The Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 finalists have been announced, showcasing extraordinary images that reveal both the stunning beauty and urgent environmental challenges facing our planet's oceans. Presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain, this prestigious global competition highlights the ocean's most vital stories through the lens of talented photographers from around the world.
The competition spans multiple categories including Fine Art, Adventure, Conservation (Hope and Impact), Wildlife, and Human Connection. These remarkable images capture everything from graceful whales gliding through crystal-clear waters to the harsh reality of plastic pollution, warming seas, and marine life destruction. The photographs serve as powerful visual narratives that communicate what words alone cannot express about our ocean's current state.
Among the standout finalists is Ben Thouard's dramatic shot from Portugal's Nazaré, where massive waves and challenging conditions created a spectacular scene. "A rough day at Nazaré," Thouard explains. "The wind was blowing from the north which makes the surf tricky. Not many surfers went out, but Justine Dupont and Eric Rebiere, who I was there to shoot, decided to give it a try. It was the end of the afternoon; the light was interesting from the beach instead as from the usual cliff view."
In the Human Connection category, Alvaro Herrero's image from French Polynesia demonstrates responsible wildlife photography. His photograph shows a whale watching guide observing humpback whales while maintaining a respectful distance. "Personally, I have very few photographs with people and wildlife because I prefer to photograph animals in their natural environment with minimal interference," Herrero states. "I believe that responsible imaging and behavior are crucial to preserving the integrity of wildlife."
The Impact category features Daniel Flormann's powerful image from Indonesia that addresses shark conservation. His photograph captures three sharks that died in a net meant for anchovies in West Papua, alongside the severed caudal fin of a whale shark. "Fear, fueled by films like Jaws, blinds us to the truth: more than 100 million sharks are killed each year by humans - many as accidental bycatch," Flormann explains. "Sharks are essential to ocean balance, yet we are driving them toward extinction."
Arturo de Frias contributes to the Wildlife category with his stunning portrait of a marine iguana from the Galapagos Islands. The image captures the exact moment the endemic species sneezes excess salt after a foraging dive. "They are like miniature dragons, especially in low angle eye-to-eye portraits like this one," de Frias describes. "By sheer luck, I photographed the split-second in which it was sneezing the excess salt it had absorbed during its dive."
Jenny Stock's Hope category entry from Indonesia showcases the dynamic energy of marine life through her image of millions of anchovies racing past during a dive at Puri Pinnacle. "Seconds after descending to the reef I saw millions of ethereal, glittering anchovies race over me, their bodies shimmering in the sun," Stock recalls. "The anchovies were highly motivated - these little fish were swimming for their lives. Not far behind, hunting jacks were picking off the slower swimmers."
The competition serves as more than just a photography showcase; it functions as a vital platform for ocean conservation awareness. Each image tells a story about marine ecosystems, from celebrating their incredible biodiversity to highlighting the urgent threats they face from human activities. The photographs demonstrate the ocean's role as our planet's most crucial ecosystem while documenting both its wonder and vulnerability.
Category winners and the overall Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 will be announced in September. The complete gallery of finalist images is available on the Ocean Photographer of the Year website, offering viewers an immersive journey into the depths of our oceans and the critical environmental messages these powerful photographs convey.
