This year’s Ocean Art underwater photography competition celebrates a decade in the search for the world’s best photos of marine life behavior, unique portraits of intriguing underwater critters, and images that instill an urgency for conserving our invaluable subsurface planet.
Competition was fierce with photographers from 81 countries entering countless images. In the end, over $35,000 in sponsored prizes have been awarded – making the Ocean Art prize value among the highest in the world. This incredible assortment of photos could not have been possible without the help of our generous sponsors who have had to navigate a changing travel and dive industry. Please take a moment to note our sponsors below and keep them in mind as you shop for underwater photo gear or dive travel .
Winners were asked to rank their prize choices and were awarded one prize based on the total points earned from all their winning photos.
We would also like to extend our gratitude to our world-renowned judges Tony Wu, Mark Stickland, and Marty Snyderman, and Bluewater Photo and Bluewater Travel for their utmost support. Click here to view the judges comments for Ocean Art 2021.
Press Release and Media Contact: /ocean-art-2021-press-release
Click here to view the Ocean Art 2021 winners at a larger size (best for desktop)
underwater photo workshops
Need help finding the right underwater photo gear including from our sponsors, Ikelite, SeaLife, and Sea & Sea? Check out Bluewater Photo !
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Compact Category:
List of Winners
Best of Show
“Snoeken”
Best of Show – Luc Rooman
Shot near Antwerp, Belgium
Our Sponsors:
Wide-Angle Category
“Family”
1st Place – Eduardo Acevedo
Shot in Tenerife Island, Canary Islands, Spain
“Shark Cave”
2nd Place – Nicolas Remy
Shot in New South Wales, Australia
“Against All Odds”
3rd Place – Hannah Le Leu
Shot in Queensland, Australia
“ The Gang “
4th Place – Gabriel Guzman
Shot in Great Barrier Reef, Australia
“ Pinkies Rush Hour “
Honorable Mention – Magnus Lundgren
Shot in Alaska, USA
“Blenny Grabs A Quick Meal”
1st Place – Nigel Motyer
Shot in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
“Social Distancing Lady Bug Style”
2nd Place – Sarah Vasend
Shot in Komodo, Indonesia
3rd Place – Magnus Lundgren
“Magic Octopus”
4th Place – Steven Walsh
Shot in Port Philip Bay, Australia
“Mom”
Honorable Mention – Matteo Visconti
Shot in Anilao, Batangas, Philippines
“Snoeken”
1st Place – Luc Rooman
Shot near Antwerp, Belgium
“Guarding Eggs”
2nd Place – Julian Hsu
Shot in Anilao, Batangas,Philippines
“Festoons”
3rd Place – Louise Nott
Shot in New South Wales, Australia
“Pike Dinner”
Honorable Mention – Lionel Houde
Shot in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Portrait
“Joker”
1st Place – Paolo Bausani
Shot in Argentarola Rock, Italy
“Wide View”
2nd Place – Andrey Savin
Shot in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
“Zeus Faber”
3rd Place – Marco Gargiulo
Shot in Sorrento, Italy
“Angler Red”
4th Place – Salvatore Gambacurta
Shot in Sydney, Australia
“Long-Snouted Seahorse”
Honorable Mention – Michal Štros
Shot in Biograd na Moru, Croatia
“I’m the Boss Here”
Honorable Mention – Damir Zurub
Shot in Isla Espiritu Santo, Mexico
“Traffic Jam”
1st Place – Matthew Sullivan
Shot in Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
“Seaweed Toy”
2nd Place – Celia Kujala
Shot in Lobster Shack, Coronado Islands, Mexico
“Basking Shark Mating Aggregation”
3rd Place – Nigel Motyer
Shot in Co Clare Coast, Ireland
“Parende Padden”
Honorable Mention – Luc Rooman
Shot in Belgium
“Steller Friends”
Honorable Mention – Celia Kujala
“Spawning”
1st Place – Salvatore Ianniello
Shot in Napales, Italy
“Future Generations”
2nd Place – Virginia Salzedo
Shot in Puglia, Italy
“The Bouquet”
3rd Place – Cedric Peneau
Shot in Reunion Island, France
“Reflections”
1st Place – Steven Kovacs
Shot in Palm Beach, Florida, USA
“Flared Beauty”
2nd Place – Steven Kovacs
Shot in Palm Beach, Florida, USA
“Spotfin Flounder”
3rd Place – Rajiv Bhambri
Shot in Palm Beach, Florida, USA
“Juvenile Deep-Sea Anglerfish “
Honorable Mention – Fabien Michenet
“Greedy”
Honorable Mention – Steven Kovacs
Shot in Kona, Hawaii, USA
Underwater Conservation
“Coral Tree”
1st Place – Catherine Holmes
Shot in Barbados
“Smoke Break”
2nd Place – Steven Kovacs
Shot in Blue Heron Bridge, Florida, USA
“Bryde’s Whale with Ghost Net”
3rd Place – Michael Vogelsang
Shot in Azores, Portugal
“Reef Protection”
Honorable Mention – Catherine Holmes
Shot in Little Good Harbour, North West Barbados
“Magical Fairy Wisps”
1st Place – Jenny Stock
Shot in Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
“India Wedding Girl”
2nd Place – Julian Nedev
Shot in Varna sity, Bulgaria
“Jessica Dream”
3rd Place – Julian Nedev
Shot in Faenza, Italy
“No Violence”
Honorable Mention – Virginia Salzedo
“Ancient Caves”
1st Place – Tom St George
Shot in Cenote Zacil Ha, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
“Flying in the Sand”
2nd Place – Kyle Lucy
Shot in Roatan, Honduras
“The Restlessness of a Condemned Soul”
3rd Place – Plamena Mileva
Shot in Satil Wreck, Eilat, Israel
“Symetrie”
Honorable Mention – Serge Melesan
Shot in Mayotte, Tahiti Beach, France
“Motherhood”
1st Place – Kate Rister
“In The River After The Floods”
2nd Place – Jack Berthomier
“Catfish and Flowers”
3rd Place – Enrico Somogyi
Shot in Leipzig, Germany
“Colorful Reed”
Honorable Mention – Enrico Somogyi
“Party Time”
1st Place – Kathrin Landgraf-Kluge
Shot in Makadi Bay, Egypt
“Spiderman”
2nd Place – Salvatore Gambacurta
Shot in Bare island- La Perousse, Sydney, Australia
“Coral Tip Forest”
3rd Place – Nicole Helgason
Shot in Marau Sound, Solomons Islands
“Strike a Pose”
Honorable Mention – Eurico Roseiro
Shot in Algarve, Armação de Pêr, Portugal
“Mating Seahorses”
1st Place – PT Hirschfield
Shot in Rye Pier, Victoria, Australia
“Rizzuto La Luce Della Nascita”
2nd Place – Ilaria Mariaguilia
Shot in Rijeka, Croatia
“Mating Southern Keeled Octopuses”
3rd Place – PT Hirschfield
Shot in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
“Above”
Honorable Mention – Abimael Márquez
“Offspring”
Honorable Mention – Nino Perović
List of Winners
Wide Angle
1st Place Eduardo Acevedo
2nd Place Nicolas Remy
3rd Place Hannah Le Leu
4th Place Gabriel Guzman
Honorable Mention Magnus Lundgren
Macro
1st Place Nigel Motyer
2nd Place Sarah Vasend
3rd Place Magnus Lundgren
4th Place Steven Walsh
Honorable Mention Matteo Visconti
Marine Life Behavior
1st Place Luc Rooman
2nd Place Julian Hsu
3rd Place Louise Nott
Honorable Mention Lionel Houde
Portrait
1st Place Paolo Bausani
2nd Place Andrey Savin
3rd Place Marco Gargiulo
4th Place Salvatore Gambacurta
Honorable Mention Michal Štros
Honorable Mention Portrait Damir Zurub
Coldwater
1st Place Matthew Sullivan
2nd Place Celia Kujala
3rd Place Nigel Motyer
Honorable Mention Luc Rooman
Honorable Mention Celia Kujala
Nudibranch
1st Place Salvatore Ianniello
2nd Place Virginia Salzedo
3rd Place Cedric Peneau
Blackwater
1st Place Steven Kovacs
2nd Place Steven Kovacs
3rd Place Rajiv Bhambri
Honorable Mention Fabien Michenet
Honorable Mention Steven Kovacs
Underwater Conservation
1st Place Catherine Holmes
2nd Place Steven Kovacs
3rd Place Michael Vogelsang
Honorable Mention Catherine Holmes
Underwater Art
1st Place Jenny Stock
2nd Place Julian Nedev
3rd Place Julian Nedev
Honorable Mention Virginia Salzedo
Black & White
1st Place Tom St George
2nd Place Kyle Lucy
3rd Place Plamena Mileva
Honorable Mention Serge Melesan
Compact Wide Angle
1st Place Kate Rister
2nd Place Jack Berthomier
3rd Place Enrico Somogyi
Honorable Mention Enrico Somogyi
Compact Macro
1st Place Kathrin Landgraf-Kluge
2nd Place Salvatore Gambacurta
3rd Place Nicole Helgason
Honorable Mention Eurico Roseiro
Compact Behavior
1st Place PT Hirschfield
2nd Place Ilaria Mariagiulia
3rd Place PT Hirschfield
Honorable Mention Abimael Márquez
Honorable Mention Nino Perović
