Spectacular Award-Winning Photos from the 2025 DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition

DPG Grand Master Winner – “Synchronized Humpback Whales” by Yuka Takahashi, Japan

The 2025 DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition showcased just how powerful and demanding underwater photography can be, with remarkable winning images that highlight both technical skill and artistic vision.

More than 2,000 photographers and filmmakers from around the world submitted entries across nine photo categories and one video category, each frame shaped by shifting conditions and fleeting underwater moments. The competition’s top honor, DPG Grand Master 2025, was awarded to Yuka Takahashi for her Wide Angle Gold-winning shot, “Synchronized Humpback Whales.” Captured in the pristine waters of Mo’orea, her image reveals two humpback whales moving in perfect unison with breathtaking grace. Its scale, symmetry, and timing create a scene so mesmerizing it’s hard to look away.

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Traditional – Gold: “King of the Hill” by Chris Gug, United States

Traditional – Honorable Mention: “Alternative Refuge” by Keigo Kawamura, Japan

Traditional – Bronze: “Showrunner at Night” by Andi Voeltz, Germany

Macro – Gold: “House Cleaning” by Sunbong Jung, South Korea

Macro – Silver: “Pregnant Denise” by Wojtek Męczyński, Poland

Macro – Bronze: “Nurse” by Rómeó Bodolai, Hungary

Wide Angle – Silver: “Through the Looking Glass” by Evgenii Ivkov, Russia

Wide Angle – Bronze: “Balance of Nature” by Suliman Alatiqi, Kuwait

Wide Angle – Honorable Mention: “Smokescreen” by Peter McGee, Australia

Over-Under – Gold: “Sierran Gold” by Anton Sorokin, United States

Over-Under – Silver: “Marine-Adapted from Head to Toe” by Suliman Alatiqi, Kuwait

Over-Under – Bronze: “Sunset Stroll” by Anita Verde, Australia

Conservation – Gold: “Survivor” by James Ferrara, United States

Conservation – Silver: “Entangled Fates” by Daniel Taylor, Mexico

Conservation – Bronze: “Helping Hand” by Dan Mele, U.S. Virgin Islands

Portfolio – Gold: “Oceans of Life: Coral’s Annual Miracle” by Tom Shlesinger, Israel

Portfolio – Silver: “Orange, Black and Green: The Colors of Diving in Flooded Slate Mines” by Frank Aron, Germany

Portfolio – Bronze: “Kelp Forests of Juan de Fuca” by Jeffrey Martel, United States

Compact – Gold: “Tree of Life” by Manuel Wüthrich, Switzerland

Compact – Silver: “In Meditation” by Johan Letang, French Polynesia

Compact – Bronze: “The Guardian” by Vadim Belakhov, Australia

Unrestricted – Gold: “Even Eyes Deserve a Spa Day” by Karyll Gonzalez, United States

Unrestricted – Silver: “Skull at Green Cave Sink” by Fan Ping, China

Unrestricted – Bronze: “Glimmering Depths” by Catherine Holmes, United Kingdom

Cold Water – Gold: “Blue Crayfish” by Francesco Visintin, Italy

Cold Water – Silver: “Killer Light” by James Ferrara, United States

Cold Water – Bronze: “Courting Sockeye Salmon” by Thomas Kline, United States