An Award-Winning Image Captures The Exact Moment Two Humpback Whales Swam in Perfect Sync

We spend billions of dollars scanning the cosmos for signs of life that look nothing like us, yet we often ignore the fact that we share a planet with creatures that might as well be from the moons of Jupiter. The ocean isn’t just a body of water; it is a vast, pressurized evolutionary laboratory where life has taken turns that defy our terrestrial logic.

Thanks to the winners of two major photography competitions — the Dive Photo Guide (DPG) Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2025 and the 14th annual Ocean Art Underwater Photography Competition — we are getting a high-definition look at this hidden frontier.

The winning images emerged from thousands of entries across more than 90 countries, proving that the drive to document the sub-aquatic world is a global obsession. And obsession is exactly what it takes.

“These images are the result of obsession, patience, and exploration,” said Nirupam Nigam, president of Bluewater Photo and editor-in-chief of the Underwater Photography Guide. “Many of this year’s winners spent weeks — or even years — chasing moments most people will never witness.”

The Art of Patience in the Dark

The Ocean Art competition’s “Best in Show” award went to Steven Kovacs. His photograph, titled Tired Fish, doesn’t feature a charismatic dolphin or a colorful reef. Instead, it captures a larval goosefish, a creature that looks like a translucent specter drifting in the void.

Kovacs shot the image during a “blackwater dive” off Kumejima, Japan. For the uninitiated, blackwater diving involves suspending oneself in the open ocean at night to watch the largest migration on Earth: the vertical movement of deep-sea creatures coming to the surface to feed. It’s a technically difficult and slightly eerie pursuit. So, Kovacs didn’t just stumble upon this specimen. The shot was captured “after nearly two weeks of targeted diving.”

“Unfortunately, this beautiful little fish turned out to be incredibly uncooperative and difficult to photograph. After spending some time with it, I was very fortunate that, for one brief moment, it decided to yawn while facing the camera. I somehow managed to press the shutter at that exact instant, resulting in this image,” Kovacs said.

This kind of photography is crucial for marine biology. Larval stages of deep-sea fish are notoriously difficult to study because they are fragile and exist in the water column where traditional trawling nets destroy them. High-resolution in-situ photography gives researchers a look at morphology and behavior that preserved specimens in jars simply cannot provide.

Nigam noted that “while all great photography demands dedication, underwater photography requires a uniquely intense combination of patience, persistence, and technical skill.”

Giants in the Shallows

While Kovacs was hunting the microscopic in the dark, Yuka Takahashi was snorkeling in the sun-drenched waters of French Polynesia, looking for giants. Takahashi was named the DPG Grand Master 2025 for a photo that captures a very different side of marine life: social bonding.

Her winning image, which also took Gold in the Wide Angle category, shows two humpback whales off the island of Mo’orea. But it’s not a standard portrait. The whales are swimming side by side, mirroring each other’s movements with uncanny precision.

“Every year, migrating humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere journey to Mo’orea to use its warm waters as a nursery and resting ground. These two humpbacks are always seen together, and I was fortunate to capture this rare moment in which they mirrored each other’s position and movement almost perfectly. Living close to nature has taught me lessons no textbook ever could, including the realization that each animal has a unique personality. To me, this photograph reflects the strong bond between the two whales while also revealing their playful and curious nature. One of the most special moments I have experienced, this encounter truly made me feel a deep connection with wildlife,” said Takahashi.

Biologists have long studied the complex social structures of cetaceans, and Takahashi’s image offers a visual case study in “mirroring” behavior, which often signals a deep bond between individuals. The judges noted the pair are “swimming in near-perfect harmony,” a moment of tranquility that belies the immense power of these animals.

It is a stark contrast to the DPG’s Cold Water winner, Francesco Visintin, who documented a biological anomaly in fresh water. His shot features a rare blue crayfish reflected on the surface. Crayfish are typically hazel or olive to blend in with riverbeds, but this individual sported a genetic mutation that turned it a vibrant, electric blue. In the wild, such mutations can be a death sentence, making the animal a beacon for predators. Capturing one on film is a rare documentation of genetic drift in action.

The Labor of Small Things

The ocean is also a place of work. One of the most delightful takeaways from the DPG winners is the focus on the “jobs” marine animals perform. We often think of fish as aimless wanderers, but Sunbong Jung’s Gold-winning Macro photo, House Cleaning, corrects that record.

The image features a tiny bluestriped fangblenny maintaining its burrow. Jung caught the fish in the act of poking its head out to “spit out some sand,” clearing its home grain by grain. It’s a reminder that underwater ecosystems are built on the back of constant, small-scale labor—from coral polyps building reefs to blennies excavating shelter.

“The brief burst of motion, frozen in time, highlights both the intelligence and determination hidden within this tiny reef dweller,” said Jung.

Meanwhile, in the Unrestricted category, Karyll Gonzalez won with a composite image of a snake eel poking out of black sand while a cleaner shrimp scuttles across its eye. Cleaner shrimp are the essential hygienists of the reef, removing parasites from larger predators who, in a truce of mutualism, agree not to eat them.

“With the dive guide assisting by holding my snoot, the shrimp moved along the snake eel and I managed to capture this shot with the crustacean over its eye. The sun ball that forms the background was shot later on the trip,” said Gonzales.

The Ocean’s Future

Other standout entries highlighted the reproductive future of the ocean. The Ocean Art winners documented the birth of a seahorse, while Tom Shlesinger won the DPG Portfolio category by weaving together images of a mass coral spawning in the Red Sea — a synchronized reproductive explosion that is critical for reef regeneration.

“Prior to this dive, our guides had mentioned that there was a possibility of encountering a Denise’s pygmy seahorse, but after entering the water, there wasn’t much to see and I remember thinking our chances were slim. Yet, when we reached this small, pristine fan coral, I was amazed — and overjoyed — to find this tiny, pregnant pygmy living there. I took just three or four shots, trying not to disturb the animal too much. It seemed to pose proudly among the branches of the fan,” said Wojtek Męczyński from Poland.

Entangled in the Anthropocene

We cannot ignore the context in which these animals live: an ocean increasingly clogged with human debris. Both competitions highlighted the collision between marine life and human industry.

James Ferrara won Gold in the DPG Conservation category for a photo that is as distressing as it is necessary. Titled Conservation, it shows a diver — Ferrara’s wife — working to free an olive ridley turtle entangled in a “ghost” fishing net. The turtle is missing a flipper, a permanent disability from a likely previous entanglement.

Ghost gear, the informal term for abandoned fishing nets and lines, is a massive plague, trapping and killing marine life for decades after the fishermen have gone home.

The DPG announced that “in an effort to keep the ocean as bountiful and healthy as possible, 15% of the entry proceeds will be donated to marine conservation efforts.”

From the alien drift of a larval goosefish to the struggle of a turtle in a net, these images document an ocean world that is complex, fragile, and teeming with intelligence — if we only take the time to dive in and look.

Scroll down to see more winners from the DPG Masters Underwater Imaging Competition 2025.