Immerse yourself in the most breathtaking ocean photos of the year

While floating in the crystal clear waters of the large northern barrier, a dark and elegant shape slid towards Marcia Riederer. The Brazilian original fauna and the underwater photographer watched Minke’s dwarf whale approach, taking a picture at the exact moment when he turned and set an eye on her.

“These curious giants approach swimmers with an almost fun curiosity,” Riederer told Oceanographic magazine. “Whales seem to recognize your presence, surrounding and interacting with you. It is a humiliating experience, reaffirming the wonder of the ocean and its inhabitants, and the urgent need to keep it. ”

His superb photo, illustrated above, won the first place in the category of fine arts of the prices of the ocean photographer of the year 2025. This competition, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, honors impressive images which present the beauty of the ocean and its fragility. Read the rest to dive into the rest of the winning photos of this year.

Wildlife photographer of the year: Takumi Oyama

The Yellow Pygmy Gobie is a small fish in bright colors from the Western Pacific Ocean. The Japanese marine researcher, Takumi Oyama, photographed this median dispersion. “In Gobiid fish, male parental care is common, but unusually, in the yellow pigmy gobie, females also participate in parental hatching,” he explained. “This person is a woman, releasing newly hatched larvae in the water column.”

Oyama’s research focuses on the reproductive ecology of fish, in particular reef fish in Japan. He is carrying out work on the diving based to get closer to marine life, using an underwater photography to help his research and share his observations with the world.

Adventure photographer of the year: Ben Thouard

The Nazaré coast, in Portugal, is sadly famous for its massive waves, producing some of the largest swells never surfed. French photographer Ben Thouard took this dramatic blow with a particularly difficult day. “The wind was blowing from the north, which makes surfing delicate,” he said. “It was the end of the afternoon; The light was interesting from the beach instead and the usual view.

Thouard photographs the ocean since he was a teenager. He is now based in Tahiti – another part of the world known for his powerful waves – where he has developed his unique visual style.

Conservation (impact) Photographer of the year: Hugo Bret

The traditional practice of Grindadráp whale hunting is deeply rooted in centuries of fierce culture. The hunts were once essential to human survival in the Faroe Islands, but today, environmentalists argue that the mass murder of pilot whales represents a significant threat to the species. The French photographer and Marine Biologist Hugo Bret captured this image evocative of a long -term pilot whale fetus being lifeless under the corpse of his mother after such a hunt.

“Each year, more than 1,000 cetaceans are killed during Grindadráp, the slaughter of whole whale groups, including juveniles and pregnant women,” he said. “While these hunts were once an existential necessity, they are no longer subsistence practices. I hope this image arouses global attention to end the Grindadráp and, on a larger scale, defend a review of what the human relationship should be with other living beings. “

Conservation (Hope) Photographer of the year: Sirachai Arunrugstichai

The Indo-Pacific Leopard sharks were once abundant in the Coral Triangle, an exceptional marine biodiversity area in the Western Pacific. Today, this species is on the list of endangered species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), driven almost to extinction by overfishing and loss of habitat.

This striking photo of the photojournalist and marine biologist Sirachai Arunrugstha offers a glimmer of hope. “An aquarian holds a glass jar with an early embryo of an Indo-Pacific Leopard shark (Stegostoma Tignum), its egg case withdrawn for an aging experience in Aquaria Phuket, one of the largest private aquariums in Thailand,” he said. “Since 2023, the reproduction program based on aquarium personnel has produced more than 40 puppies of this endangered species, listed on the Red List of the IUCN.”

Human connection price: Craig Parry

Rescue teams and members of the local community worked for 15 hours to save this humpback whale which has become exchanged in South New Wales in Australia. The photographer of the Australian Ocean and Nature, Craig Parry, documented the tireless effort, taking this aerial photo.

“Unfortunately, despite their dedication, she could not be saved,” said Parry. “Although the result was heartbreaking, testifying to the collaboration and compassion manifested by several agencies and volunteers was incredibly moving – a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people meet with a common goal.”

Young photographer of the year: Aaron Sanders

These iridescent bobtail calmars are wrapped in a tender embrace, coupling on the seabed off the coasts of the photographer and British submarine filmmaker Aaron Sanders have carefully approached so as not to disturb the pair, capturing this dazzling photo.

“Colored waves have waved their body while the chromatophores pulled in a fascinating rhythm, white flickering in gold, gold to red, and vice versa, transforming them into living and brilliant jewelry in darkness,” said Sanders. “These creatures of another world have carried out their nuptial parade, creating the next generation of Squid Bobtail.”

Ocean Portfolio Award: Matthew Sullivan

What looks like hundreds of tiny eye globes in the mouth of the male jaw is actually its own offspring. The moving jaw protects their fertilized eggs by carrying them in the mouth for a week or more. During this period, they refrain from eating and “juggling regularly” the eggs – spitting them mainly and then sucking them – to make sure they receive enough oxygen.

“2025 was an exceptional year to locate men from the mouth,” said Matthew Sullivan, the fauna photographer based in Florida. “This particular male was quite daring and once he became comfortable with me, he allowed me to take this image.”

FIFTY FATHOMS female price: Jualing Cai

Off the coast of Anilao, a Barangay in the Philippines, Chinese photographer Jialing Cai took this photo of a Funky Fish that had captured a jellyfish in his mouth. “He potentially seized it for chemical defense by taking advantage of toxins in his tentacles,” said Cai. “While the fish held the jelly in his mouth, it seemed to blow a ball.”

The ocean photographer of the year: Yury Ivanov

The Winner General of the Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards of this year is the photographer and the diving master in Indonesia Yury Ivanov. He captured this colored image of two amphipods from the Cyproideidae family, each measuring only about 3 mm in body length, resting on a coral.

These tiny creatures are commonly called “sea ladybugs” and you can see why. Their black spotted bodies and their insect features make them look like a version of another world of common winged beetles. “It took a lot of patience and precision to compose and light the shot correctly,” said Ivanov. “In total, I took six dives to get the photo I wanted. The result reveals an intimate overview of underwater life which is often overlooked.