Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025. Two amphipods from the Cyproideidae household, every solely measuring round 3 millimetres in physique size, relaxation on a coral. Commonly known as ‘ladybugs of the sea’, these tiny creatures show hanging 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.” | Yury Ivanov
After the finalists of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, now it may be revealed that Indonesian-based macro photographer Yury Ivanov has been named the winner for his vibrant picture of two synchronized ‘ladybugs of the sea.’
Ivanov took the photograph at his native dive website in Bali, Indonesia — beating off greater than 15,000 different photos from all around the world.
“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,” Ivanov says.
A complete of 9 class winners have additionally been named in the present day.
Winner of the Action class. A tough Nazaré day. “The wind came from the north which made the surf tricky,” says Thouard. “Not many surfers went out and it was hard to shoot anything because of the big sets but eventually, this.” | Ben Thouard / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Female Fifty Fathoms class. A larval pufferfish, roughly the dimensions of a thumbnail. “Although adult pufferfish are typically found around coral reefs, they begin life as plankton, drifting in the open ocean before eventually settling to the seafloor,” says Cai. | Jialing Cai / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Fine Art class. A dwarf minke whale curiously eyes the photographer. “These whales are known to visit the northern Great Barrier Reef during the winter, making it the only known predictable aggregation of the species in the world,” says Riederer. | Marcia Riederer / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Wildlife class. A feminine yellow pygmy goby releases newly hatched larvae into the water column from her mouth. “In gobiid fishes, male parental care is common. In the yellow pygmy goby, however, the females also participate in parental hatching care, ” says Oyama. | Takumi Oyama / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Human Connection class. People attempt to rescue a stranded humpback whale. “For 15 hours, they worked tirelessly,” says Parry. “Sadly, she could not be saved, but the compassion shown is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people come together.” | Craig Parry / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Portfolio class. A batfish lies on the seabed. “Polka-dot batfish are a common sight in Florida waters, but they are notoriously difficult to photograph,” says Sullivan. “After years of trying, this individual seemed relaxed, and I was able to finally take a head-on portrait.” | Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Portfolio class. Resting on the underside of a cypress swamp, a big American alligator lies immobile. “Almost 12ft long, she never moved a muscle for over an hour,” says Sullivan. “The setting sun darkened the water, upping the intimidation factor of those big white teeth.” | Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Portfolio class. Taken beneath allow, this {photograph} of a manatee in a spring-fed river showcases the animal’s curiosity. “The river is home to a population of manatees. Like a puppy, this individual followed me around for hours,” says Sullivan. | | Matthew Sullivan / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Hope class. An aquarist holds an early-stage embryo of an Indo-Pacific leopard shark, its egg case eliminated for a rearing experiment at Aquaria Phuket. “Since 2023, the aquarium’s breeding programme has produced over 40 pups of this Endangered species,” says Arunrugstichai. | Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Impact class. An extended-finned pilot whale foetus lies lifeless beneath its mom’s corpse within the Faroe Islands. “Each year, more than 1,000 cetaceans are killed during grindadráp, the slaughter of entire whale groups, including juveniles and pregnant females,” says Bret. | Hugo Bret / Ocean Photographer of the YearWinner of the Young class. Under the quilt of night time, two tiny bobtail squid have interaction in an intimate show, their arms intertwined as they mate on the seabed. “Waves of colour rippled across their bodies as chromatophores pulsed in a mesmerising rhythm,” says Sanders. | Aaron Sanders / Ocean Photographer of the Year
Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 has handed out over $13,500 price of apparatus to the winners. An Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 exhibition is to be showcased within the UK at The Historic Dockyard Chatham on March 28, 2026. The first worldwide Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition will open on the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, on November 6.
All of the winners might be seen on the Oceanographic website.
