The winners of the 13th annual UN World Oceans Day photography competition are unveiled today during the UN WOD event at UN Headquarters in New York.
The ‘free-and-open’ public competition calls on photographers and artists from around the world to communicate the beauty of the ocean and the importance of each year’s UN WOD theme, which this year is “Connecting Oceans”.
This year saw entries in a Connecting Oceans category alongside others in the competition’s regular categories Big & Small Underwater Faces, Underwater Seascapes and Above Water Seascapes.
CONNECTING OCEANS winners
1st, Valentina Cucchiara (Italy) above
“Suspended in the pristine darkness of Cenote Nariz, a diver illuminates a breathtaking ancient underwater world formed drop by drop over millennia,” says Cucchiara. “This vast subterranean aquifer serves as the vital heart of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, acting as the primary source of fresh water that sustains its sprawling jungles, diverse wildlife, and human communities.
“Known to the Maya as Suhuy Ja (sacred water) these submerged networks represent an interconnected ancestral legacy that has nurtured life across countless generations. Tragically, this irreplaceable geological marvel is currently under serious threat. We have a profound obligation to protect this fragile ecosystem from destruction so these sacred subterranean rivers may continue to support future generations.”
2nd, James Ferrara (USA)
“While diving inside a cave in the kingdom of Tonga, I watched as a freediver was surrounded by a swirling school of baitfish. Sunlight pouring in from the cave’s entrance created a striking silhouette, perfectly framing the diver and fish in a fleeting moment of harmony between shadow and motion.”
3rd, James Ferrara (USA)
“A freediver glides beneath the frozen surface of North America’s Lake Huron, suspended in a silent and surreal world. The view from below reveals intricate patterns in the ice, sculpted by weather and waves. Experiencing a scene like this makes braving the elements more than worthwhile.”
BIG & SMALL UNDERWATER FACES winners
1st, Kaushiik Subramaniam (UK)
“A curious juvenile grey whale approaches our boat in a lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico. This was an incredibly special encounter, as the whale spent over an hour with us, coming in close enough for me to dip my camera into the water and capture this image. These whales are known for their friendly and inquisitive nature, and seem to genuinely enjoy interacting with humans.”
2nd, Verona Chadwick (Australia)
“In Anilao in the Philippines, this moray eel was hiding in a hole in a reef wall, popping its head out intermittently. A snooted flash with a colour filter was set up behind the subject to create the red rim light – which wasn’t easy because the eel kept moving around.
“I used a second snooted flash to focus a narrow white beam on the eye. It took many attempts to get everything aligned to capture this shot.”
3rd, Jeon Min-seok (South Korea)
“This bobtail squid was encountered during a night dive off Tongyeong Beach on Korea’s southern coast. As the cephalopod swam upwards, its arms opening wide, I managed to capture this picture, with the animal’s reflection on the surface.”
UNDERWATER SEASCAPES winners
1st, Ysabela Coll (Dominican Republic)
“Emerging from the darkness of a Mexican cenote, we entered this underwater garden teeming with colourful water lilies and small fish. The sudden contrast transformed the scene into a dreamlike world, where light, color, and life replaced the silence of the cave.
“Cenotes are vital freshwater reservoirs that sustain biodiversity and surrounding communities, yet pollution and climate change increasingly threaten their fragile balance. This moment of beauty is a reminder of our responsibility to protect these hidden ecosystems, where life depends on the purity and clarity of the water.”
2nd, Bingqian Gao (UK/China)
“This expansive seascape captures one of the ocean’s most awe-inspiring spectacles: a ‘fever’ of Munk’s devil rays (Mobula munkiana) gliding in unison in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. Bathed in the ethereal glow of the sun rays piercing the surface, the scene feels more celestial than aquatic.
“These vast migrations continuing to flourish beneath the surface remind us that protecting the ocean means safeguarding the ecosystems that depend on it. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, these rays now receive CITES Appendix I protection, a crucial lifeline for the species and a promising sign for their recovery.”
3rd, Eduardo Carrasco (Chile)
“I fought the buoyancy of my 12in dome to capture the split-second when these Heermann’s gulls, on the look-out for a meal, shattered the silvered surface. This view from below highlights the raw, dynamic boundary between the worlds above and below the water’s surface, illustrating a profound interdependence where the life in the sky is irrevocably tied to the health of the deep.”
ABOVE WATER SEASCAPES winners
1st, Bruce Sudweeks (USA)
“The life of a grizzly bear cub on Alaska’s Kodiak Island consists of eating, playing and napping. These two cubs have started their day at sunrise, frolicking in the river that provides their meals. The river is full of salmon heading upstream to spawn as their last mortal act. The bear cubs will effortlessly select a few salmon to eat, thereby denying the fish the opportunity to reproduce.”
2nd, James Ferrara (USA)
“This single long-exposure image was taken at Blue Cypress Lake in my home state of Florida. After careful planning and a short boat-ride in the middle of the night, I used a tripod in the water and light-painting techniques to illuminate the cypress tree beneath the Milky Way above.
“Rapid population growth has transformed much of Florida’s once-pristine landscape into a patchwork of development and concrete, yet pockets of untouched wilderness still remain beyond the reach of urban sprawl and light pollution.
“Thus image is a tribute to the Florida that once was and still exists in fragments today. It serves as both a celebration and a reminder that these natural spaces are fragile, and their future depends on the care and responsibility we choose to take.”
3rd, Miesa Grobbelaar (South Africa/Australia)
“The seaweed farms of Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan, south-east of Bali, stretch across the water in rows of green. From above, I noticed how naturally the locals moved through them, not controlling the ocean but working in tune with it, with a sense of unity and collaboration, as if they were one with the sea.
“From the sky, it resembles a woven, living tapestry across the water, where human hands and nature are threaded together.”
The competition
The judges were underwater photographers Ipah Uid Lynn (Malaysia), William Tan (Singapore) and Jane Morgan and Dave Alexander (UK) and the competition was curated by Ellen Cuylaerts.
All competitors are required to sign a charter of 14 commitments regarding ethics in photography. The event was co-ordinated by the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Dive Photo Guide (which has hosted the competition every year since 2014), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and European aquarium Nausicaá.
The winning photographs along with those from previous years can be viewed in a virtual gallery.
