After working their way through 6,750 images entered by underwater photographers from around the world the three judges have agreed on their verdict, which is that the winner of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) competition is Alvaro Herrero.
The panel of experienced underwater photographers charged with the decision were Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Alex Mustard, and the winners were announced last night (19 February) at an award ceremony in central London hosted by the Crown Estate, which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Also read: Diver’s photos reveal reef cubes in action
Spanish photographer Herrero had topped the Wide Angle category in the UK-based annual contest with his photograph Radiant Bond, depicting the special relationship between a mother humpback whale and her new-born calf in French Polynesia.
David Alpert was named British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for his image The Curious Seal, taken off Lundy Island.
Other highlights that can be seem among the winners and runners-up shown below are Shunsuke Nakano’s Face Off, showing a memorable head-to-head confrontation between two Asian sheepshead wrasse, and Abdulaziz Al Saleh’s portrait Hydration, a view of camels drinking in the desert taken from below the waterline.
Bryant Turffs won the Compact category with The Beauty Of The Swamp, a GoPro shot of a prehistoric garfish, while Korean photographer Ruruka was named as PADI Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for Underwater Aurora, a diver in the multi-coloured waters of a Mexican cenote.
Robert Marc Lehmann from Germany became the Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2025 for his 1 in 200,000,000, a disturbing image of Indonesian fishermen hauling a large tiger shark ashore.
The UPY contest was first run in 1965, when Phil Smith was named Underwater Photographer of the Year. Today it has 13 categories, including three for photographs taken in British waters. The top two photographs in each category are shown below with judges’ comments, and full details of results and competition rules can be found on the UPY website.
Wide Angle Winner & Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
Radiant Bond © Alvaro Herrero aka Mekan (Spain) / UPY 2025
“Every year, during the southern winter, I travel to French Polynesia to photograph these majestic animals,” said Mekan of his winning shot, taken in Mo'orea and shown above. “My favourite time of day is the early morning, because the light is soft and angled, allowing me to find the perfect angle to clearly define the shape of these animals in blue.
“For me, this photo is one that shows a mother’s love for her calf, communicating both the fragility and beauty of our oceans, and revealing one of the amazing species with whom we share our home world.”
“What a shot!” commented judge Tobias Friedrich. “We usually see a lot of humpback whale images during the judging of the UPY competitions, but this image made us stop immediately. It really shows the excellence of the photographer seeing the moment and also recognising the right image afterwards while browsing through them on the computer.
“The light coming from the left upper corner as well as the perfect movement of the humpback whale and calf, in addition to the excellent framing and composition make this a truly deserved overall winner.”
“A heart-warming interaction between mum and baby, in a perfectly timed pose of both majestic animals that look so comfortable in their underwater home,” said Alex Mustard. “The photo invites us to observe, while giving the whales their space, both in the frame and from the photographer. The spearing light is dramatic, while the shadow the calf is casting on its mother is subtle.
“Mekan won the title of Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year back in 2022 with the saddest of images of humpbacks; this uplifting family portrait is a perfect counterpoint.”
Peter Rowlands added: “The overall winning image represents us as a competition, and our community as a hobby/sport/profession, to the world at large for a whole year and sometimes it is very difficult to decide between them, but this year, for me, this delicate yet powerful study of a mother and calf’s bond says all that is great and good about our world.
“We face our challenges, true, but the increasing populations of whales worldwide shows what can be achieved.”
(Taken with a Nikon Z7 II + Nikkor Z 14-24mm 2.8 s, Isotta housing, natural light. f/8, 1/640th, ISO 1100)
Wide Angle Runner-up
This shows one of the photographer’s favourite caves in the Yucatán Peninsula, at Tulum, Mexico. “Using rebreathers in the caves allows us to spend much more time exploring their depths, and enhances my photos as it gives us the opportunity to precisely illuminate the scene,” says Mekan.
“By not emitting bubbles, we also help protect the cave features and disturb far fewer particles, which is particularly advantageous when photographing less-frequented spots. Rebreathers also deliver much more efficient decompression times. To illuminate this room, we used 60,000 lumens of warm light from two BigBlue video lights.”
“Cenotes create some of the most spectacular scenery in the underwater world but accessing it requires extensive training, specialist diving equipment and real dedication even before you take a photo,” commented Mustard.
“We get a lot of cenote shots but this really stands apart for both the quality of this exquisite room and the photographic quality of lighting and composition.”
(Taken with a Nikon Z7 II + Nikkor Z 14-24mm 2.8s, Isotta housing, BigBlue COB 30.000 PII. f/5.6, 1/30th, ISO 2000)
Macro Winner
At the end of a dive at Secret Bay in Anilao in Philippines, Bondaschi spotted two other underwater photographers and signalled to his guide to check what they were shooting. “After realising that it was one of my favourite subjects, a hairy shrimp, I waited patiently for my turn and used the time to plan and prepare for the shot.
“I chose to shoot it in profile, backlit with a snoot. My guide and my buddy played a fundamental role in expertly managing the light of the snoot. After a few test shots to find the right setting, I finally got the photo I was looking for.”
“Perfect execution and image!” said Friedrich. “I love the minimalistic approach to a subject which is tiny and not easy to get a crisp shot of.
“The perfect position of the hairy shrimp is almost too good to be true, but these animals are very skittish and we concluded that this is natural perfection, which is also emphasised to the maximum by the very selective lighting by the photographer.”
(Taken with a Canon EOS R7 + EF-S60mm f/2.8 Macro USM + wet lens AOI UCL-90 PRO, Marelux MX-R7 housing, Backscatter MF-1 + Backscatter snoot OS-1. f/16, 1/200th, ISO 100)
Macro Runner-up
Blauvelt had been in Bali in Indonesia and wanted to leave with a unique image of Doto greenamyeri, “one of the most striking subjects in Tulamben. I created a dramatic glowing effect on the nudibranch with my strobe and snoot, and completed the frame by backlighting the host hydroid with subtle blue light to balance the composition.
“Thank you to my incredible guide Rudolfi Sikome at Alam Batu for holding a torch in position for the backlighting effect on this image, and for a productive and fun week of photography!”
“The detailed patterns of this nudibranch are only matched by the precise control of light and composition in this picture,” said Mustard. “The sea slug is sitting on a delicate hydroid that moves in the current. It must have taken tremendous dedication to craft such a perfect frame.”
(Taken with a Sony A1 + FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS, Nauticam NA-A1 housing, Backscatter MF-2 w/ OS-1 Snoot, Torch w/ Blue Gel. f/22, 1/200th, ISO 160)
Wrecks Winner
The Gulf Fleet No 31 wreck at Shaabruhr Umm Qammar in Egypt sits on the reef around 104m deep. When the vessel sank it got wedged between the reef wall and a small reef, so there is a swimthrough beneath it. “We did a 25-minute bottom time and about two and a half hours of deco to produce this image,” said Dawson.
“Without a doubt one of my favourite photos in the whole competition,” commented Mustard, “and also, as I learn now, one of our deepest. This image is packed with the feeling of adventure, in a finely crafted composition that draws you in with layer upon layer of interest, from foreground corals to the clouds of fish above the wreck.
“Understandable quality, once you know that it was taken by last year’s Underwater Photographer of the Year!”
(Taken with a NikonZ9 + 8-15 fisheye, Nauticam Z9 housing, ambient light. f/4.5, 1/80th, ISO 800)
Wrecks Runner-up
“Aqaba is well known among most divers and was high on my wish-list for years,” said Dopierala of this shot of the Lockheed L-1011-500 TriStar wreck in Jordan. “Finally, a perfect opportunity was created by Carlos Diesel (the agile freediver you can see in this photo) in collaboration with Diverse Divers Diving Centre.
“We were lucky to freedive all around the Aqaba wrecks for the week. This photo was made on our second visit to this particular dive-spot.
“The idea came suddenly at the very end of our time. We made only one attempt at this shot. Fortunately, Carlos did an amazing job. Looking at the scene, before I even pressed the shutter, I already had the feeling that it's probably the best shot of the trip.”
“I love the fresh images that freediving photography is bringing to underwater photography as a whole,” said Mustard. “Creating such a perfect composition and moment takes particularly high skills when both photographer and model are on breath-hold dives.”
(Taken with a Sony A1 + 12-24 f4, SeaFrogs A1 housing, ambient light. f/6.3, 1/125th, ISO 250)
Behaviour Winner
These two male Asian sheepshead wrasse were photographed at Sado, Niigata in Japan. “The unique form of this species is characteristic of males, who form harems and claim territories during the breeding season,” said Nakano.
“The one on the left is the harem king, who has defended his territory for more than 10 years and is estimated to be over 30 years old, while the one on the right is a young challenger.
“Although I had planned carefully to capture the images, the 2024 season was more difficult to predict than usual, and despite staying there for a week during the breeding season, I was able to observe this scene only once, for just 10 seconds.
“And this was the only photograph I was able to take. The sight of them fighting in their flashy white outfits was so magnificent, I can still remember it vividly.”
“Perfectly timed to capture the moment of the contender challenging the king,” said Rowlands. “The fight for hierarchy is the strongest form of behaviour. Well-lit with no distracting background, this image leapt out immediately and continued to be the one to beat off the challengers.”
(Taken with a Nikon D850 + AF Nikkor 28-70mm f3.5-4.5d + Nauticam WACP-1, Nauticam housing, Inon Z330. f/16, 1/250th, ISO 200)
Behaviour Runner-up
November-December at Magdalena Bay in Baja California, Mexico are the best months to try to get good encounters with blue marlin, according to Acevedo. “However, getting strong images of these fish in wild life is very difficult because they attack the sardines and mackerel at very high speed.”
“This photo is all about moment, as the blue marlin pounces and the terrified school scatters,” said Mustard. “We loved that the photographer was mindful to include such a beautiful reflection in the composition, despite the briefness of the photographic opportunity.”
(Taken with a Canon 5D MK IV + 15mm, Seacam housing. f/9, 1/500th, ISO 400)
Portrait Winner
This winning image was taken in Kuwait’s Al Wafra desert. “I’d had the idea of photographing the camels drinking water for about one and half a years,” said Al Saleh, who had never seen such a shot done before.
“The weather was critical, and it took me several weeks to get the best possible shots. The first week the camels were a bit hesitant to drink water while my camera was under the water and only a few gathered to drink, which is not what I wanted. But after several days the camels had already accepted me and my equipment.
“After my first week of shooting the camels I changed to electronic synch cords for my strobes instead of fibre-optic cables because of problems – and finally the shots came together.”
“Such a joyous image and a portrait of camels certainly took us by pleasant surprise,” said Rowlands. “Great eye contact, well-chosen angle and surface distortions gives you plenty to look at and the lower, childlike, cheeky mouth adds a heart-warming finale to a quality photograph, which is much more than just an eye-catching subject.”
(Taken with a Nikon Z8 + Nikkor 8-15mm fisheye, Nauticam NA-Z8 housing, two Inon Z330. f/18, 1/100th, ISO 100)
Portrait Runner-up
“I spent two weeks in Manaus in Brazil, where about 10 operators feed the river dolphins, which are a draw to tourists. We visited a pontoon with four resident botos and a beach that draws about seven in daily.
“Botos look very unusual compared to other dolphins, with incredibly long rostra – with vestigial hairs on them – tiny eyes and thick bodies. The idea here was to try to get an unexpected view of a surprising animal most people have never heard about. I also wanted to make it apparent that they live beneath the forest canopy in Coca-Cola-coloured water.
“Seeing these dolphins every day for two weeks made taking photographs of them incrementally easier as we became familiar with their shape, movement and behaviour and even, to a certain extent, individual characters.”
“Eye-catching symmetry is combined with minimalistic graphic elements and a restricted colour palette to create a powerful composition that clearly communicates the unusual anatomy and habitat of the river dolphin,” observed Mustard. “All this and in beautiful light too.”
(Taken with a Canon EOS R5 + EF8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM, Nauticam NA-R5 housing, natural light. f/9, 1/125th, ISO 1250)
Coral Reefs Winner
Holmes’ location was Gorgonian Passage at Wayil Batan Island, Misool in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. “I was lucky to find perfect conditions with clear water and schooling baitfish swirling among the canyons of a large coral bommie, adorned with verdant soft corals. I aimed to capture the reef teeming with life and colour to inspire us all to protect this valuable habitat.”
“This image just screams ‘coral’!” said Friedrich. “It's also rare to see a vertical image which works well of a coral reef. The light distribution on the image is absolutely beautiful and the reef full of colour.”
(Taken with a Nikon D500 + Fisheye 8-15 (3.5-4.5) @12mm, Nauticam housing, Retra Pro strobes with diffusers. f/11, 1/160th, ISO 320)
Coral Reefs Runner-up
“Filling my frame with purple seafans and porous sea rod, I settled low on the seabed, concealing myself and my camera as much as possible in the hope of a close pass from the circling Caribbean reef shark,” said Stock. “Hunkered down, I waited for the perfect moment.
“Finally, this creature elegantly swam into my frame, its shiver visible in the background, adding dramatic depth to my image.
“Jardines de la Reina in Cuba has been a successfully protected national marine park since 1996. Today fishing and visitor numbers are restricted and its 90-mile long archipelago of reefs are renowned for pristine corals and flourishing marine life. Caribbean reef sharks can grow up to 3m long and are one of the largest apex predators in the reef ecosystem.”
“A great example of how the apex predators flourish in a protected marine park,” said Rowlands. “The dramatic low angle emphasises the power of the main subject and the additional light freezes the action and brings out the healthy colours.”
(Taken with a Canon 5D IV + 16-35mm, Nauticam housing, Retra lights. f/14, 1/125th, ISO 800)
Black & White Winner
“This image was captured in the northern Red Sea during a freediving expedition in search of bottlenose dolphins,” stated Gener. “The moment portrays an intimate mating ritual, where several males – four visible in the picture, though others were nearby – were playfully chasing a female.
“It was a dynamic and ritualistic display, with the males engaging in friendly skirmishes and occasionally mating with the female, their bodies joining briefly for just a few seconds. Notably, the female was not attempting to escape; she actively participated, playing along and waiting for them.
“The entire group swam gracefully and at a slow, deliberate pace, creating a mesmerising underwater scene.”
“This image shows the definition of black and white photography; the composition comes alive with the thoughtful conversion to monochrome,” was Friedrich’s verdict. “Fantastic image.”
(Taken with a Canon 5D Mark IV + EF 16-35mm 1:2.8 L III USM, Seacam housing, natural light. f/4, 1/500th, ISO 160)
Black & White Runner-up
This image was taken at the Los Angeles Olympics send-off event for the USA Olympic artistic swimming team at the LA Expo Centre. “As the event photographer, I was able to photograph the team both under water and from land,” said Rokop.
“In this shot, the swimmer is warming up before the team’s demonstration of their 2024 Paris Olympics routines by standing on the bottom of the pool engaged in a breathing exercise.
“Artistic swimmers have an incredible lung capacity and they are able to perform these unusual feats such as standing on the bottom of the pool effortlessly. This was the only swimmer using the bottom of the pool like this for her warm-up and the unusual sight immediately captured my attention. The image evoked a sense of peace and calmness.”
“A pinpoint composition that works so brilliantly in black and white, creating a beautiful image filled with the tranquillity of the underwater world,” said Mustard. “We didn’t know it during judging, but we particularly love that this image was observed and not posed.”
(Taken with a Canon R3 + 35mm, Ikelite housing, natural light. f/3.2, 1/1000th, ISO 125)
Up & Coming Winner & Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
“I first travelled to Cancun, Mexico for a shoot two years ago and since then I’ve been captivated by its charm,” said Ruruka. “These days, I find myself visiting Cancun frequently. From where I live it’s a very long journey – about 24 hours by plane – but this place perfectly aligns with the direction of my photography and offers a variety of shooting opportunities.
“To capture this particular photo, I visited during the rainy summer season and worked with a local Korean guide as my model.”
“Extraordinary image with a high technical standard and perfect post-production of it!” said Friedrich. “The diver is well-positioned in the golden ratio while not being in front of anything. The balance of the light from outside which falls into the cave is just an excellent repetition and shows what the image is all about.”
(Taken with a Nikon Z8 + Z 24-50mm F4 + Nauticam WACP-1, Nauticam housing, natural light. f/9, 1/60th, ISO ISO 800)
Up & Coming Runner-up
“Photographing Tonga’s humpback whales had been on my wish-list for a long time, and it definitely did not disappoint,” said Hut. “Every single time you get in the water it is different, with each whale having a unique personality, and with their attitude towards swimmers often changing throughout the day.
“The most exciting, of course, are the encounters where the whales’ curiosity matches your own, and that was clearly the case with this mom-and-calf pair. We were able to spend several hours with them as they navigated around the Vava’u islands, alternating between travel, rest and play.
“This shot, taken when the pair crossed a shallow reef, remains one of my favourite images from that amazing day.”
“What a dream encounter of a mother and calf!” said Mustard. “The reef gives a fantastic sense of scale to the whales, really showing their size, while adding interest and visual depth to the composition. Talk about everything coming together…”
(Taken with a Sony A1 + 16-36 f2.8 @ 16mm, Nauticam housing, natural light. f/11, 1/250th ISO 800)
Compact Winner
Turffs captured this image at one of his favourite locations within the Everglades National Park, attracted by its foreboding environment, “clear waters, light filtering through cypress trees and the fish species, both native and introduced”.
“I have revisited this spot many times trying to capture various subjects and the light just right,” he said. “The water levels vary significantly, sometimes completely drying, during different times of year.
“The fish species are in constant flux, and this location is often dominated by exotics. Ironically, on this occasion, I hadn't invested too much thought and I was enjoying the scenery when this Florida gar positioned itself perfectly in the frame of my GoPro.”
“A stunning three-dimensional composition placing this rarely seen Florida gar in its swamp habitat,” noted Mustard. “It is, quite frankly, amazing that this image is shot with a simple GoPro camera, demonstrating how many people already have all the gear that they need to capture beautiful underwater photos.”
(Taken with a GoPro Hero 7 Black + AOI 0.73x Ultra Wide Lens, GoPro Supersuit housing, natural light. f/2.8, 1/180th, ISO 791)
Compact Runner-up
“While diving in Anilao in Philippines we found this beautiful giant frogfish at a depth of around 15m,” said Somogyi. “I tried to get a picture with a coloured backlight, and a background of small fish and the sun. After a couple of frames I got this picture and was very happy.”
“A large image from a small compact, perfectly lit with just enough complimentary highlights, not too gaudy,” summed up Rowlands. “A sprinkling of sunburst and a clatter of small fish produces an impressive combination to complete the package from the our reigning Compact champion.”
(Taken with a Sony RX100vii + Nauticam Emwl 160-Wetlens, Fantasea housing, two Backscatter MF2 strobes. f/7.1, 1/1000th, ISO 125)
British Waters Wide-Angle Winner & British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
Alpert considers North Devon “easily one of the most beautiful coastlines in Britain. High jagged cliffs pounded by an unforgiving sea. With the second-highest tide change in the world, the outgoing current whips up against waves and wind rolling in from the North Atlantic. Stand back and marvel.
“Diving windows are limited so I based myself in the area for two months last year, exploring different locations. This shot shows a grey seal off Lundy Island, a Marine Protected Area since 1973.
“Seals are delightfully curious creatures, more interactive than any other species I have dived with around the world. Briefly, I become one of the privileged few, crossing the bridge into the world of a sentient wild animal.”
“In the UPY competition we usually see a lot of seal images, especially in the British categories,” said Friedrich. “I used to be a soft touch for these images but having seen so many now, my standards are very high.
“This image though is truly a stunner! So well-framed in the seaweeds and with the light coming from the back in the shallow waters. The composition is completed by the curious look of the seal to the photographer. An excellent portrait.”
(Taken with a Canon 5D MKiii + EF 16-35mm f/2.8L iii USM, Nauticam housing, two Inon Z330 strobes. f/8, 1/200th, ISO 200)
British Waters Wide-Angle Runner-up
“My encounters with octopuses in the UK are usually unplanned,” said Temple, and this one in Scotland’s Lochcarron was no exception. “It was early May and visibility was poor. I chose my widest lens and planned to drift along the reef with the flood tide, capturing what I could among the soft corals.
“Midway through the dive, the current surged unexpectedly, turning our gentle drift into a rapid ride. Then I saw it: an octopus perched high on the reef wall. I kicked hard against the current, raising my camera as it observed me calmly.
“The tide was relentless and I managed only four shots before it pulled me away. As I drifted, I glanced back for one last look. The octopus remained, seemingly unfazed by our encounter but out of range.”
“An excellent shot of an iconic UK subject that is being seen more and more around our shores,” commented Rowlands. “The soft lighting highlights the pastel colours and the scenery recedes out of the frame to create depth perfected by great eye contact and a classic pose.”
(Taken with a Nikon D500 + 10.5mm, Aquatica housing, Inon Z-240 Type 4 strobe. f/8, 1/125th, ISO 400)
British Waters Macro Winner
“Occasionally I have come across this medusa Neoturris pileata in open water but had not taken a decent photo of one,” said Bolt of this encounter in Scotland. “On this occasion however, my buddy and I were specifically targeting them and other similar creatures to try to explore the idea of UK ‘blackwater’ photographic opportunities.
“Of the many, many images I took that day, this one revealed a larval crustacean within the bell of the medusa. The frames either side of this capture show that the larval crab (or lobster) is actually on the outside of the bell, but in this instant it was perfectly on the opposite side from me – hence the effect of being contained within the transparent body.”
“This is a beautiful and rarely seen jellyfish, but the wow moment really comes when you spot the hitchhiking shrimp through the transparent bell,” said Mustard. “Stunning, surprising and novel.”
(Taken with an OM Systems OM-1 + Panasonic 45mm macro, AOI housing, two Sea&Sea YS-D3 Duo strobes. f/13, 1/250th, ISO 250)
British Waters Macro Runner-up
This image was taken at Inveraray, Loch Fyne in Scotland. “This site is known for being home to many beautiful fireworks anemones at shallow depths, but it also has an old pipe covered in concrete blocks which is home to lots of life, including the spiny squat lobster.
“These squat lobsters are usually found clinging upside-down on boulders / overhangs and disappear the instant the camera shutter is pressed. However, on this night dive they were wandering about in the open and didn’t seem to mind having a few pictures taken.
“These squat lobsters show the brightest fluorescence I have seen in crustaceans and I was really pleased on this dive to be able to capture the whole animal in frame. I used excitation filters on my strobes, along with a yellow barrier filter in front of the lens to capture the fluorescence.”
“James’s fluorescent exploration of British waters has revealed another stunning subject when photographed with this technique,” said Mustard. “A little more contrast in processing, a tiny crop and a rotation into vertical and this truly memorable shot could have gone all the way…”
(Taken with an OM System OM-D E-M1 MkIII + M Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ, AOI housing, two Sea&Sea YS01-Solis + Nightsea filters. f/6.3, 1/50th, ISO 500)
British Waters Living Together Winner
This image taken in Scotland’s Lochcarron “shows nature’s ability to make the best of a bad situation”, said Bolt. “The iron block and heavy chain are actually holding a small barge in place on the surface, where local scallop-divers store their equipment.
“The barge itself is a floating reef system all of its own, and the anchor-blocks have attracted many species too.
“I was actually practising for a different underwater photography competition when I took this shot. For a couple of days before an on-the-day ‘splash in’ competition, this crab was consistently in this position, or very close by. Sadly, on the day it was nowhere to be seen. Happily for me though, that meant I was able to use my practice photos for UPY!”
“A well-chosen angle to include just enough background to combine visual depth with location,” said Rowlands. “The chain-links starting off powerful in the foreground then receding delicately out of the scene topped by the small inquisitve fish entering the top of the frame. A worthy winner.”
(Taken with an OM Systems OM-1 + Olympus 14-42mm + Nauticam WWL-1, AOI housing, two Sea&Sea YS-D3 Duo strobes. f/7.1, 1/50th, ISO 640)
British Waters Living Together Runner-up
“As the seaweed photosynthesises around us, we seek refuge from the fast pace of daily life beneath the waves, where it is quiet,” said Trees of this photograph taken in Balaclava Bay, Portland. “We relax, our heart-rate slows down; for many people, the ocean provides a place to find peace.
“With no prior set-up and only ambient lighting, this photo captures a freediver in a moment of tranquillity as she weaves her way through the kelp. All too soon, we surface for air.”
“Beautiful scenery that rounds up with a very nice model position,” summed up Friedrich. “The atmosphere of the shot and the nice framing are truly well done, with the model smiling and dressed so nicely. Only the fins could have been also in the frame, nothing else to criticise!”
(Taken with a Nikon D850 + 14-24mm f2.8, Nauticam housing, natural light. f/2.8, 1/640th, ISO 200)
Save Our Seas Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year
“This tiger shark is just one of around 200 million sharks that lose their lives every year at the hands of humans,” said Lehmann of this photograph captured in Indonesia. “Since I was six years old (35 years+), I have been intensively studying sharks. In all these years, hardly anything has changed and that is frustrating.
“Sharks protect their habitat, the sea, through their ecological function as ‘health police’. Over a billion people depend on the sea every day and we all breathe the oxygen that is largely produced in the sea. If we continue to eradicate the animals that guard our largest and most important habitat, we are taking away our own livelihood.
“And that’s why I’ve been fighting for people to see and understand sharks through my eyes. Every time I take a photo like this, it hurts, but through imagery I can inspire millions of people to understand sharks and their situation and make a difference.”
Alex Mustard described the shot as “a stunning, story-telling image, with four men hauling this huge ocean predator onto land. The light is beautiful, the composition immersive and the timing, capturing the fisherman’s gesture, is perfect.
“Although an everyday occurrence and legal in most places, the man reaching out to stop the photo reveals what his conscience reckons on what they are doing. Powerful photography.”
(Taken with a Canon CANON R5 + EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM + EF to RF Mount. f/5.6, 1/6400th, ISO 1000)
Save Our Seas Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year Runner-up
This picture was taken in Mexico’s Baja California Sur, where the corpse of a sea turtle offers a window into life and death in the open ocean. “The gashes across the turtle’s carapace offered clear evidence that it perished due to a boat strike – an unnatural death and a poignant reminder that these animals must share the ocean with an ever-growing human presence,” said Spiers.
“Even in death, however, the turtle became a vessel for life. Far out at sea, every bit of flotsam, whether natural or man-made, becomes a form of inverted life-raft. Small fish use any structure they can find to hide from predators. Here, the decomposing corpse of the turtle has been rapidly adopted as a refuge by juvenile fish.”
“This is a stark, on-message subject in its own right but the upward angle creates visually impressive reflections topped by the delicate surface reveal,” said Rowlands. “An image with so much visual detail but only one message. Perfect and awful in equal measures.”
(Taken with a Nikon D850 + Nikonos 13mm, Nauticam housing, natural light. f/22, 1/500th, ISO 800)
Also on Divernet: Sub-ice whale skeleton shot brings UPY triumph, UPY celebrates 10 years of photo competition, Pink dolphin smile for Underwater Photographer of the Year, Whale shark triumph at UPY 2022, Sharks' Skylight brings UPY victory
