The winners of the 2025 DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition have been announced today (16 January), with the successful underwater photographers and videographers bringing home prizes valued at $85,000 along with their awards..
The annual contest is organised by US-based website DivePhotoGuide (DPG) and considers submissions in nine photographic and one video category. More than 2,000 entries were received from underwater photographers and film-makers from around the world last year, says DPG.
Overall winner and therefore DPG Grand Master 2025 is Yuka Takahashi, who topped the Wide Angle category with her image of two humpback whales swimming side by side. The Japanese photographer had been snorkelling off Moorea in French Polynesia when she captured the shot.
The six-person judging panel – Nicolas Remy, Jennifer Hayes, Álvaro Herrero (Mekan), Jill Heinerth, Aaron Wong and Kate Jonker – scanned hundreds of short-listed photos in private before getting together online to select the winners and runners-up.
Each category was accorded Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, with a number of entrants also accorded honourable mentions. Prizes consist mainly of dive-trips and equipment, and 15% of the entry proceeds are donated to marine-conservation efforts.
WIDE-ANGLE winner: Synchronised Humpback Whales, by Yuka Takahashi
“Every year, migrating humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere journey to Moorea to use its warm waters as a nursery and resting ground,” says Takahashi. “These two humpbacks are always seen together, and I was fortunate to capture this rare moment in which they mirrored each other’s position and movement almost perfectly.
“Living close to nature has taught me lessons no textbook ever could, including the realisation that each animal has a unique personality. To me, this photograph reflects the strong bond between the two whales while also revealing their playful and curious nature.”
MACRO winner: House Cleaning by Sunbong Jung (South Korea)
This winning shot was taken in Anilao, Batangas in the Philippines. “A bluestriped fangblenny repeatedly scoops up sand from its burrow with its mouth and spits it out,” says Jung. “At first glance, the behaviour appears random, almost playful, but closer observation reveals a precise and purposeful routine.
“The fish follows a systematic three-step excavation process, carefully clearing its home grain by grain. This image captures the final and most dramatic stage – the moment the fangblenny launches itself upward from the burrow at roughly a 45° angle, forcefully ejecting the remaining sand as far away as possible.
“The brief burst of motion, frozen in time, highlights both the intelligence and determination hidden within this tiny reef-dweller.”
TRADITIONAL winner: King Of The Hill by Chris Gug (USA)
“On the way back up a deep, sandy muck slope, at 25ft, I saw my 30th tube anemone of the dive and I habitually – obsessively – inspect each and every one for symbionts,” says Gug, who was diving at Tulamben on Bali, Indonesia. “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 minimise 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.”
UNRESTRICTED winner: Even Eyes Deserve A Spa Day by Karyll Gonzalez (USA)
“This composite image was created during a multi-week trip to Lembeh, Indonesia,” says Gonzalez. “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.”
OVER-UNDER winner: Sierran Gold by Anton Sorokin (USA)
“In the spring, in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, streams fed by snow-melt flow cold and clear,” says Sorokin. “Remarkably resistant to the cold temperatures, Sierra newts (Taricha sierrae) take to the water to breed, spending weeks in the stream. During this time, they will find a mate and lay their eggs on the underside of boulders under water in deeper pools.
“From above the water’s surface, a newt appears as a golden-orange shimmer on the bottom of the fast-flowing stream; one has to wonder how often during California’s gold rush prospectors mistook the amphibians for precious metals!”
CONSERVATION winner: Survivor, by James Ferrara (USA)
“While on an expedition in Sri Lanka, we encountered an olive ridley turtle ensnared in ghost fishing nets, drifting amid the active gear of a nearby fishing boat,” says Ferrara. “After speaking with the fishermen and receiving their permission, my wife and I, along with our boat captain, entered the water to help free the animal.
“As we worked, we discovered the turtle was already missing a front flipper, likely the result of a previous entanglement. Carefully cutting away the ropes, we released its trapped back flipper and watched as it swam free – now relying on only two flippers on one side of its body.
“The turtle disappeared into the blue, its ultimate fate remaining unknown. What stayed with me was its resilience and undeniable will to survive. I hope this image resonates with the wider public, serving as a quiet but powerful reminder of the lasting impact human activities have on these remarkable marine creatures.”
COLD WATER winner: Blue Crayfish by Francesco Visintin (Italy)
Visitin captured his winning image in Tuscany. “This freshwater crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes italicus) displays an extraordinary blue coloration caused by a rare genetic mutation,” he says. “While the species is normally camouflaged in hazel or olive tones to blend with the riverbed, a disrupted bond between carotenoid pigments and specific proteins reveals this striking blue hue, an exceptionally uncommon phenomenon in nature.
“Beyond its unusual appearance, this species is a sensitive indicator of ecosystem health, surviving only in pristine freshwater environments with stable temperatures, high oxygen levels and minimal human disturbance.
“Today, its populations are in severe decline due to habitat fragmentation and degradation, the spread of pathogenic agents such as crayfish plague and increasing pressure from invasive alien predators, including raccoons.”
COMPACT winner: Tree Of Life by Manuel Wüthrich (Switzerland)
“In Mexico’s Cenote Dos Pisos, earth, water and time merge into a single, breathing organism,” says Wüthrich. “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 dived 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.”
PORTFOLIO winner: Oceans Of Life: Coral’s Annual Miracle by Tom Shlesinger (Israel)
“In a breathtaking spectacle, thousands of corals spanning vast reef expanses release their reproductive material simultaneously – a fleeting moment that unfolds within minutes, once a year,” says Shlesinger, who was diving in the Gulf of Aqaba off Eilat at the time.
“A vibrant, upside-down snowstorm ensues as billions of colourful eggs and sperm disperse through the currents, converging to create new life.
“This photographic project, part of an ongoing scientific journey, chronicles the unique reproductive phenomena of corals, shedding light on the intricacies of their underwater world and the challenges they face in an ever-changing environment.”
SHORT FILM winner: Pelagic: Ordinary Moments Of Ocean Life, by Fabien Michenet (France)
“This film was shot off the reefs of Tahiti during blackwater dives in waters over 2,000m deep,” says Michenet. “It showcases the diversity of the ephemeral ecosystem that emerges at night when planktonic animals rise to the surface to feed in the phytoplankton-rich waters near the surface in the tropical Pacific Ocean – accompanied by their predators.
“This silent, daily phenomenon occurs in all the world’s oceans and constitutes the largest global animal migration in terms of biomass.”All the winning and highly commended entries can be seen at the Underwater Competition site.
Also on Divernet: Masters of underwater photography named
