The 2022 Ocean Art Photo Contest is calling for entries. It offers 14 categories, including a new mobile phone category. The deadline for entries is 30 November.

Press release

2022 Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition Announced

The 11th Annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition 2022 is accepting entries today through November 30, 2022 – with the largest prize value ever

Los Angeles – September 24, 2022 08:00 AM PST – The Underwater Photography Guide is delighted to announce that it is accepting entries for the 2022 edition of the annual Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition – the 11th annual Ocean Art competition! This year’s competition features over $100,000 in prizes, making Ocean Art the world’s largest and most prestigious underwater photo competition. The competition attracts amateur to pro photographers across the globe. Fourteen categories, including a new mobile phone category, ensure all photo disciplines and cameras compete fairly, while the 50+ winning images create a portfolio of the best underwater photos of the year.

Ocean Art prizes are provided by some of the world’s top scuba diving resorts, liveaboard dive yachts, and underwater photo gear manufacturers. Grand prizes include a liveaboard dive cruise on the M.Y. Oceanic in Komodo, Flores, Alor, or the Banda Sea; a liveaboard dive cruise on the S.M.Y. Ondina in Raja Ampat, North Banda Sea, Triton Bay, Halmahera, or Cenderawasih Bay; choice of 7 or 8 nights for two aboard the Coralia in Raja Ampat or Komodo; a 14 night dive package at the new White Sands Beach Resort in Lembeh with Eco Divers; a trip on any Indonesian Damai liveaboard with Dive Damai; a trip to Malpelo aboard the Ferox liveaboard with Colombia Dive Adventures; a 7 night stay for two in Papua New Guinea with Wilindi Plantation Resort; a 7 day, 16 dive adventure in Raja Ampat with Meridian Adventure; a week long liveaboard trip to Cuba with Avalon Outdoor; a dive trip for two on the Carpe Novo in the Maldives with Carpe Diem Cruises; an 8 night all-inclusive dive package in Bohol, Philippines with Magic Oceans Dive Resort; a 14 night dive package in Raja Ampat, Indonesia at Kri Eco resort with Papua Diving Resorts; a 9 day trip to the Socorro Islands aboard Pelagic Fleet’s Solmar V Liveaboard; and a variety of gift certificates from Bluewater Photo and Bluewater Travel. Premium travel prizes are provided by El Galleon/Asia Divers (Philippines), Explorer Ventures Fleet (Saba/St. Kitts), Villa Markisa (Bali, Indonesia), Komodo Resort & Diving Club (Komodo, Indonesia), Anthony’s Key Resort (Roatan, Honduras), Kusu Island Resort (Kusu Island, Indonesia), Blue Force (Maldives), Tawali Leisure & Dive Resort (Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea), The Three P Beach Resort (Romblon Island, Philippines), Mike Ball Dive Expeditions (Australia), Atmosphere Resorts & Spa (Dumaguete, Philippines), Intercontinental Hotel (Cozumel, Mexico), Spice Island Divers (Ambon, Indonesia), Havaiki Lodge (Fakarava, French Polynesia), Lumbalumba Resort (North Sulawesi, Indonesia), Sea Saba (Saba, Caribbean), and Eco Pro Divers (Maldives). Premium gear prizes are provided by Ikelite (DS160 II strobe), Marelux (SOFT Snoot), SeaLife (SportDiver smartphone housing), Kraken (underwater video lighting), and Think Tank (Freeway Longhaul 75 Carryall duffel bag).

This year we have a new category! In order to lower the barrier to entry into our competition, we have decided to add a 14th category that showcases the ability of anyone, anywhere to take underwater photos – the Mobile Phone category. Recent advancements in smartphone technology and affordable smartphone housings have enabled a greater percentage of the general public to capture incredible underwater art. Ocean Art 2021 consists of 14 categories total, with the top categories including Wide Angle, Macro, Marine Life Behavior, and 3 corresponding compact camera categories, giving underwater photographers of all levels a chance to win a great prize. Unique categories include Black & White, Marine Life Portrait, Cold/Temperate Water, Blackwater, Underwater Conservation, and Nudibranchs. The Underwater Art category encourages creativity in post-processing.

Winners from each category will be able to rank the prizes they would like to receive, making it more likely that each winner will receive a prize they desire.

Judges include world-renowned underwater photographers Tony Wu, Marty Snyderman, Mark Strickland, and Scott Gietler.

Marty Snyderman is an Emmy winner with work appearing in top publications like National Geographic. Tony Wu is a renowned underwater photographer and author of Silent Symphony. Mark Strickland is a published author, award-winning underwater photographer, and photo specialist at Bluewater Photo. Scott Gietler is the owner of Bluewater Photo, Bluewater Travel, and the Underwater Photography Guide.

Photos must be submitted before the deadline of 23:59PM PST on November 30, 2022. We look forward to your participation. Information can be found on our Ocean Art Photo Competition page.