Bingqian Gao, a London, England-based photographer, freediver and former corporate data leader, has been awarded the inaugural Dr. Sylvia Earle Award of Excellence in the “Endangered Marine Animals” category of the Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year (OGPICOTY) 2025 contest.
Gao won based on her portfolio “Mobula munkiana: The Ocean’s Orchestrated Wonder,” a collection of six images documenting the Mobula munkiana, also known as Munk’s pygmy devil ray, in its natural habitat in the Sea of Cortez.
These rays are renowned for their extraordinary mass gatherings – thousands moving in synchronized spirals near the surface, leaping from the water and chasing in chains in courtship displays that combine power and grace.
According to Gao:
“To witness their movements – hundreds gliding and swirling in silent harmony – is to glimpse the intelligence and order that exists beneath the surface. These images are both a celebration of beauty and a quiet plea of vulnerability.”
Currently listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, Mobula munkiana faces threats from bycatch, habitat degradation and the global trade in gill plates. Although not the most endangered of its family, its slow reproduction and specific habitat needs make its survival
precarious in changing seas.
Gao sought input from marine scientists including Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara and Marta Diaz Palacios as well as advisors from the Walter Munk Foundation and Manta Trust, to ensure scientific accuracy in the accompanying conservation messaging. Di Sciara first described Mobula munkiana in 1987, and named the species after his mentor, Walter Munk.
According to di Sciara:
“These images offer rare insight into the behaviour of Mobula munkiana — a species we still know so little about.”
According to an Ocean Geographic Instagram post:
“Each frame captures the rhythm of life beneath the surface a reminder that even in stillness, the ocean moves with purpose and grace. Through her vision, we see that every image is not only a reflection of beauty, but a call to protect what remains.”
Gao adds:
“Wildlife photography has the power to create emotional connection between human and nature through awe and stories. These rays are reminders that the ocean still holds immense wonder and mystery – and that our future is inseparable from its health.”
Curated by the photo editors of Ocean Geographic, the Endangered Marine Animals finalists were judged by “Her Deepness” Dr. Sylvia Earle, Michael Aw and Jayaprakash Bojan.
The Sylvia Earle Award recognizes exceptional photographic storytelling that illuminates the plight of endangered marine species. Gao’s portfolio was praised for its artistry, emotional depth, diverse composition and rare insight into mobula behavior – a testament to both technical mastery and deep empathy for marine life.
Gao also won an Honorable Mention in the Howard Hall Award of Excellence in the “Vision of the Sea” category for her short film “unWRECKED: What the Ocean Taught Me.”
Check out the full list of winners here.
