20 mind-blowing images from Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
20 mind-blowing images from Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025
The winners of this year's competition include breathtaking photos of hunting orcas, venomous octopuses and adorable 'lady bugs of the sea'.
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."
Photo Credit: Yury Ivanov / Ocean Photographer of the Year
With over 15,000 images submitted from across the globe, this year’s competition includes a breathtaking mix of underwater, coastal and drone photography – capturing everything from the vibrant pulse of marine life to the urgent environmental challenges facing our seas – through the lenses of the planet’s most talented ocean photographers.
Topping the competition is Indonesia-based macro specialist Yury Ivanov, who has been named Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025.
His winning image of two tiny, synchronised 'ladybugs of the sea', shot at his local dive site in Bali, Indonesia, captivated the judging panel with its vibrant colour, technical precision and powerful simplicity.
Chinese photographer Jialing Cai has been awarded this year’s prestigious Female Fifty Fathoms Award, created in 2021 by Oceanographic Magazine in partnership with Blancpain. The award celebrates exceptional women who are breaking boundaries and making significant contributions to the field of ocean photography.
Unlike other award categories, the Female Fifty Fathoms Award is based on peer nominations and judged by the Ocean Photographer of the Year jury, including esteemed ocean photographer Laurent Ballesta, editorial staff at Oceanographic and a Blancpain delegation led by Marc A. Hayek, President and CEO.
Almost ethereal in its translucency, a juvenile wunderpus octopus is surrounded by a variety of small zooplankton, such as larval shrimps, crabs and worms. Anilao, Philippines. - Photo Credit: Jialing Cai / Ocean Photographer of the YearA fish captures a jellyfish. It potentially grabbed it for chemical defence by taking advantage of the toxins in its tentacles. Anilao, Philippines. - Photo Credit: Jialing Cai / Ocean Photographer of the YearA larval deep-sea fish makes a swift turn mid-water. Anilao, Philippines. - Photo Credit: Jialing Cai / Ocean Photographer of the YearAn immortal jellyfish pictured mid-turn with its tentacles relaxed. Anilao, Philippines. - Photo Credit: Jialing Cai / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Portfolio Category
Winner - Matthew Sullivan
A batfish pictured lying on the seabed. Sullivan notes how polka-dot batfish are a common sight in Florida waters, but they are notoriously difficult to photograph. Florida, USA. - Photo Credit: Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the YearA male salmon prepares to make a leap over a waterfall. British Columbia, Canada. - Photo Credit: Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the YearA portrait of a curious jawfish. Florida, USA. - Photo Credit: Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the YearA school of spadefish. Florida, USA. - Photo Credit: Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Second place - Giancarlo Mazarese
Doto greenamyeri, a species of sea slug, lays its eggs. Due to its appearance, the nudibranch is often nicknamed the ‘donut sea slug'. Bali, Indonesia. - Photo Credit: Giancarlo Mazarese / Ocean Photographer of the YearBetween two sea squirts, a goby cradles its eggs. Bali, Indonesia. - Photo Credit: Giancarlo Mazarese / Ocean Photographer of the YearThe sheep nudibranch Costasiella kuroshimae deposits its eggs in a circular arrangement while feeding on algae. The algal substrate provides a microhabitat for early egg development. - Photo Credit: Giancarlo Mazarese / Ocean Photographer of the YearTiny cuttlefish eggs reveal the developing embryo within. One egg, illuminated using a backlit snoot, highlights the anatomy and developmental stages of the embryo. Bali, Indonesia. - Photo Credit: Giancarlo Mazarese / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Third place - Brooke Pyke
A blue-ringed octopus, a highly venomous species, pictured hiding between two shells. Raja Ampat, Indonesia. - Photo Credit: Brooke Pyke / Ocean Photographer of the YearA whale shark is pictured rising from the depths of the ocean, surrounded by a school of bait fish. Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. - Photo Credit: Brooke Pyke / Ocean Photographer of the YearA school of oriental sweetlips swim in unison. Raja Ampat, Indonesia. - Photo Credit: Brooke Pyke / Ocean Photographer of the YearThree tawny nurse sharks engaging in a mating ritual. Baa Atoll, Maldives. - Photo Credit: Brooke Pyke / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Wildlife Category
Winner - Takumi Oyama
A female yellow pygmy goby releases newly hatched larvae into the water column from her mouth. - Photo Credit: Takumi Oyama / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Second place - Yifan Ling
A one-year-old Bigg’s orca catches a harbour seal. Ling explains that "at this age, orcas typically rely on milk - his skill highlights the Salish Sea’s richness, where harbour seals and orcas have rebounded thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972." - Photo Credit: Yifan Ling / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Third place - Alexis Chappuis
Thousands of skeleton shrimps have entirely colonised a gorgonian coral in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Skeleton shrimps are amphipods of the Genus Caprella. - Photo Credit: Alexis Chappuis / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Ocean Photographer of the Year overall winner – Yury Ivanov
Commonly known as 'ladybugs of the sea’, these tiny creatures display striking colouration and symmetry. - Photo Credit: Yury Ivanov / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Speaking about what it meant to be named Ocean Photographer of the Year, Ivanov said: "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."
The first major Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 exhibition to be showcased in the UK, will open at The Historic Dockyard Chatham on March 28th 2026.
Picture researcher across BBC Science Focus, BBC Countryfile and BBC Wildlife
Lily is the picture researcher across BBC Science Focus, BBC Countryfile and BBC Wildlife. She holds a degree in Photojournalism, where she specialised in social documentary reportage. Her photographic work has been shortlisted for the BarTur Photo Award’s Unity in Diversity category and exhibited internationally as part of the Urban Photo Awards. Before joining the team, she worked on freelance projects and as a product specialist for leading camera brands.
