PHOTO COMPETITION

The winners of the 13th annual Photo Competition for United Nations World Oceans Day were announced today during the UN World Oceans Day (UNWOD) event at the UN Headquarters in New York. A panel of world-renowned judges selected winners from hundreds of global entries made by both amateur and professional photographers. This year’s competition featured the recurring categories “Big and Small Underwater Faces,” “Underwater Seascapes,” and “Above Water Seascapes,” as well as a new category “Connecting Oceans.” The 2026 winning photographers hail from nine different countries: Valentina Cucchiara (Italy) and James Ferrara (USA) (“Connecting Oceans”); Kaushiik Subramaniam (UK), Verona Chadwick (Australia), and Jeon Min-seok (South Korea) (“Big and Small Underwater Faces”); Ysabela Coll (Dominican Republic), Bingqian Gao (UK/China), and Eduardo Carrasco (Chile) (“Underwater Seascapes”); Bruce Sudweeks (USA), James Ferrara (USA), and Miesa Grobbelaar (South Africa/Australia) (“Above Water Seascapes”).

The 2026 photo competition was coordinated in collaboration between the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, DPG, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, and Nausicaá. Since 2016, the competition has been curated by underwater and wildlife photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, and judged by a world-renowned panel of judges. The judges for 2026 were: underwater photographer Ipah Uid Lynn (Malaysia), underwater photographer William Tan (Singapore), underwater photographer Jane Morgan (UK), and dive publication founder Dave Alexander (UK).

The Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day is a free-and-open public competition that calls on photographers and artists from around the world to communicate the beauty of the ocean and the importance of the respective United Nations World Oceans Day theme each year. All winners and participants in the competition signed a charter of 14 commitments regarding ethics in photography. Winning photos from 2026 as well as from previous years can additionally be viewed via the virtual gallery on www.unworldoceansday.org.

Connecting Oceans

© Valentina Cucchiara (Italy). Connecting Oceans — Winner
Suspended in the pristine darkness of Cenote Nariz, a diver illuminates a breathtaking ancient underwater world formed drop by drop over millennia. This vast subterranean aquifer serves as the vital heart of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, acting as the primary source of fresh water that sustains its sprawling jungles, diverse wildlife, and human communities. Known to the Maya as “Suhuy Ja’”—or sacred water—these submerged networks represent an interconnected ancestral legacy that has nurtured life across countless generations. Tragically, this irreplaceable geological marvel is currently under serious threat. We have a profound obligation to protect this fragile ecosystem from destruction so these sacred subterranean rivers may continue to support future generations.

© James Ferrara (USA). Connecting Oceans — 2nd Place
While diving inside a cave in the Kingdom of Tonga, I watched as a freediver was surrounded by a swirling school of baitfish. Sunlight pouring in from the cave’s entrance created a striking silhouette, perfectly framing the diver and fish in a fleeting moment of harmony between shadow and motion.

© James Ferrara (USA). Connecting Oceans — 3rd Place
A freediver glides beneath the frozen surface of North America’s Lake Huron, suspended in a silent and surreal world. The view from below reveals intricate patterns in the ice, sculpted by weather and waves. Experiencing a scene like this makes braving the elements more than worthwhile.

© Wendy Mitchell (Australia). Connecting Oceans — Honorable Mention
There has never been a more critical time to take action to protect the places we love. Globally, coral reefs are being lost at an alarming rate, largely driven by the relentless impacts of burning fossil fuels. The release of carbon dioxide trapped in coal, oil, and gas is the leading contributor to climate change, driving ocean temperatures to extreme levels. Yet, hope remains through awareness and responsible leadership. A brighter future is possible if we champion local initiatives and cast our votes for those committed to protecting these critical ecosystems. This photo is a window into two worlds, a reminder of the interconnectedness of every element of our planet. The image was captured in the blue-water mangroves of Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, where communities rely heavily on the health of their reefs for sustenance and economic benefits from tourism. 

Big and Small Underwater Faces

© Kaushiik Subramaniam (UK). Big and Small Underwater Faces – Winner
A curious juvenile gray whale approaches our boat in a lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico. This was an incredibly special encounter, as the whale spent over an hour with us, coming in close enough for me to dip my camera into the water and capture this image. These whales are known for their friendly and inquisitive nature, and seem to genuinely enjoy interacting with humans.

© Verona Chadwick (Australia). Big and Small Underwater Faces — 2nd Place
In Anilao in the Philippines, this moray eel was hiding in a hole in a reef wall, popping its head out intermittently. A snooted flash with a color filter was set up behind the subject to create the red rim light—which wasn’t easy because the eel kept moving around. I used a second snooted flash to focus a narrow white beam on the eye. It took many attempts to get everything aligned to capture this shot.

© Jeon Min-seok (South Korea). Big and Small Underwater Faces — 3rd Place
This bobtail squid was encountered during a night dive off Tongyeong Beach on Korea’s southern coast. As the cephalopod swam upwards, its arms opening wide, I managed to capture this picture, with the animal’s reflection on the surface.

Underwater Seascapes

© Ysabela Coll (Dominican Republic). Underwater Seascapes — Winner
Emerging from the darkness of a Mexican cenote, we entered this underwater garden teeming with colorful water lilies and small fish. The sudden contrast transformed the scene into a dreamlike world, where light, color, and life replaced the silence of the cave. Cenotes are vital freshwater reservoirs that sustain biodiversity and surrounding communities, yet pollution and climate change increasingly threaten their fragile balance. This moment of beauty is a reminder of our responsibility to protect these hidden ecosystems, where life depends on the purity and clarity of the water.

© Bingqian Gao (UK/China). Underwater Seascapes — 2nd Place
This expansive seascape captures one of the ocean’s most awe-inspiring spectacles: a “fever” of Munk’s devil rays (Mobula munkiana) gliding in unison in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. Bathed in the ethereal glow of the sun rays piercing the surface, the scene feels more celestial than aquatic. These vast migrations continuing to flourish beneath the surface remind us that protecting the ocean means safeguarding the ecosystems that depend on it. Listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, these rays now receive CITES Appendix I protection, a crucial lifeline for the species and a promising sign for their recovery.

© Eduardo Carrasco (Chile). Underwater Seascapes — 3rd Place
I fought the buoyancy of my 12-inch dome to capture the split second when these Heermann’s gulls, on the lookout for a meal, shattered the silvered surface. This view from below highlights the raw, dynamic boundary between the worlds above and below the water’s surface, illustrating a profound interdependence where the life in the sky is irrevocably tied to the health of the deep.

Above Water Seascapes

© Bruce Sudweeks (USA). Above Water Seascapes – Winner
The life of a grizzly bear cub on Alaska’s Kodiak Island consists of eating, playing, and napping. These two cubs have started their day at sunrise, frolicking in the river that provides their meals. The river is full of salmon heading upstream to spawn as their last mortal act. The bear cubs will effortlessly select a few salmon to eat, thereby denying the fish the opportunity to reproduce.

© James Ferrara (USA). Above Water Seascapes — 2nd Place
This single long-exposure image was taken at Blue Cypress Lake in my home state of Florida. After careful planning and a short boat ride in the middle of the night, I used a tripod in the water and light painting techniques to illuminate the cypress tree beneath the Milky Way above. Rapid population growth has transformed much of Florida’s once-pristine landscape into a patchwork of development and concrete, yet pockets of untouched wilderness still remain beyond the reach of urban sprawl and light pollution. This image is a tribute to the Florida that once was and still exists in fragments today. It serves as both a celebration and a reminder that these natural spaces are fragile, and their future depends on the care and responsibility we choose to take.

© Miesa Grobbelaar (South Africa/Australia). Above Water Seascapes — 3rd Place
The seaweed farms of Nusa Lembongan and Ceningan, southeast of Bali, stretch across the water in rows of green. From above, I noticed how naturally the locals moved through them, not controlling the ocean but working in tune with it, with a sense of unity and collaboration, as if they were one with the sea. From the sky, it resembles a woven, living tapestry across the water, where human hands and nature are threaded together.

Photography is a powerful medium to convey a feeling or a message. This open and free photo competition seeks to inspire the creation of imagery capturing the beauty, the challenges and the importance of the ocean and humankind’s relation to it, hoping to contribute to actions to preserve this vital resource.

The photo competition has four thematic categories open for submissions:

1. ^NEWConnecting Oceans

   • Images that demonstrate the connections between oceanic ecosystems, marine species, and people, reminding us that all things are interdependent

2. Big and Small Underwater Faces

   • Portraits of marine life underwater that feature faces big and/or small to help personalize the world beneath the waves

3. Underwater Seascapes

   • Awe-inspiring underwater seascapes of the ocean’s splendors, from life in the ocean to ecosystems and exchanges we don’t typically see, anything that inspires beauty, promise, or potential. A minimum of 50% should be taken underwater, also allowing half-above water and half-below water shots

4. Above Water Seascapes

   • Landscapes depicting an environment dependent on the ocean, taken above water

Winning images will be announced during the UN World Oceans Day event on June 8th in New York. Recognition and diffusion of the winning images and finalists will be widely exposed throughout the contest websites, the media and the informational materials related to subsequent competitions. Winning photos have been printed for exhibitions around the world.

• The contest is open to entrants of all skill levels.

• Photo contest staff and judges are not allowed to enter the contest.

• Winners will be announced during the UN World Oceans Day event on June 8th in New York, hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, and published on www.UNWorldOceansDay.org and DPG shortly afterwards.

• Entries may have been taken from any camera, digital or film (as scanned slides).

• Conservation rules will be strictly observed. Flora and fauna should never be stressed or endangered for the sake of a photo. Entries suspected of involving the following behavior will be disqualified:
  • Photographers visibly damaging the environment (e.g., gear dragging or kicking up sand, divers exhibiting poor buoyancy control)
  • Animals with signs of stress (e.g., puffed puffers, inking octopus)
  • Animals moved to an unnatural environment or risky location
  • Marine life being touched or placed (e.g., nudibranchs, coral polyps, seahorse tails)
• Entrants will be obliged to agree to the following charter:

• Images that have won or placed in photo contests with winning entries announced before March 1st, 2026 may not be submitted. Any single image that was part of a portfolio, but did not place as a single image, is eligible to be entered. A winning image is defined as follows:
  • Any image that has placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in a major photography contest (to be determined subjectively by judges). (When a concern is raised, it will be considered by the judging panel, rectified and communicated if deemed necessary. Any bashing on social media will result in disqualification. We expect respect for and kindness towards fellow entrants)
  • Any image that has placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any photo of the year-type contest. Photos of the day, week, or month are eligible

• Photographers retain all copyrights to their images. The organizers of World Oceans Day Photo Contest retain the right to publish the contest entries in any format to congratulate or feature the winners and their respective images, and to promote future World Oceans Day events, as well as for awareness-raising purposes for the work of the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. Winning images will be included in a press release for third party websites and publications in the context of congratulating and/or featuring the winners and winning images, and to promote future World Oceans Day events. Winning images can be used by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations and their partners to promote awareness, preservation and conservation. Strict guidelines requiring photo credit and specific one-time press release usage are issued along with the press release.

• Note on photo manipulation: Post-processing images is allowed. This includes global adjustments to exposure, contrast, burning, dodging, cropping, sharpening, noise reduction, and tone. Minor cleaning of images is permitted, including the removal of backscatter, dust and scratches. HDR, panoramas, focus stacking or other techniques that involve using multiple images taken at the same time and place are also allowed.

  Adding, removing or moving animals, people, plants or other objects is not allowed. For example, moving a fish, removing a reef element or adding a glow to a divers torch is not acceptable.

  While digital manipulation is permitted, please keep in mind this not a Photoshop competition. All images should accurately represent the subject matter and nature. Images that appear to be overly processed may be disqualified at the judges’ discretion.

• Entries must be saved in JPEG format and should be sized to be between 2,000 and 6,000 pixels in the longest dimension. Please limit your images to a maximum file size of 4,900KB (4.9MB). Images will be viewed on a large monitor and should be in the AdobeRGB 1998 or sRGB color space.

• Please do not include any watermark or borders on your images. These elements will detract from the image’s impact. It’s not that we don't want you to protect your images; it’s just hard to appreciate an image with a watermark over it. (We will keep the display of winning images consistent, and when your image is displayed, it will be clearly labeled as your image.)

• The same image can only be entered into one category.

Note: Entrants should retain high-resolution and RAW files of their submissions. In the event your submission is selected as a finalist, you will be asked to submit a RAW file to check if adjustments made to the image comply with the rules and a high-resolution file for printing and display. Entrants will also be asked to provide a caption (subject, location, story). The judging of submissions will take place in mid April and early May. If you plan to travel during that time, you should be prepared to send files when requested. Not providing files or failing to provide files in time will lead to disqualification.

Ipah Uid Lynn is an award-winning professional photographer born and bred in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her creative photography work has been recognized in numerous prestigious international competitions, and her images have been published in print and online dive publications all over the world.

Ipah is a regular speaker at international dive shows. Her love and passion for the underwater world inspires her to educate people about the challenges we face in protecting our oceans and the importance of conserving marine ecosystems for future generations.

Instagram: @ipah_uid_lynn

William Tan has been fascinated with the creatures of the sea since childhood. While studying at the Johns Hopkins University (USA), much of his spare time was spent gazing at the extensive marine collection of the nearby National Aquarium in Baltimore.

A violinist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, William earned his scuba diving certification in 1994. Thereafter, without his prized antique Italian violin, he travels extensively between concert seasons throughout the Pacific region photographing marine life for scientific institutions, camera and housing manufacturers, tourism organizations, dive magazines and resorts.

Facebook: @william.tan.7334

Jane is an award-winning underwater photographer and freelance photojournalist, a member of the photography team at Scubaverse, and Dive Safety Officer at Falmouth University, UK.

Based in Cornwall, she showcases the Britain’s marine life while championing ocean conservation through powerful visual storytelling.

Instagram: @janemorgan7202

Dave Alexander is the founder of Scubaverse.com, an international scuba diving media platform covering dive travel, underwater photography, and marine conservation. He works with divers and photographers worldwide to share the beauty and adventure of the underwater world.

Facebook: @Scubaverse

Ellen Cuylaerts was born in Belgium and now resides in the UK, having spent 12 years living in the Caribbean, where she devoted her time to diving, photography and conservation work. On World Oceans Day in 2017, she addressed heads of state at the General Assembly of the United Nations, highlighting the work of photographers and filmmakers involved in the protection of the oceans. As curator of the Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day since 2016, she developed a Charter of Ethics for UN World Oceans Day as well as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. A Fellow of The Explorers Club, Ellen was a member of its Flag and Honors Committee between 2016 and 2020. She became a certified cave diver in 2018 and the following year was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. In 2021, she participated in her first cave exploration expedition to Mexico’s Cenote Xunaan-Ha.

Instagram: @underwaterellen

The 2026 Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day is coordinated in collaboration between the following:

• United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea

• DivePhotoGuide (DPG)

• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO

• Nausicaá

If your organization would be interested in supporting the Annual World Oceans Day Photo Contest please contact us here.