Dive into Creativity: A $60,000 Contest Showcasing the Finest Underwater Photography!

The Ocean Art Underwater Photography Competition, widely recognized as the apex of accomplishment for underwater photographers, has announced its winners for 2024.

With entries from more than 90 nations, the event featured a prize pool exceeding $60,000 USD in 2024.

From captivating macro images of marine life births to stunning wide-angle captures of cenotes and reef environments, the awarded photographs showcase the elegance, vulnerability, and variety of underwater habitats while motivating worldwide conservation initiatives.

The Best in Show award went to Eduardo Labat for his photograph, “Dancing White Tips,” captured at Roca Partida, Revillagigedo, Mexico.

Labat’s image captured a synchronized display of white-tip reef sharks in monochrome.

“It was our final dive of the day, during the afternoon as sunlight was diminishing. At Roca Partida, numerous white-tip sharks gather in small clusters at various ledges along the rock formations,” Labat describes.

“On this specific afternoon, a significant group of white tips began to form at a distance from the rock. A multitude of sharks created a compact formation at roughly 25 feet deep. The sharks were neither hunting nor displaying aggressive behavior. Upon witnessing this unusual occurrence from the edge of the formation, I gradually ascended to hover just above it. That is where I captured this photograph.”

“2024’s Ocean Art competition was nothing less than remarkable,” stated Nirupam Nigam, the contest’s organizer and President of Bluewater Photo & Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide.

“The skill and creativity exhibited by our entrants have established new standards for underwater photography. It’s a privilege to observe the competition expand in scope and influence each year.”

Australian photographer Naomi Springett was acknowledged in the contest – winning the Compact Macro and Compact Behaviour categories.

This year’s judging team comprised Tony Wu, Marty Snyderman, and Mark Strickland, alongside Canon and Marelux Ambassador Ipah Uid Lynn, who joined as a new judge, adding innovative viewpoints to the Underwater Digital Art and Underwater Fashion categories.

All category winners can be found below, with additional finalists available on the Ocean Art website.