Synced whales win photographer Grand Master title

The winners of the 2025 DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition have been introduced right now (16 January), with the profitable underwater photographers and videographers bringing residence prizes valued at $85,000 together with their awards..

The annual contest is organised by US-based web site DivePhotoGuide (DPG) and considers submissions in 9 photographic and one video class. More than 2,000 entries had been obtained from underwater photographers and film-makers from all over the world final 12 months, says DPG.

Overall winner and subsequently DPG Grand Master 2025 is Yuka Takahashi, who topped the Wide Angle class together with her picture of two humpback whales swimming aspect by aspect. The Japanese photographer had been snorkelling off Moorea in French Polynesia when she captured the shot.

The six-person judging panel – Nicolas Remy, Jennifer Hayes, Álvaro Herrero (Mekan), Jill Heinerth, Aaron Wong and Kate Jonker – scanned lots of of short-listed pictures in non-public earlier than getting collectively on-line to pick the winners and runners-up. 

Each class was accorded Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, with quite a lot of entrants additionally accorded honourable mentions. Prizes consist primarily of dive-trips and gear, and 15% of the entry proceeds are donated to marine-conservation efforts.

WIDE-ANGLE winner: Synchronised Humpback Whales, by Yuka Takahashi

“Every year, migrating humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere journey to Moorea to use its warm waters as a nursery and resting ground,” says Takahashi. “These two humpbacks are at all times seen collectively, and I used to be lucky to seize this uncommon second during which they mirrored one another’s place and motion virtually completely. 

“Living close to nature has taught me lessons no textbook ever could, including the realisation that each animal has a unique personality. To me, this photograph reflects the strong bond between the two whales while also revealing their playful and curious nature.” 

MACRO winner: House Cleaning by Sunbong Jung (South Korea)

This successful shot was taken in Anilao, Batangas within the Philippines. “A bluestriped fangblenny repeatedly scoops up sand from its burrow with its mouth and spits it out,” says Jung. “At first look, the behaviour seems random, virtually playful, however nearer commentary reveals a exact and purposeful routine. 

“The fish follows a scientific three-step excavation course of, rigorously clearing its residence grain by grain. This picture captures the ultimate and most dramatic stage – the second the fangblenny launches itself upward from the burrow at roughly a forty five° angle, forcefully ejecting the remaining sand as distant as potential. 

“The brief burst of motion, frozen in time, highlights both the intelligence and determination hidden within this tiny reef-dweller.”

TRADITIONAL winner: King Of The Hill by Chris Gug (USA)

“On the way back up a deep, sandy muck slope, at 25ft, I saw my 30th tube anemone of the dive and I habitually – obsessively – inspect each and every one for symbionts,” says Gug, who was diving at Tulamben on Bali, Indonesia. “The prize I used to be searching for wasn’t simply current however perched within the excellent spot, wanting just like the ruler of its area. 

“Before starting to shoot, I knew I wished a blue background somewhat than black, so I slowed the shutter-speed. Since I needed to be fairly far again for this composition with my 105mm macro lens, I moved my strobes all the way in which ahead to attempt to minimise backscatter. 

“Then the problem was getting a crisp shot at 1/25s (since I’m an ISO noise snob) because the anemone swayed backwards and forwards within the present. So, a lot to the chagrin of my housing’s already-gritty O-rings, I braced the housing within the sand as a poor excuse for a tripod. 

“I checked this anemone each time I repeated this site over the next few weeks, and the crab was never there again, so I’m glad I dedicated all the time I could when the chance presented itself.”

UNRESTRICTED winner: Even Eyes Deserve A Spa Day by Karyll Gonzalez (USA)

“This composite image was created during a multi-week trip to Lembeh, Indonesia,” says Gonzalez. “Our dive-guide discovered a black-sand patch with a number of snake eels, however this was the one one which had cleaner shrimp related to it. 

“With the dive-guide assisting by holding my snoot, the shrimp moved along the snake eel and I managed to capture this shot with the crustacean over its eye. The sun ball that forms the background was shot later on the trip.”

OVER-UNDER winner: Sierran Gold by Anton Sorokin (USA)

“In the spring, in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, streams fed by snow-melt flow cold and clear,” says Sorokin. “Remarkably immune to the chilly temperatures, Sierra newts (Taricha sierrae) take to the water to breed, spending weeks within the stream. During this time, they’ll discover a mate and lay their eggs on the underside of boulders underneath water in deeper swimming pools. 

“From above the water’s surface, a newt appears as a golden-orange shimmer on the bottom of the fast-flowing stream; one has to wonder how often during California’s gold rush prospectors mistook the amphibians for precious metals!”

CONSERVATION winner: Survivor, by James Ferrara (USA)

“While on an expedition in Sri Lanka, we encountered an olive ridley turtle ensnared in ghost fishing nets, drifting amid the active gear of a nearby fishing boat,” says Ferrara. “After talking with the fishermen and receiving their permission, my spouse and I, together with our boat captain, entered the water to assist free the animal. 

“As we labored, we found the turtle was already lacking a entrance flipper, possible the results of a earlier entanglement. Carefully slicing away the ropes, we launched its trapped again flipper and watched because it swam free – now counting on solely two flippers on one aspect of its physique. 

“The turtle disappeared into the blue, its ultimate fate remaining unknown. What stayed with me was its resilience and undeniable will to survive. I hope this image resonates with the wider public, serving as a quiet but powerful reminder of the lasting impact human activities have on these remarkable marine creatures.”

COLD WATER winner: Blue Crayfish by Francesco Visintin (Italy)

Visitin captured his successful picture in Tuscany. “This freshwater crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes italicus) displays an extraordinary blue coloration caused by a rare genetic mutation,” he says. “While the species is generally camouflaged in hazel or olive tones to mix with the riverbed, a disrupted bond between carotenoid pigments and particular proteins reveals this hanging blue hue, an exceptionally unusual phenomenon in nature. 

“Beyond its uncommon look, this species is a delicate indicator of ecosystem well being, surviving solely in pristine freshwater environments with secure temperatures, excessive oxygen ranges and minimal human disturbance. 

“Today, its populations are in severe decline due to habitat fragmentation and degradation, the spread of pathogenic agents such as crayfish plague and increasing pressure from invasive alien predators, including raccoons.”

COMPACT winner: Tree Of Life by Manuel Wüthrich (Switzerland)

“In Mexico’s Cenote Dos Pisos, earth, water and time merge into a single, breathing organism,” says Wüthrich. “Roots break by the ceiling of the cave and attain deep into the water. Light filters by the earth, bathing the scene in a mysterious glow. Millennia have formed these formations and but every little thing feels alive. 

“When I dived there, it was the silence that struck me. It was as if nature whispered its story – of rain seeping through limestone, of roots searching for life and of light offering hope. It was a moment that reminded me how deeply everything is connected.”

PORTFOLIO winner: Oceans Of Life: Coral’s Annual Miracle by Tom Shlesinger (Israel)

“In a breathtaking spectacle, thousands of corals spanning vast reef expanses release their reproductive material simultaneously – a fleeting moment that unfolds within minutes, once a year,” says Shlesinger, who was diving within the Gulf of Aqaba off Eilat on the time. 

“A vibrant, upside-down snowstorm ensues as billions of vibrant eggs and sperm disperse by the currents, converging to create new life.

“This photographic project, part of an ongoing scientific journey, chronicles the unique reproductive phenomena of corals, shedding light on the intricacies of their underwater world and the challenges they face in an ever-changing environment.”

SHORT FILM winner: Pelagic: Ordinary Moments Of Ocean Life, by Fabien Michenet (France)

“This film was shot off the reefs of Tahiti during blackwater dives in waters over 2,000m deep,” says Michenet. “It showcases the variety of the ephemeral ecosystem that emerges at night time when planktonic animals rise to the floor to feed within the phytoplankton-rich waters close to the floor within the tropical Pacific Ocean – accompanied by their predators. 

“This silent, daily phenomenon occurs in all the world’s oceans and constitutes the largest global animal migration in terms of biomass.”All the successful and extremely counseled entries could be seen on the Underwater Competition web site.

Also on Divernet: Masters of underwater pictures named