Shark Photographer of the Year, the annual online contest run by UK-based charity the Shark Trust, opens for entries today (1 July), giving competitors a full two months to select their favourites.
Following what the trust says was the immense success of last year’s contest, SPotY 2026 marks the start of “Shark Month”, which also includes the charity’s Great Shark Snapshot annual initiative (see below) and Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.
The photo competition’s only categories are British Isles and Overseas, and photographers are asked to enter a portfolio of three images of sharks, skates, rays or chimaera for a chance to win the overall title and a shark-diving holiday, or to top one of those geographical categories to win a diving-equipment prize.
Images that strongly reflect the work of the Shark Trust might also be recognised by judges Charles Hood, Nick Robertson-Brown and Simon Rogerson.
Winning entries will be revealed during the trust’s For The Love Of Sharks live event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 27 November.
The entrant named Shark Photographer of the Year 2026 will enjoy a £1,600 trip to South Africa to dive shark sites such as Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks, with flights to and from the UK provided by Diverse Travel and accommodation and diving with Agulhas House Diving. Find the details here and enter by 31 August.
Great Shark Snapshot puts divers on alert
The Shark Trust lives for data, and welcomes input from front-line scuba divers and snorkellers year-round, but July will bring the week-long concentration of that effort it calls the Great Shark Snapshot.
Now in its fifth year, this citizen-science initiative is designed to encourage divers around the world to record any sharks and rays they spot during the period between 18 and 26 July inclusive.
Individuals, dive-clubs, dive-centres, charter boats and liveaboards are all encouraged to get involved by organising shark dives through the week and recording every shark, ray, skate or eggcase they see. Eggcase sightings under water are especially welcome because of their relative rarity.
The event is called a ‘Snapshot’ to reflect its function as a census, but while attaching images to reported sightings is optional, any photos or video footage that divers can provide will only enhance their observations.
Sightings can be recorded on the Shark Trust Shark Log recordings website, or by using the Shark Trust app. The Shark Log contains an ever-growing picture of species distribution and changes, making it a valuable resource for scientists.
In 2025 some 450 divers took part in the Great Shark Snapshot in 13 countries, recording more than 1,000 sharks and rays. The digital guide containing all relevant information about the week can be downloaded from the Shark Trust website.
