Photographer Steven Kovacs earned the Best in Show award at the 2025 Ocean Art Photography Contest after capturing an extraordinary image of a rarely documented larval goosefish off the waters of Kumejima, Japan. Kovacs traveled to the Okinawa prefecture, specifically hoping to encounter this elusive species, dedicating nearly two weeks to blackwater diving before finally photographing the fleeting moment. The resulting image, titled “Tired Fish”, shows the small creature facing the camera with its mouth wide open in what appears to be a yawn. Kovacs described the fish as incredibly uncooperative and challenging to photograph, making the brief instant when it opened its mouth all the more fortunate and remarkable.
The annual competition drew thousands of submissions from more than 90 countries, showcasing extraordinary underwater moments ranging from silky sharks in Cuba to diminutive pipefish in Indonesia. Each photograph captures unique, transient scenes from beneath the surface that typically remain hidden from human eyes. Winners of the contest received over $60,000 in prizes, which included exceptional opportunities such as diving excursions, cruises, and liveaboard expeditions to some of the world’s most remarkable underwater destinations.
The winning photographs span 14 distinct categories, each highlighting different aspects of marine life and underwater photography techniques. Notable winning entries include Kirsty Andrews’ “Egg Eater” from Anilao, Philippines, which features pink coiled eggs of a Spanish dancer with a sea slug peering through them, and Byron Conroy’s “Last Light”, capturing silky sharks beneath the surface at Jardines Del Reina marine Park in Cuba. Other remarkable images include Marco Lausdei’s “Alien Invasion”, showing manta rays approaching directly toward the lens in the Maldives, and Daniel Sly’s “Between the Polyps”, featuring a pughead pipefish concealed among corals in Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait. All winning photographs can be explored through the online gallery, with information about next year’s competition available on the contest’s official website.
More info: Website, Instagram.
Wojtek Meczynski, “Home Alone”, Indonesia, Lembeh Strait
Kirsty Andrews, “Egg Eater”, Anilao, Philippines
Steven Kovacs, “Tired Fish”, Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Paul Eijkemans, “Meet the Costasiellas!”, Indonesia, Bali, Tulamben, Melasti divesite
Byron Conroy, “Last Light”, Jardines Del Reina Marine Park in Cuba, Caribbean
Paolo Bausani, “True Colors”, Giannutri Island, Mediterranean Sea, Italy
Marco Lausdei, “Alien Invasion”, Maldives, Baa Atoll, Hanifaru Bay
Mehmet Gungen, “Caribbean Reef Shark Blur”, Grand Bahama Island, Dive site: Tiger Beach
Daniel Sly, “Between the Polyps”, Indonesia, Lembeh Strait
