Striking Shot of Open-mouthed Leopard Seal Wins the Underwater Awards Australasia 2025
Nine category winners chosen from hundreds of photo and video entries
The organizers of the Underwater Awards Australasia 2025—DivePhotoGuide (DPG), Underwater Australasia, and UW Images—are proud to announce the winners of the 2nd edition of the underwater imaging competition focused on the Australasian region. The winning entries were revealed on stage today, September 6th, 2025, at Go Diving Show ANZ in Sydney, Australia.
The competition called for passionate underwater shooters from around the world to submit their most captivating and compelling images and videos from the Australasian region. Shooters were invited to immerse themselves in the challenge of capturing the essence of this extraordinary realm, where every frame tells a story of the delicate balance and breathtaking beauty that characterizes our oceans.
Entrants competed in nine categories for prizes worth more than A$70,000 in total, including dive trips with the world’s top resorts and liveaboards, as well as the latest underwater photo and video gear. The prestigious judging panel comprised photo judges Tobias Friedrich, Jayne Jenkins, Matty Smith, Tanya Houppermans, Scott Portelli, and William Tan; and video judges Philip Hamilton and Ross Long.
The overall winner of the competition—the “Best of Show”—is James Ferrara, whose striking shot of an open-mouthed leopard seal takes the top spot in the International Waters category. The other category winners are Vadim Belakhov (Sharks), Neil Vincent (Conservation), Talia Greis (Sydney), Marcia Riederer (Australian), Jake Wilton (Portfolio), Luciano Morales Corinaldesi (Smartphone/Action Cam), Imogen Manins (Tough TG), and Laura Gourgas (Reels Showcase).
The organizers would like to extend their congratulations to all the winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions, as well as their thanks to everyone that entered the competition. The organizers would also like to express their immense gratitude to the contest’s esteemed judges and generous sponsors, without whom the competition would not have been possible. The exhibited metal prints of the winners and runners-up were available for purchase at the show, with the generous permission of the photographers. Half of the proceeds will be donated to the competition’s environmental partners, Australian Marine Conservation Society and Take 3 For The Sea.
Discover all the winners and runners-up at UnderwaterAwards.com.
