The Australian National Maritime Museum is thrilled to be hosting the premiere exhibition of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 winners and finalists. Opening on November 6, the exhibition features 112 striking images that celebrate ocean beauty and spotlight its ecological crises and the urgency of marine conservation. The exhibition features the winning image of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, Indonesia-based macro expert Yury Ivanov, which depicts two tiny marine creatures – amphipods from the Cyproideidae family, commonly called “ladybugs of the sea”- resting quietly on coral. Each of them measures around just 3 millimetres in body length. For the first time in the competition’s history, two Australian photographers have been selected from over 15,000 images and named category winners in the annual competition. Melbourne photographer Marcia Riederer won the Fine Art category with an image of a Dwarf Minke whale, photographed on the Ribbon Reefs, part of the Great Barrier Reef. Craig Parry, based in Lennox Head, NSW, won the Human Connection category with a compelling drone image of a rescue attempt for a stranded Humpback whale on Seven Mile Beach.

‘We are proud to once again partner with Oceanographic Magazine to bring these extraordinary images off the screen and page and into a gallery. The stories behind these photographs are as compelling as the visuals themselves—they challenge us to see the ocean not just as a place of wonder, but as a world in need of our care.’ Museum Director and CEO Ms Daryl Karp commented.

‘In the midst of a deepening climate and biodiversity crisis on our blue planet, ocean photography has never been more important. These images are far more than just beautiful – they are powerful visual testaments to what we stand to lose, and they remind us of the urgent need for protection.’ Ocean Photographer of the Year Director, Will Harrison commented ‘Ocean Photographer of the Year continues to be a vital platform for sharing critical stories from above and below the waterline. We’re in awe of this year’s finalists and look forward to revealing the winners to the world next month. Their work has the power to inspire change.’