United Nations World Oceans Day photo contest spotlights stunning images of marine life

Winners of the Photo Competition for United Nations World Oceans Day

June 8th is United Nations World Oceans Day, and to celebrate, the winners of the 12th annual photo competition associated with the day were announced. This year's theme for UN World Oceans Day was "Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us," which also served as a newly added category for the contest. It joined the recurring Big and Small Underwater Faces, Underwater Seascapes and Above-Water Seascapes categories.

A panel consisting of renowned photographers Ipah Uid Lynn, William Tan, Vanessa Mignon, Marcello Di Francesco and Ellen Cuylaerts selected the winners from thousands of global entries from amateur and professional photographers. The judges selected first, second, and third place winners for all categories, along with an honorable mention for three of the categories.

The 2025 photo competition was coordinated between the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, DivePhotoGuide (DPG), Oceanic Global and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. The competition is free and open to the public, calling on photographers to show the beauty of the ocean and the importance of UN World Oceans Day. Each participant signed a charter of 14 commitments regarding ethics in photography.

You can see the past winners and learn more about the competition at the UN World Oceans Day website.

First Place, Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Photographer: Rachel Moore, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Instagram: @moore_rachel

Caption: This photo, taken in Mo'orea, French Polynesia in 2024, captures the eye of a humpback whale named Sweet Girl, just days before her tragic death. Four days after I captured this intimate moment, she was struck and killed by a fast-moving ship. Her death serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the 20,000 whales lost to ship strikes every year. We are using her story to advocate for stronger protections, petitioning for stricter speed laws around Tahiti and Mo'orea during whale season. I hope Sweet Girl’s legacy will spark real change to protect these incredible animals and prevent further senseless loss.

Second Place, Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Photographer: Luis Arpa Toribio, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Instagram: @luis.arpa.photo

Caption: A juvenile pinnate batfish (Platax pinnatus) captured with a slow shutter speed, a snooted light, and deliberate camera panning to create a sense of motion and drama. Juvenile pinnate batfish are known for their striking black bodies outlined in vibrant orange—a coloration they lose within just a few months as they mature. I encountered this restless subject in the tropical waters of Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait. Capturing this image took patience and persistence over two dives, as these active young fish constantly dart for cover in crevices, making the shot particularly challenging.

Third Place, Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Photographer: Steven Lopez, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Instagram: @explorersphotography

Caption: Shot in Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina—a protected shark sanctuary—this image captures a Caribbean reef shark weaving through a group of silky sharks near the surface. Using a slow shutter and strobes as the shark pivoted sharply, the motion blurred into a wave-like arc across its head, lit by the golden hues of sunset. The abundance and behavior of sharks here is a living symbol of what protected oceans can look like.

Honorable Mention, Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Photographer: Ollie Clarke, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us

Instagram: @ollieclarkephoto

Caption: Humpback whales in their thousands migrate along the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia every year on the way to and from their calving grounds. In four seasons of swimming with them on the reef here, this is the only encounter I’ve had like this one. This pair of huge adult whales repeatedly spy hopped alongside us, seeking to interact with and investigate us, leaving me completely breathless. The female in the foreground was much more confident than the male behind and would constantly make close approaches, whilst the male hung back a little, still interested but shy. After more than 10 years working with wildlife in the water, this was one of the best experiences of my life.

First Place, Big and Small Underwater Faces

Photographer: Andrey Nosik, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Big and Small Underwater Faces

Instagram: @andreynosik

Caption: This photo of a Japanese warbonnet (Chirolophis japonicus) was captured in the Sea of Japan, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Vladivostok, Russia. I found the ornate fish at a depth of about 30 meters (100 feet), under the stern of a shipwreck. This species does not appear to be afraid of divers—on the contrary, it seems to enjoy the attention—and it even tried to sit on the dome port of my camera.

Second Place, Big and Small Underwater Faces

Photographer: Giacomo Marchione, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Big and Small Underwater Faces

Instagram: @marchione.giacomo

Caption: On one of my many blackwater dives in Anilao, in the Philippines, my guide and I spotted something moving erratically at a depth of around 20 meters (65 feet), about 10 to 15 centimeters in size. We quickly realized that it was a rare blanket octopus (Tremoctopus sp.). As we approached, it opened up its beautiful blanket, revealing its multicolored mantle. I managed to take a few shots before it went on its way. I felt truly privileged to have captured this fascinating deep-sea cephalopod. Among its many unique characteristics, this species exhibits some of the most extreme sexual size-dimorphism in nature, with females weighing up to 40,000 times more than males.

Third Place, Big and Small Underwater Faces

Photographer: Lars von Ritter Zahony, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Big and Small Underwater Faces

Instagram: @larsvonritterzahony

Caption: Trips to the Antarctic Peninsula always yield amazing encounters with leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx). Boldly approaching me and baring his teeth, this individual was keen to point out that this part of Antarctica was his territory. This picture was shot at dusk, resulting in the rather moody atmosphere.

First Place, Underwater Seascapes

Photographer: Dani Escayola, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Underwater Seascapes

Instagram: @daniescayola

Caption: This year, I had the incredible opportunity to visit a jellyfish lake during a liveaboard trip around southern Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Being surrounded by millions of jellyfish, which have evolved to lose their stinging ability due to the absence of predators, was one of the most breathtaking experiences I’ve ever had.

Second Place, Underwater Seascapes

Photographer: Gerald Rambert, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Underwater Seascapes

Instagram: @gerald_rambert

Caption: This shot captures a school of rays resting at a cleaning station in Mauritius, where strong currents once attracted them regularly. Some rays grew accustomed to divers, allowing close encounters like this. Sadly, after the severe bleaching that the reefs here suffered last year, such gatherings have become rare, and I fear I may not witness this again at the same spot.

Third Place, Underwater Seascapes

Photographer: Pedro Carrillo, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Underwater Seascapes

Instagram: @pedrocarrillophoto

Caption: “La Rapadura” is a natural hidden treasure on the northern coast of Tenerife, in the Spanish territory of the Canary Islands. Only discovered in 1996, it is one of the most astonishing underwater landscapes in the world, consistently ranking among the planet’s best dive sites. These towering columns of basalt are the result of volcanic processes that occurred between 500,000 and a million years ago. The formation was created when a basaltic lava flow reached the ocean, where, upon cooling and solidifying, it contracted, creating natural structures often compared to the pipes of church organs. Located in a region where marine life has been impacted by once common illegal fishing practices, this stunning natural monument has both geological and ecological value, and scientists and underwater photographers are advocating for its protection. (Model: Yolanda Garcia)

Honorable Mention, Underwater Seascapes

Photographer: Lars von Ritter Zahony, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Underwater Seascapes

Instagram: @larsvonritterzahony

Caption: With only orcas as their natural predators, leopard seals are Antarctica’s most versatile hunters, preying on everything from fish and cephalopods to penguins and other seals. Gentoo penguins are a favored menu item, and leopard seals can be observed patrolling the waters around their colonies. For this shot, I used a split image to capture both worlds: the gentoo penguin colony in the background with the leopard seal on the hunt in the foreground.

First Place, Above Water Seascapes

Photographer: Leander Nardin, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Above Water Seascapes

Instagram: @akela.world

Caption: A serene lake cradled by arid dunes, where a gentle stream breathes life into the heart of Mother Earth’s creation: Captured from an airplane, this image reveals the powerful contrasts and hidden beauty where land and ocean meet, reminding us that the ocean is the source of all life and that everything in nature is deeply connected. The location is a remote stretch of coastline near Shark Bay, Western Australia.

Second Place, Above Water Seascapes

Photographer: Nur Tucker, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Above Water Seascapes

Instagram: @nurtuckerphotography

Caption: Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) soar above the dramatic cliffs of Scotland’s Hermaness National Nature Reserve, their sleek white bodies and black-tipped wings slicing through the Shetland winds. These seabirds, the largest in the North Atlantic, are renowned for their striking plunge-dives, reaching speeds up to 100 kph (60 mph) as they hunt for fish beneath the waves. The cliffs of Hermaness provide ideal nesting sites, with updrafts aiding their take-offs and landings. Each spring, thousands return to this rugged coastline, forming one of the UK’s most significant gannet colonies. It was a major challenge to take photos at the edge of these cliffs at almost 200 meters (650 feet) with the winds up to 30 kph (20 mph).

Third Place, Above Water Seascapes

Photographer: Andrey Nosik, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Above Water Seascapes

Instagram: @andreynosik

Caption: Paradise Harbour is one of the most beautiful places on the Antarctic Peninsula. When I visited, the sea was extremely calm, and I was lucky enough to witness a wonderfully clear reflection of the Suárez Glacier (aka Petzval Glacier) in the water. The only problem was the waves created by our speedboat, and the only way to capture the perfect reflection was to lie on the bottom of the boat while it moved towards the glacier.

Honorable Mention, Above Water Seascapes

Photographer: Ken Findlay, www.unworldoceansday.org

Category: Above Water Seascapes

Instagram: @kenfinphoto

Caption: A South Atlantic swell breaks on the Dungeons Reef off the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, shot while photographing a big-wave surf session in October 2017. It’s the crescendoing sounds of these breaking swells that always amazes me.