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The ocean doesn’t scream for attention—it whispers, glows, drifts, and surprises. And the 2025 Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest caught all of that magic in one jaw-dropping collection. Now in its 14th year, the competition pulled in thousands of submissions from over 90 countries, proving one thing loud and clear: underwater photography is having a serious moment.
This year’s winning images feel like scenes stolen from another planet. You’ve got surreal blackwater encounters with elusive goosefish, heart-pounding wide-angle shots of sailfish slicing through the blue, and playful pinnipeds caught mid-motion like they’re flexing for the camera. Every frame tells a story—about beauty, vulnerability, and why these underwater worlds are worth protecting.
The contest featured 14 diverse categories, ranging from marine life behavior and striking portraits to dramatic black-and-white compositions. Two categories—Underwater Digital Art and Underwater Fashion—ditched editing restrictions altogether, letting photographers go full creative beast mode. The result? Images that blur the line between reality and imagination.
Ocean Art 2025 was powered by generous sponsors who contributed over $60,000 in prizes, with winners ranking their rewards based on total points earned across their submissions. Behind the scenes, a dream team of world-class judges brought sharp eyes and deep experience to the table, helping elevate the competition’s already sky-high standards.
The Overall Winner and Best of Show went to Steven Kovacs for his haunting blackwater image “Tired Fish.” Shot during a blackwater dive off Kumejima, Okinawa, the photo captures a rare larval goosefish—proof that patience, obsession, and a little luck still rule underwater storytelling.
At its core, Ocean Art 2025 isn’t just about epic visuals. It’s about passion, precision, and reminding the world that the ocean still has secrets left to share.
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#1. Best in Show: "Tired fish" by Steven Kovacs
"One of my favorite subjects to encounter on blackwater dives is the goosefish, also known as the monkfish. So when I began seeing photographs of a never-before-seen species of larval goosefish taken off Kume Island, Japan, I knew I had to visit and try to find one. Blackwater diving in the very deep waters off Kumejima, Japan, is an exciting new opportunity, and although finding my target fish was a long shot, I booked an extended stay in hopes of getting lucky. "
Location: Blackwater dive off Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
#2. Wide Angle – 1st Place: "Last Light" by Byron Conroy
Location: Jardines Del Reina marine Park in Cuba, Caribbean
#3. Wide Angle – 2nd Place: "Marlin and Diver" by George Kao
Location: Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico
#4. Wide Angle – 3rd Place: "Scads and Turtle" by Alex Lindbloom
Location: Misool, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
#5. Macro – 1st Place: "Between the Polyps" by Daniel Sly
Location: Indonesia, Lembeh Strait
#6. Macro – 2nd Place: "Gliding" by Luis Arpa Toribio
Location: Indonesia, Sulawesi, Lembeh strait
#7. Macro – 3rd Place: "The Next Generation" by Nicholas More
Location: Pintu Colada, Lembeh Resort, Indonesia
#8. Marine Life Behavior – 1st Place: "Beautiful Birth" by Jeon Min Seok
Location: Beaches in Kumamoto and Shinminamata, Japan
#9. Marine Life Behavior – 2nd Place: "Squid lays an Egg" by Suliman Alatiqi
#10. Marine Life Behavior – 3rd Place: "Nice Catch" by Kazuhiro Katano
Location: Japan, Shizuoka-Pre., Osezaki
#11. Portrait – 1st Place: "Sea Snake Knot" by Galice Hoarau
Location: Anda, Philippines
#12. Portrait – 2nd Place: "Buddha’s Ear" by Imogen Manins
Location: Australia, Mornington Peninsula, Rye
#13. Portrait – 3rd Place: "Home Alone" by Wojtek Meczynski
Location: Indonesia, Lembeh Straight
#14. Cold Water – 1st Place: "One Way Out" by James Ferrara
Location: Tobermory, Ontario Canada (Lake Huron)
#15. Cold Water – 2nd Place: "Spawning Lamprey" by Anton Sorokin
Location: California, USA, Big Sur Region
#16. Cold Water – 3rd Place: "Blue Blur" by Nicholas More
Location: South West of Penzance, Cornwall, UK
#17. Nudibranchs – 1st Place: "True Colors" by Paolo Bausani
Location: Giannutri Island, Mediterranean Sea, Italy
#18. Nudibranchs – 2nd Place: "Pride of Lions" by Brian Skjerven
Location: Canada, British Columbia, God’s Pocket Marine Provincial Park, Hooded Nudie Bay
#19. Nudibranchs – 3rd Place: "Egg Eater" by Kirsty Andrews
Location: Anilao, Philippines
#20. Blackwater – 2nd Place: "Female Angler" by Steven Kovacs
Location: Blackwater dive off Palm Beach, Florida, USA
#21. Blackwater – 3rd Place: "Reality and Reflection" by Giancarlo Mazarese
Location: Anilao, Philippines
#22. Underwater Conservation – 1st Place: "Please Free Me" by Elio Nicosia
Location: Syracuse, Sicily, Italy
#23. Underwater Conservation – 2nd Place: "Disco!" by Dan Mele
Location: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Tektite
#24. Underwater Conservation – 3rd Place: "Garbage Diving" by Pietro Cremone
Location: Indonesia, Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait
#25. Underwater Digital Art – 1st Place: "Mysterious Pufferfish" by Michal Štros
Location: Bunaken Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
#26. Underwater Digital Art – 2nd Place: "Living Fossil" by Conor Culver
Location: Palau, Micronesia
#27. Underwater Digital Art – 3rd Place: "Vanishing Act – Southern Stingray" by Ysabela Coll
Location: Mexico, Cozumel, Francesa Reef
#28. Black & White – 1st Place: "Méduse" by Patrick Désormais
Location: Pays-Bas – Zélande – site Den Osse
#29. Black & White – 2nd Place: "In the River at Night" by Jack Berthomier
Location: Ouenghi’s River, New Caledonia
#30. Black & White – 3rd Place: "Caribbean Reef Shark Blur" by Mehmet Gungen
Location: Bahamas, Grand Bahama Island, Dive site: Tiger Beach
#31. Compact Wide Angle – 1st Place: "Green Turtle and Snorkelers" by Haemi Cho
Location: Shark Point, Komodo, Indonesia
#32. Compact Wide Angle – 2nd Place: "Klunzigerś Home (Klunziger Wrasse)" by Enrico Somogyi
Location: Marsa Alam, Red Sea, Egypt
#33. Compact Wide Angle – 3rd Place: "An underwater photographer’s dream encounter" by Megan Dente
#34. Compact Macro – 1st Place: "Dancing on eggs" by Andrea Michelutti
Location: Anilao, Mabini, Batangas (Luzon), Philippines
#35. Compact Macro – 2nd Place: "Father’s Day" by Don Bouchard
Location: Anilao, Philippines
#36. Compact Macro – 3rd Place: "Hypnosis – Costasiella Usagi" by Andrea Michelutti
Location: Anilao, Mabini, Batangas (Luzon), Philippines
In Summary
What is the Ocean Art Underwater Photo Contest?
- It’s one of the world’s leading underwater photography competitions, celebrating marine life, creativity, and conservation.
How many photographers participated in 2025?
- Thousands of photographers from over 90 countries submitted their work.
What categories were included?
- The contest featured 14 categories, including marine life behavior, portraits, black & white, digital art, and underwater fashion.
Who won Best of Show in 2025?
- Steven Kovacs won Overall Winner and Best of Show for his blackwater image “Tired Fish.”
Why is Ocean Art important?
- It highlights ocean beauty while inspiring global awareness and conservation through powerful visual storytelling.
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