a whale's eye
“I took this photo during one of the most special encounters I’ve had in years,” says Fregoni. “This curious female whale kept coming back to us, very close, again and again. It was just my group, her, and a male watching quietly from a distance, around 20m deep. He never came closer, but he didn’t leave either.”
Location: French Polynesia  
Credit: Joaquin Fregoni  / Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025

 

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