Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, SIRARU9

Finalist Conservation (Hope) Photographer of the Year

Sirachai Arunrugstichai Thailand

7°46'11.3"N 98°28'59.8"E

"Pongsathorn Bauer, a Thai aquarist from Aquaria Phuket known as “Shark Dad,” releases a young Indo-Pacific Leopard shark into a sea pen at Maiton Island, Phuket," says Arunrugstichai. "Since 2023, Aquaria Phuket’s breeding program has produced more than 40 pups of this Endangered species, listed on the IUCN Red List. The aquarium is now working with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, ReShark, WildAid, Ocean Blue Tree, and private partners on the StAR (Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery) Project Thailand, with the first wild reintroduction planned for August 2025."

BEHIND THE LENS

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, SIRARU9

Sirachai Arunrugstichai Thailand

ABOUT THE IMAGE

Stormy conditions
Shot on snorkel
Midday
F/22, 1/200S, ISO 320

Sirachai “Shin” Arunrugstichai is a Thai photojournalist and marine biologist focused on marine conservation and humanity’s complex relationship with the ocean. An Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a National Geographic Explorer and a Vital Impacts' Sylvia Earle Grant recipient, Shin’s work spans from environmental crises to social issues. His images have appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, often through his role with Getty Images. When not in the field, Shin contributes to shark and ray research in Southeast Asia as a co-founder of Thai Sharks and Rays, a collaborative marine science initiative.