First of all, we would like to congratulate everyone who joined the 2018 Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition! This competition is one of the most prestigious nature photo contests in the world, and the winning images represent some of the best underwater photographs of the year taken at some of the best scuba diving locations in the world. Photographers from 70 countries entered images, and over $80,000 in sponsor prizes have been awarded, making the Ocean Art prize value among the highest in the world.

Winners were asked to rank their prize choices and were awarded 1 prize based on totaling points from all their winning photos.

We would also like to extend your much appreciation to our world-renowned judges Tony Wu, Martin Edge, Marty Snyderman and Scott Gietler for judging the competition, Bluewater Photo and Bluewater Travel for their support.

Winning images have been covered by hundreds of international media outlets including the Washington Post, CNET, The Atlantic, South China Morning Post, Gizmodo, Yahoo, Lonely Planet, Mother Nature Network, My Modern Net, Business Insider, Sport Diver, Dive Magazine, Smithsonian, and many, many more!



Quick Links:

View List of Winners' Names





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Best of Show

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"Devil Ray Ballet"

Spinetail devil rays, (Mobula japanica)

Best in Show - Duncan Murrell

Shot in Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines

Story of the Shot

Wide-Angle Category

Click photo to view full size





"Gentle Giants"

Humback whale and her calf (Megaptera novaeangliae)

1st Place - François Baelen

Shot in Saint-Gilles, Reunion Island with Sony A7III

Story of the Shot

"Paddle Boarders Sunset"

2nd Place - Grant Thomas

Shot in Ha’apai, Tonga with Canon 5D Mark III

Story of the Shot

"Two Inquisitive Friends"

Australian sea lion pups

3rd Place - Celia Kujala

Shot in Jurien Bay Marine Park, Western Australia, Australia with Nikon D500

Story of the Shot

"West Coast Flowers"

sandy anemones (Aulactinia reynaudi)

4th Place - Geo Cloete

Shot in West Coast, South Africa with Nikon D300 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Eclipse"

Golden Rays

5th Place - Edwar Herreno

Shot in Bat Island, Costa Rica with Nikon D800

Story of the Shot

"Silky Sunset"

Silky Sharks

6th Place - Daniel Flormann

Shot in Jardins de la Reina, Cuba with Canon 7D

Story of the Shot

"Pacific Red Sockeye"

Sockeye Salmon (Onchorynchus nerka)

Honorable Mention - Wu Yung Sen

Shot in British Columbia, Canada with Sony A7R III

Story of the Shot

"Hanging in Leru"

Diver silhouette in Leru Cut, Solomon Islands

Honorable Mention - Steve Kopp

Shot in Solomon Island with Canon 5D Mark IV

Story of the Shot









Macro

Click photo to view full size

"Ancistrocheirus"

Sharp-eared enope squid (Ancistricheirus lesseurii)

1st Place - Jeff Milisen

Shot in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii with Canon T1i

Story of the Shot

"Look"

Goby on tunicate

2nd Place - Chun Zhou

Story of the Shot

"Speedy Cuttlefish"

Cuttlefish (Sepiola sp.)

3rd Place - Fabio Iardino

Shot in Trieste Gulf, Italy with Nikon D850

Story of the Shot

"Dance of Love"

Seahorses

4th Place - Jinggong Zhang

Shot in Minamatashi, Kumamotoken, Japan with Nikon D850

Story of the Shot

"Magic Carpet"

Sargassum Frogfish

5th Place -- Tianhong Wang

Shot in Lembeh, North Sulawesi, Indonesia with Canon 5D Mark III

Story of the Shot

"Waves"

African Bavosa ( Parablennius Pilicornis)

6th Place - Stefano Proakis

Shot in Argentario, Italy with Nikon D800E

Story of the Shot

"Unnoticed"

Juvenile rigid shrimpfish

Honorable Mention - Shane Gross

Shot in Flores, Indonesia with Nikon D500

Story of the Shot

"Juvenile Batfish"

Honorable Mention - Dennis Corpuz

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Nikon D7000 Camera

Story of the Shot

Marine Life Behavior

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"Devil Ray Ballet" Spinetail devil rays, (Mobula japanica) 1st Place - Duncan Murrell Shot in Honda Bay, Palawan, the Philippines Story of the Shot

"The Fight"

Anthias ( Pseudanthias squamipinnis)

2nd Place - Anders Nyberg

Shot diving Bali, Indonesia with Nikon D500

Story of the Shot





"Love from a Father"

Clownfish with Eggs ( Amphiprion chrysogaster)

3rd Place - François Baelen

Shot in Padangbai, Bali with Sony A7III

Story of the Shot

"Gauntlet"

Parrotfish hunted by Grey Reef Sharks

4th Place - Richard Barnden

Shot in French Polynesia with Nikon D810

Story of the Shot

"New Life"

Octopus ( Octopus vulgaris) with Eggs

5th Place - Flavio Vailati

Shot in Capo Noli (SV), Italy with Nikon D500 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Cleaning"

White Banded Cleaner Shrimp

6th Place - Liang Fu

Shot in Tulamben Bali Indonesia with Canon 5DS

Story of the Shot

"Hawaiian Lei"

Mantish Shrimp

7th Place - Mei Hing Sin

Shot in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia with Canon 7D Mark II

Story of the Shot

"Living in a Jelly"

Travelly and Jellyfish

Honorable Mention - Doris Vierkötter

Shot in Bali, Indonesia with Canon 5DSR Camera

Story of the Shot

"Timing"

Spawning Camouflage Groupers

Honorable Mention - Richard Barnden

Shot in Republic of Palau with Nikon D810

Story of the Shot

"Feeding "

Cuttlefish preying on rainbow peacock shrimp

Honorable Mention - Els Van Den Borre

Shot in Ambon, Indonesia with Nikon D800

Story of the Shot





Portrait

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"Chimaera"

Spotted Ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei)

1st Place - Claudio Zori

Shot in Hurst Island, Canada with Nikon D300S

Story of the Shot

"Croc in the Mist"

American Crocodile

2rd Place - Christina Barringer

Shot in Banco Chinchorro, Mexico with Canon 6D Camera

Story of the Shot





"Open Eyes"

Dancing shrimp (Rhynchocinetes uritai)

3rd Place - Doris Vierkötter

Shot in Bali, Indonesia with Canon 7D Mark II

Story of the Shot

"Eye to Eye"

Humpback Whale Calf

4th Place - Shane Keena

Shot in H'aApai, Kingdom of Tonga with Canon 5D MKIII

Story of the Shot





"Face to Face"

Sockeye Salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka)

5th Place - Mirko Zanni

Shot in Adams River, British Columbia, Canada with Canon 5D Mark III

Story of the Shot





"Roar"

Chaenopsid Blenny

Honorable Mention - Jinggong Zhang

Shot in Miwura, Kanagawaken, Japan with Nikon D850

Story of the Shot





"Nemo"

ocellaris c lownfish in r itteri sea anemone

Honorable Mention - Matteo Visconti

Shot in Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan with Nikon D850

Story of the Shot





"Curiosity"

Green Sea Turtle

Honorable Mention - Kyler Badten

Shot in Haleiwa, Hawaii with Canon 7D Mark II

Story of the Shot





Cold Water

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"Grey Seal Face"

Grey Seal

1st Place - Greg Lecoeur

Story of the Shot

"Burst"

California Sealion in the kelp forest

2nd Place - Tyler Schiffman

Shot in Monterey bay, United States with Sony A7R III

Story of the Shot

"Canadian Underwater Life"

Rose and Plumose Anemone

3rd Place - Claudio Zori

Shot in British Columbia, Canada with Nikon D300S

Story of the Shot

"Life Under the Ice"

Filamentous algae under ice

4th Place - Rémi Masson

Shot in Black Lake, Alps, France with Canon 5D Mark IV Camera

Story of the Shot

"Foggy Morning in Adams River"

Sockeye Salmon (O ncorhynchus nerka)

5th Place - Eiko Jones

Shot in British Columbia, Canada with Nikon D800e Camera

Story of the Shot





"Spider Crab Attack"

Spider Crabs

Honorable Mention - Henley Spiers

Shot in Devon, U.K. with Nikon D850 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Best Friends Forever"

Galapagos Penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus)

Honorable Mention - Simon Lorenz

Shot in Galapagos, Ecuador with Nikon D850

Story of the Shot

"Winter in Iceland"

Honorable Mention - Adam Martin

Shot in Iceland with Canon 5D Mark III

Story of the Shot





Nudibranchs

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"Inside the Eggs"

Favorinus pacificus and eggs

1st Place - Flavio Vailati

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Nikon D500 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Polycera quadrilineata posing"

Polycera quadrilineata

2nd Place - Fredrik Ehrenström

Shot in Norway with Nikon D200 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Frosted Pearl"

Dirona albolineata

3rd Place - Bettina Balnis

Shot in Barclay Sound, BC, Canada with Nikon D7000

Story of the Shot





" Janolous Cristatus"

4th Place - Giacomo Giovannini

Shot in Taranto, Italy with Nikon D610

Story of the Shot

"Sheep on the Shot"

Costasiella sp.

Honorable Mention - Chun Ho Tam

Shot in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia with Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Story of the Shot

Supermacro

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"Hairy Flames"

Hairy Shrimp

1st Place - Edison So

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Canon 5D Mark III

Story of the Shot

"Porcelain Bloom"

Porcelain Crab

2nd Place - Wayne Jones

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Canon 5D Mark IV

Story of the Shot

"Eye C U"

Hairy Shrimp Eye (P hycocarys simulans)

3rd Place - Ludovic Galko-Rundgen

Shot in Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia with Canon 70D

Story of the Shot





"Little New Life"

Clowfish Eggs

4th Place - Leon Zhao

Shot in Southern Leyte, Philippines with Nikon D750

Story of the Shot

"The Eye"

Octopus Eye

5th Place - Gaetano Gargiulo

Shot in Chowder Bay, NSW, Australia with Nikon D800

Story of the Shot

"Brooks Sea Urchin Shrimp"

Honorable Mention - Iyad Suleyman

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Canon 60D

Story of the Shot





Novice DSLR

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"Special Encounter"

Oceanic Manta Ray

1st Place- Alvin Cheung

Shot it Socorro, Mexico with Nikon D810 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Smile of a Friend"

American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

2nd Place - Antonio Pastrana

Shot in Jucaro, Cuba with Nikon D850 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Stingray Portrait in 3D"

Pink Whipray

3rd Place - Marie Charlotte Ropert

Shot in Moorea Island, French Polynesia with Nikon D500 Camera

Story of the Shot

"The Cuttle"

Cuttlefish

4th Place - Steven Walsh

Shot in Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia with Sony A6500 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Butterfly in the Dark"

Butterfly nudibranch (Cyerce nigra)

5th Place - Alvin Cheung

Shot in Romblon, Philippines with Nikon D810 Camera

Story of the Shot





Mirrorless Wide-Angle

Click photo to view full size

"Atlantic Spotted Dolphins"

1st Place - Eugene Kitsios

Shot in Bimini, Bahamas with Olympus E-M1 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Team Solomon"

2nd Place - Pier Mane

Shot in Solomon Islands with Olympus E-M1 Mark II Camera

Story of the Shot

"No No!" Galapagos Sealion ( Zalophus wollebaeki) 3rd Place - Pier Main Shot in Galapagos Island with Olympus E-M1 Mark II Camera Story of the Shot

"Pardon Me" Ribbon Sweetlips ( Plectorhinchus polytaenia) 4th Place - Max Holba Shot in Raja Ampat, Indonesia with Olympus E-M1 Mark II Camera Story of the Shot



"Million Hope Shipwreck" Honorable Mention - Fabrice Dudenhofer Shot in Red Sea, Egypt with Olympus E-M1 Mark II Camera Story of the Shot



"From Beneath" Fine Spotted Moray Eel Honorable Mention - Pier Mane Shot in Galapagos with Olympus E-M1 Mark II Camera Story of the Shot

Mirrorless Macro

Click photo to view full size

"3 Baby Seahorses"

Big-belly Seahorse ( Hippocampus abdominalis)

1st Place - Steven Walsh

Shot in Blairgowrie Pier, Victoria, Australia with Sony A7III Camera

Story of the Shot

"Bubble Life"

Boergeseniaforbesii (Siphonocladales)

2nd Place - Owen Yen

Shot in Green Island, Taiwan with Olympus EM1 MK II Camera

Story of the Shot

"Little Birth"

Yellow Pygmy Goby with Squid Eggs

3rd Place - Younghun Kan

Shot in Lembeh, Indonesia with Sony A7R II Camera

Story of the Shot





"Seagrass Shrimp Disco"

Yellow Seagrass Shrimp on a Bottle

4th Place - Enrico Somogyi

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Olympus E-PL6

Story of the Shot





"Face to Face"

Honorable Mention - Rafi Amar

Shot in Shark Paradise, Bahamas with Olympus OM-D E-M1

Story of the Shot

Mirrorless Behavior

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"My Babies"

Yellowtail clownfish ( Amphiprion clarkii) oxygenating its eggs

1st Place - Fabrice Dudenhofer

Shot in Amami Oshima Island, Japan with Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Story of the Shot

"Schools of Schools"

Carcharias taurus (aka sand tiger shark)

2nd Place - Debbie Wallace

Shot in Morehead City, North Carolina, USA with Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark II

Story of the Shot

"Gaming Zone"

Small fish swimming above a jellyfish

3rd Place - Yeh Hung Wei

Shot in Taiwan with Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Story of the Shot





"Shrimp School"

4th Place - Lorenzo Terraneo

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Panasonic GX8

Story of the Shot





"Family Affair"

A pod of false killer whales ( Pseudorca crassidens)

5th Place - Tiffany Poon

Shot in Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico with Olympus E-PL1 Camera

Story of the Shot





"Feasting"

Giant Kingfish predating on Giant Crown Jellyfish

Honorable Mention - Pier Mane

Shot in Sodwana Bay, South Africa with Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Story of the Shot

Compact Wide-Angle

Click photo to view full size

"Dancing Jellyfish"

1st Place - Melody Chuang

Shot in North-East Coast, Taiwan with Olympus TG5 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Coral"

Octocoral - Eunicella singularis & Eunicella Cavolini

2nd Place - Andrea Falcomatà

Shot in Argentario, Argentarola, Italy with Sony RX 100 V

Story of the Shot

"Budego"

Budego (Lophius budegassa)

3rd Place - Alessandro Raho

Shot in Noli, Italy with Canon G16 Camera

Story of the Shot





"Who's the Boss?"

Marine Iguana

4th Place - Andreas Schmid

Shot in Galapagos Island, Ecuador with Canon G7X Mark II

Story of the Shot





"Sea Nettle Soup"

Metridium Anemones and Sea Nettle Jellyfish

Honorable Mention - Jon Anderson

Shot in Monterey, California, USA with a Canon G7X

Story of the Shot





"Break the Surface"

Humpback Whale and Calf

Honorable Mention - Miguel Ramirez

Shot in Cap la Houssaye, in Reunion island with Olympus TG5 Camera

Story of the Shot

Compact Macro

Click photo to view full size

"Hairy Shrimp"

1st Place - Sejung Jang

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Olympus TG-5

Story of the Shot

"Red on Green"

Coral Goby on Coral

2nd Place - Kate Tinson

Shot in North Sulawesi, Indonesia with Olympus TG4

Story of the Shot

"Yellow Gobies in a Bottle"

Yellow Pygmy Gobies

3rd Place - Matteo Pighi

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Canon G12 Camera

Story of the Shot





"A Hairy Shrimp in the Air"

4th Place - Sunbong Jong

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Olympus TG-4 Camera

Story of the Shot





"Juvenile Fish"

Honorable Mention - Jim Chen

Shot in Romblon, Philippines with Olympus TG-4

Story of the Shot

Compact Behavior

Click photo to view full size

"Cannibal Crab"

Spider Crabs

1st Place - PT Hirschfield

Shot in Victoria, Australia with Canon G12 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Hungry"

2nd Place - Miguel Ramirez

Shot in Grand Anse, Reunion island with Olympus TG4

Story of the Shot

"La Siesta"

White tip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus)

3rd Place - Jin Woo Lee

Shot in Roca Partida, Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico with RX100 V Camera

Story of the Shot





"Shell Feeding"

Snail feeding on a cup coral

4th Place - Danny Van Belle

Shot in Similan Islands, Thailand with Nikon S3 Camera

Story of the Shot









"Dinner Time"

Squid eating fish

Honorable Mention - Dennis Corpuz

Shot in Anilao, Philippines with Olympus TG5 Camera

Story of the Shot









"Reflection of a Crab"

Honorable Mention - Jack Berthomier

Shot in Ouemo’s bay, Noumea, New Caledonia with Sony RX100 II Camera

Story of the Shot

Underwater Art

Click photo to view full size

"Disco Nudi"

Hypselodoris bullocki nudibranch

1st Place - Bruno Van Saen

Shot in Bali, Indonesia with Nikon D810 Camera

Story of the Shot

"Two Worlds Collide"

2nd Place - Jordan Robins

Shot in Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia with Canon 5D MK IV

Story of the Shot

"Discovering the Hidden Face of Yucatan"

Freediver in Cenote

3rd Place - Guillaume Néry

Shot in Yucatan, Mexico with Sony A7R II Camera

Story of the Shot





"Treasure Hunters"

4th Place - Dennis Vandermeersch

Shot in composite locations with Nikon D810 and Nikon D300 Cameras

Story of the Shot









"Light Beam"

Freediver in Cenote

Honorable Mention - Alexandre St. Jean

Shot in Mérida, Mexico with Canon 5D Mark IV Camera

Story of the Shot









"The Jellyfish Treasure"

Honorable Mention - Thomas Heckmann

Shot in a German pool with Nikon D800E Camera

Story of the Shot









Complete List of Winners

Best of Show

“Courting Devil Ray Ballet” by Duncan Murrell

Wide-Angle

1st François Baelen

2nd Grant Thomas

3rd Celia Kujala

4th Geo Cloete

5th Edwar Herreno

6th Daniel Flormann

HM Steve Kopp

HM Wu Yung Sen

Macro

1st Jeff Milisen

2nd Chun Zhou

3rd Fabio Iardino

4th Jinggong Zhang

5th Tianhong Wang

6th Stefano Proakis

HM Shane Gross

HM Dennis Corpuz

Coldwater

1st Greg Lecoeur

2nd Tyler Schiffman

3rd Claudio Zori

4th Rémi Masson

5th Eiko Jones

HM Henley Spiers

HM Simon Lorenz

HM Adam Martin

Portrait

1st Claudio Zori

2nd Christina Barringer

3rd Doris Vierkötter

4th Shane Keena

5th Mirko Zanni

HM Jinggong Zhang

HM Matteo Visconti

HM Kyler Badten

Marine Life Behavior

1st Duncan Murrell

2nd Anders Nyberg

3rd François Baelen

4th Richard Barnden

5th Flavio Vailati

6th Liang Fu

7th Mei Hing Sin

HM Doris Vierkötter

HM Richard Barnden

HM Els Van Den Borre

Reefscapes

1st Yen-Yi Lee

2nd Tobias Friedrich

3rd Alex Lindbloom

4th Renee Capozzola

HM Fred Bavendam

HM Brett M Garner

Novice DSLR

1st Alvin Cheung

2nd Antonio Pastrana

3rd Marie Charlotte

4th Steven Walsh

5th Alvin Cheung





Mirrorless Macro

1st Steven Walsh

2nd Owen Yen

3rd Younghun Kan

4th Enrico Somogyi

HM Rafi Amar

Mirrorless Behavior

1st Fabrice Dudenhofer

2nd Debbie Wallace

3rd Yeh Hung Wei

4th Lorenzo Terraneo

5th Tiffany Poon

HM Pier Mane





Mirrorless Wide-Angle

1st Eugene Kitsios

2nd Pier Mane

3rd Pier Mane

4th Max Holba

HM Fabrice Dudenhofer

HM Pier Mane





Compact Macro

1st Sejung Jang

2nd Kate Tinson

3rd Matteo Pighi

4th Sunbong Jung

HM Jim Chen

Compact Marine Life Behavior

1st PT Hirschfield

2nd Miguel Ramirez

3rd Jin Woo Lee

4th Danny Van Belle

HM Dennis Corpuz

HM Jack Berthomier

Compact Wide-Angle

1st Melody Chuang

2nd Andrea Falcomatà

3rd Alessandro Raho

4th Andreas Schmid

HM Jon Anderson

HM Miguel Ramirez





Nudibranchs

1st Flavio Vailati

2nd Fredrik Ehrenström

3rd Bettina Balnis

4th Giacomo Giovannini

HM Chun Ho Tam

Supermacro

1st Edison So

2nd Wayne Jones

3rd Ludovic Galko-Rundgren

4th Leon Zhao

5th Gaetano Gargiulo

HM Iyad Suleyman





Underwater Art

1st Bruno Van Saen

2nd Jordan Robins

3rd Guillaume Néry

4th Dennis Vandermeersch

HM Alexandre St-Jean

HM Thomas Heckmann





Please

Quick Links to All Categories:

View List of Winners' Names