The votes are in for REEF's 2025 "Discover the Sea" Photography Contest! We are happy to announce the winners for each of the five categories.

Thank you to everyone who submitted photos to the contest and participated in the voting. Congratulations to all of our winners!

Fish Portrait Winners

1st Place: "Welcome to my home" by Chelsey Thwaites
2nd Place: "Hi Beautiful!" by Jenny Wuenschel
3rd Place: "El Pezzito leon" by Gabriel Jensen

Invertebrate Winners

1st Place: "Diamond Squid Chromatophores" by Gabriel Jensen
2nd Place: "Blue Ring Octopus" by Jamie Pardau
3rd Place: "Banded Coral Shrimp and co." by Dana Kowalsick

Macro Winners

1st Place: "Pygmy seahorse" by Burak Evrenosoglu
2nd Place: "Neon Wanderer" by Michael McCullough
3rd Place: "Flowing Juvenile Drum" by Tom Anderson

Habitat/Seascape/Environment Winners

1st Place: "Mbulu Caves" by Cassandra Clark
2nd Place: "Sea Lion Colony" by Masanori Yamaguchi
3rd Place: "The Ocean as Art" by Michelle Krotec

Comedy Winners

1st Place: "A Green Moray Walks Into a Bar…" by Daryl Duda
2nd Place: "Happy Eagle Ray" by Tom Anderson
3rd Place: "Surprise!" by Patricia Hartshorne

 

Fish Portrait Winner

 

1st Place: "Welcome to my home" by Chelsey Thwaites

Photographed in Saba

 

2nd Place: "Hi Beautiful!" by Jenny Wuenschel

Photographed at Blue Heron Bridge, FL

 

3rd Place: "El Pezzito leon" by Gabriel Jensen

Photographed in the Gulfstream off Boynton Beach, Florida

 

Invertebrate Winners

 

1st Place: "Diamond Squid Chromatophores" by Gabriel Jensen

Photographed in the Gulfstream off Boynton Beach, Florida

 

2nd Place: "Blue Ring Octopus" by Jamie Pardau

Photographed in Dumaguete, Philippines

 

3rd Place: "Banded Coral Shrimp and co." by Dana Kowalsick

Photographed in Bonaire

 

Macro Winners

 

1st Place: "Pygmy seahorse" by Burak Evrenosoglu

Photographed in Lembeh, Indonesia

 

2nd Place: "Neon Wanderer" by Michael McCullough

Photographed in South Ari Atoll, Maldives

 

3rd Place: "Flowing Juvenile Drum" by Tom Anderson

Photographed in Cozumel, Mexico

 

Habitat/Seascape/Environment Winners

 

1st Place: "Mbulu Caves" by Cassandra Clark

Photographed in the Solomon Islands

 

2nd Place: "Sea Lion Colony" by Masanori Yamaguchi

Photographed in Mexico

 

3rd Place: "The Ocean as Art" by Michelle Krotec

Photographed in Raja Ampat

 

Comedy Winners

 

1st Place: "A Green Moray Walks Into a Bar…" by Daryl Duda

Photographed in Key Largo

 

2nd Place: "Happy Eagle Ray" by Tom Anderson

Photographed in Cozumel, Mexico

 

3rd Place: "Surprise!" by Patricia Hartshorne

Photographed in Lembeh, Indonesia