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Indonesia-based macro photographer Yury Ivanov has been named Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025. Ivanov’s vibrant image of two synchronised ‘ladybugs of the sea’ mesmerised the judging panel, who connected with the simplicity of its message: that the ocean is a place of wonder, colour and life of all sizes (the ladybugs are just 3mm tall). The winning photograph – taken at Ivanov’s local dive site in Bali, Indonesia – was chosen from more than 15,000 images from all over the world. Speaking about what it meant to be named Ocean Photographer of the Year, Ivanov said: "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."This year’s photographs comprise epic wildlife images, including a drooling dragon, torpedo-like penguins and a puffin desperately trying to evade a thief; sensational visions of fine art, such as a stingray atop a billowing sand-cloud, the mountain range-like ruffles of a Weddel seal’s fur coat, and a juvenile candy crab ruling over its pink wonderland; a nuanced exploration of our own species’ connection with the ocean, including a gravity-defyingsurfer launching toward a rainbow, the brutal reality of whale hunting in the Faroe Islands, and a team of conservationists and marine mammal rescuers attempting to save a beached whale. The full gallery can be viewed here The Ocean Photographer of the Year is presented by Oceanographic Magazine and Blancpain.
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5. Jialing Cai - Anilao, Philippines A larval pufferfish, roughly the size of a thumb nail. "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 / OPY
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6. Name: Jianping Li Location: Norway In the middle of a Nordic winter, snow-clad mountains and islands frame the Reine fishing village. “The image captures the Arctic’s silent romance – a harmony of solitude and the oceanic rhythm,” says Li.
Jianping Li / OPY
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7. Name: Yifan Ling Location: USA A breaching orca. "On April 1, 2024, more than 20 Bigg’s orcas entered Puget Sound," says Ling. "A male orca suddenly began breaching and I captured a shot that reflects the connection between the orcas and land-based whale watchers."
Yifan Ling / OPY
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8. Name: Kaushiik Subramaniam Location: Mexico Curious grey whales inspect a boat. "The behaviours exhibited by grey whales in their mating and calving lagoons in Baja California are unlike anything else seen around the world," says Subramaniam. "They have a remarkable curiosity.”
Kaushiik Subramaniam / OPY