Underwater Photo Contest: Whales, Coral Reefs & More
2025 DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition
Table of Contents
a grid of nine underwater images
DivePhotoGuide (DPG) has announced teh winners of its Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2025. The contest consists of nine image categories, including wide angle, macro, over-under, compact and more, along with one video category.It also awards one overall winner, with this year’s honor going to Yuka Takahashi for her stunning image of two humpback whales swimming side by side in Mo’orea.
The DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition may be smaller than some photo competitions, but it still showcases stunning imagery. This year’s edition received more than 2000 entries from underwater photographers and videographers around the world. A panel of six judges – Nicolas Remy, Jennifer Hayes, Álvaro Herrero (Mekan), Jill Heinerth, Aaron Wong, and Kate Jonker - selected the winners and runners-up, awarding a total of $85,000 in prizes.The contest also donates 15% of proceeds to marine conservation efforts.
You can see all of the winning images and learn more about the contest at the DPG website.
Overall Winner, Wide Angle – Gold
Equipment and settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV,Canon EF 8-14mm F4 fisheye,Liquid Eye housing (F10,1/2000s,ISO 1000)
Photographer’s comment: There was a good weather forecast on this particular day of our surf trip to Sumbawa,and I knew I had a great prospect to try and get some underwater shots with a surfer in a tube,as the water clarity and conditions were perfect.The hardest part was constantly being in the breaking zone of fairly large and powerful waves.You need to understand and read the ocean well to do that. A small mistake can be very costly if you’re in the wrong place. The swell that day was great. The waves were double overhead, and the surfers put on a show. I spent almost two hours in the water and made numerous attempts before I got a really good series. The best waves were taken by local surfers, and one of the Indonesian surfers is in the photo.
Copyright © Evgenii Ivkov | UnderwaterCompetition.com
Macro – Gold
a small fish spits out sand while poking out of its burrow
Photographer: Sunbong Jung
Country: South Korea
Title: House Cleaning
Shooting location: Anilao, Batangas, Philippines
Equipment and settings: Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 100mm F2.8 Macro, Seacam housing, Retra strobes (F2.8, 160s, ISO 400)
Photographer’s comment: A bluestriped fangblenny repeatedly scoops up sand from its burrow with its mouth and spits it out. At first glance, the behavior appears random, almost playful, but closer observation reveals a precise and purposeful routine. The fish follows a systematic three-step excavation pro
a small crab sits on an anemone
Photographer: Chris Gug
Country: USA
Title: King of the hill
Shooting location: Tulamben,Bali,Indonesia
Equipment and settings: Nikon Z8,Nikon Z 105mm F2.8 Macro, Nauticam housing, Backscatter HF-1 strobes (F25, 1/25s, ISO 320)
Photographer’s comment: On the way back up a deep, sandy muck slope, at 25 feet, I saw my 30th tube anemone of the dive, and I habitually-obsessively-inspect each and every one for symbionts. The prize I was looking for wasn’t just present but perched in the perfect spot,looking like the ruler of its domain. Before beginning to shoot, I knew I wanted a blue background rather than black, so I slowed the shutter speed. Since I had to be quite far back for this composition with my 105mm macro lens, I moved my strobes all the way forward to try to minimize backscatter. Then the challenge was getting a crisp shot at 1/25s (since I’m an ISO noise snob) as the anemone swayed back and forth in the current. so, much to the chagrin of my housing’s already-gritty O-rings, I braced the housing in 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.
Copyright © Chris Gug | UnderwaterCompetition.com
Traditional – silver
Equipment and settings: Nikon D7200, Nikon AF-S 60mm F2.8 Macro, nauticam housing, Sea&Sea YS-D2 strobes, 10Bar macro snoot (F11, 1/250s, ISO 200)
Photographer’s comment: This composite image was created during a multi-week trip to Lembeh, Indonesia. Our dive guide found a black sand patch with multiple snake eels, but this was the only one that had cleaner shrimp associated with 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.
Copyright © Karyll Gonzalez | UnderwaterCompetition.com
Unrestricted – Silver
a skull sits on a rocky ledge underwater while a diver in the background shines a light on it
Photographer: Fan Ping
Country: China
title: Skull at Green Cave Sink
Shooting location: Meizhou, Guangdong, China
Equipment and settings: Sony a7S Mark III, Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6, Nauticam housing, Nauticam WACP-1, DivePro G18 video light (F5, 1/400, ISO 16000)
Photographer’s comment: The skull in this photo was the first human remains we saw after descending into Green Cave Sink (绿窟潭), which is thought to have once served as a site for ritual executions.It was resting quietly on a rock ledge, just 15 feet below the surface. Over time,minerals in the water had begun to coat its surface,leaving behind distinct signs of calcification-like a silent rust left by the passing of“`html
a bird floats on the water
Photographer: Suliman Alatiqi
Country: Kuwait
Title: Marine-Adapted from Head to Toe
Shooting location: Midriff Islands, Mexico
Equipment and settings: Nikon D850, Nikon AF-S 8-15mm F3.5-4.5 Fisheye, Nauticam housing (F10, 1/125s, ISO 100)
Photographer’s comment: This split shot, captured with a close-focus wide-angle technique, aims to emphasize the key features of the brown booby (Sula leucogaster), a sleek, agile seabird perfectly adapted to the open ocean. The brown booby is commonly encountered resting on the water’s surface, its water-repellent feathers preventing it from becoming too heavy for takeoff and also helping insulate its body to maintain heat. Webbed feet allow it to efficiently paddle through the water while diving for food and give it the ability to launch itself from the water’s surface. Meanwhile, the dagger-like shape of its beak helps keep it streamlined when diving to minimize drag, while the sharp tip aids in piercing its slippery prey, such as fish and squid. its forward-positioned eyes provide binocular overlap, which aids in depth perception when judging plunge-dives.
copyright © Suliman Alatiqi | UnderwaterCompetition.com
Conservation – Gold
Photographer’s comment: On August 2nd,2025-less than 48 hours after Baja California’s annual three-month shark fishing ban was lifted-I was exploring the ocean with friends when something caught my eye through binoculars in the distance. At first,it looked like drifting trash. But as we approached, two small fin tips barely breaking the surface beside an empty plastic soda bottle revealed the truth: This male silky shark had mistaken a meal for survival, and lost.
Here, shark fishing often exists within complex and sometimes illegal networks, where intervening can place one’s own life at risk. Before getting closer, we scanned the horizon for nearby boats that might have set the line. Knowing what I would find, our captain stood watch as I entered the water. In that moment, our paths were bound by the same line, but with very different outcomes.The shark’s fate was sealed; mine was a choice. Unable to free it without putting myself in danger, I used the only tool I could safely employ: my camera. I hope the images I took will help to give a voice to those entangled in a system thay cannot escape or fight against.
Copyright © Daniel Taylor | UnderwaterCompetition.com
Cold Water - Gold
a blue crayfish sits on rocks underwater with its reflection on the surface of the water
Photographer: Francesco Visintin
Country: Italy
title: Blue Crayfish
Shooting location: Tuscany,Italy
Equipment and settings: Nikon Z8,Nikon AF-S 8-15mm F3.5-4.5 Fisheye, Isotta housing, Isotta RED64 strobes (F16, 1/25s, ISO 800)
Photographer’s comment: This freshwater crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes italicus) displays an unusual blue coloration caused by a rare genetic mutation. While the species is n
Compact - Gold
a diver with a flashlight swims through a narrow passage
Photographer: Manuel Wüthrich
Country: Switzerland
Title: Tree of Life
Shooting location: Cenote Dos Pisos, Mexico
Equipment and settings: Sony RX100 Mark VII, Nauticam housing, nauticam WWL-C, three X-Adventurer M8000 video lights (F2.8, 1/50s, ISO 1600)
Photographer’s comment: In Mexico’s Cenote Dos Pisos, earth, water, and time merge into a single, breathing organism. Roots break through the ceiling of the cave and reach deep into the water. Light filters through the earth, bathing the scene in a mysterious glow.Millennia have shaped these formations, and yet everything feels alive. When I dove 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.
Copyright © manuel Wüthrich | UnderwaterCompetition.com
Compact – silver
houthi Attacks in the Red sea and Gulf of Aqaba (January 2026)
Houthi militants in Yemen continue to launch attacks targeting commercial vessels and ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the gulf of Aqaba, disrupting global shipping lanes and escalating regional tensions as of January 16, 2026.
Recent attacks and Disruptions (January 2026)
The most recent confirmed incident occurred on January 15, 2026, when a missile was fired towards a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aqaba near Eilat, Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted the missile, preventing it from reaching its target. This attack follows a pattern of similar incidents over the past several weeks.
These attacks have prompted major shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope,adding meaningful time and cost to voyages between Asia and Europe. According to Lloyd’s List, the average voyage time between Shanghai and Rotterdam has increased by approximately 40% as December 2025.
houthi Motivations and Demands
The Houthis, backed by Iran, state their attacks are in solidarity with palestinians in Gaza and aim to pressure Israel to halt its military operations. They demand an end to the conflict in Gaza and the lifting of the blockade of the territory. Al Jazeera reported on January 10, 2026, that Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdelsalam reiterated these demands, stating the attacks would continue until israel meets their conditions.
International Response and Operation Prosperity Guardian
In response to the escalating attacks, the United States launched Operation Prosperity Guardian in December 2025, a multinational security initiative aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the red Sea. The coalition includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
On January 14, 2026, the U.S. central Command conducted a strike against a Houthi missile launch site in Yemen, destroying several missiles prepared for launch. This action was taken in self-defense to protect maritime traffic and regional stability.
Impact on Israel and Eilat
the attacks have directly impacted Israel, especially the port city of Eilat. The IDF has increased its air defense capabilities in the region to intercept incoming threats. the Times of Israel reported on January 16, 2026, that tourism to Eilat has declined significantly due to security concerns, impacting the local economy. The Eilat port remains open,but with heightened security measures.
Future Outlook
The situation in the red Sea remains volatile. Analysts predict that Houthi attacks will likely continue as long as the conflict in Gaza persists and the houthis believe they can exert pressure on Israel and its allies. The effectiveness of Operation Prosperity guardian in deterring future attacks remains to be seen, and the potential for further escalation remains a significant concern.