Our judges have sorted through hundreds of incredible photos and after much deliberation have selected a winner in Hamanasi’s 2025 Oceans Month Photo Contest. Congratulations to Abby Tibbets, who won a 3-night stay at Hamanasi for her wonderful photograph!
When asked to describe her winning porcupine puffer fish photo, Abby replied, “Simply said, I will forever get lost in their eyes, they are like little galaxies and reflect all of the sparkling dynamics that make diving so awe-inspiring. From my first encounter with the silly smile always worn on the face of these deeply textured and expressive critters, I’ve loved to follow them all over the reefs. Being able to engage so closely and capture these details without causing this lil guy the stress to display his defense mechanisms (inflating) continues to be one of the accomplishments that is the most reinforcing in the careful instruction we have received from the Hamanasi crew around ocean respect and buoyancy control.”
Here are some comments from our judges:
“The detail of the spines, the color palette and the magical quality of the eye, kept me staring at and mesmerized by this photo again and again.”“The photo captures the finer details of the puffer fish. The close-up emphasizes the expressive eye and spines. The soft coral in the foreground adds depth and context without distracting from the main subject. The vibrant blue-green speckles in the pupil add a striking detail.”
Fun Fact: Both Abby’s first and most recent dives have happened in Belize with Hamanasi Dive Instructor Evan and her husband, Jeff. They’ve come to love Hopkins above and below the sea more than any other corner of the world they’ve explored. Abby also submitted many other stunning photos, some of which were category finalists. Once again, congratulations to Abby!
We’d also like to announce the winners of each category:
Spectacular Seascape:
Samantha Klopp’s stunning sunrise
Blackwater:
Matthew Duff’s ethereal jellyfish
Marine Life Behavior:
Brian Dehn’s eel mating dance
Compact Encounters:
Abby Tibbetts’ porcupine pufferfish (see lead photo above)
As always, a huge thank you to everyone who submitted photos — your creativity, talent and snapshots of Belize marine world are phenomenal.
To see all the finalists and honorable mentions, as well as sign up to be notified about our next photo contest check our photo contest website.