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.
More: Underwater Imaging Competition, Instagram
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