The 2025 Underwater Photographer of the 12 months Award winners have been introduced. Their pictures showcase the breathtaking magnificence and fragility of life beneath the waves. Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero claimed the celebrated title along with his gorgeous {photograph} Radiant Bond, which captures the tender second between a mom humpback whale and her new child calf within the waters of French Polynesia.
The successful picture was chosen from over 6,750 entries submitted by photographers throughout 28 international locations, and judges say it stood out for its emotional depth and technical brilliance. Alongside Herrero, winners from Japan, Kuwait, america, South Korea, and the UK had been acknowledged throughout numerous classes, every providing a singular perspective on marine life, conservation, and the artistry of underwater pictures. Listed here are the remainder of the successful photographs.
Underwater Photographer of the 12 months 2025
Vast Angle and UPOTY 2025 Winner: Alvaro Herrero, Spain
“Radiant Bond”
A mom humpback whale accompanies her calf to the floor for its first breath early within the morning. The teenager is releasing a couple of bubbles because it rises, maybe it’s because it’s nonetheless studying to manage its respiratory, or it’s merely experimenting with its personal physique.
Yearly, in the course of the southern winter, I journey to French Polynesia to {photograph} these majestic animals. My favorite time of day is the early morning, as a result of the sunshine is tender and angled, permitting me to seek out the right angle to obviously outline the form of those animals in blue. For me, this picture is one which exhibits a mom’s love for her calf, speaking each the fragility and great thing about our oceans, and revealing one of many superb species with whom we share our residence world.
Macro
Winner: Paolo Bondaschi, Italy
“Magic backlit”
On the finish of this dive, I noticed a few underwater photographers centered on capturing and it piqued my curiosity about what they had been photographing. I signalled to my information to examine what they had been capturing. After realizing that it was one in all my favorite topics, a furry shrimp, I waited patiently for my flip and used the time to plan and put together for the shot. I selected to shoot it in profile, backlight with a snoot. My information and my buddy performed a elementary position in expertly managing the sunshine of the snoot. After a couple of check pictures to seek out the appropriate setting, I lastly received the picture I used to be searching for.
Wrecks
Winner: Alex Dawson, Sweden
“Deep wreck”
The wreck sits on the reef at round 104m depth. When she sank she received wedged between the reef wall and a small reef so there’s a swim by beneath the wreck. We did 25 min backside time and about 2 1/2 hours of deco to provide this picture.
Behaviour
Winner: Shunsuke Nakano, Japan
“Face Off”
This can be a picture of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse preventing. The distinctive type of this species is attribute of males, who type harems and declare territories in the course of the breeding season. The one on the left within the picture is the harem king, who has defended his territory for greater than 10 years and is estimated to be over 30 years outdated, whereas the one on the appropriate is a younger challenger.
Though I had deliberate fastidiously to seize the pictures, the 2024 season was tougher to foretell than regular, and regardless of staying there for every week in the course of the breeding season, I used to be solely in a position to observe this scene as soon as, for simply 10 seconds. And this was the one {photograph} I used to be in a position to take. The sight of them preventing of their flashy white outfits was so magnificent I can nonetheless bear in mind it vividly.
Portrait
Winner: Abdulaziz Al Saleh, Kuwait
“Hydration”
I had the thought of photographing the camels consuming water for about one and half a years. I needed to {photograph} them consuming water from the underwater perspective as a result of I didn’t see any photographs exhibiting this. The climate was a vital, and it took me a number of weeks to get the absolute best pictures.
The primary week the camels had been a bit hesitant to drink water whereas my digital camera was beneath the water and solely few gathered to drink, which isn’t what i needed. However after a number of days the camels had already accepted to me and my tools. After my first week of capturing the Camels, I modified to digital synch cords for my strobes as an alternative of fibre-optic cables due to issues. And eventually the pictures got here collectively.
Coral Reefs
Winner: Catherine Holmes, UK
“Kaleidoscope of Color”
Raja Ampat, Indonesia, is a magical vacation spot the place the color, magnificence, biodiversity and dense fish life can virtually be an overload on the senses- a celebration of wholesome reef life. I used to be fortunate to seek out excellent situations with clear water and education baitfish swirling amongst the canyons of a big coral bommie, adorned with verdant tender corals.
I aimed to seize the reef teeming with life and color to encourage us all to guard this beneficial habitat. All all over the world, our oceans, and particularly the coral reefs, are beneath risk. They’re important habitat for the myriad of species they assist, and important for the oceans well being. Local weather change, air pollution, overfishing and damaging fishing all threaten this setting, and the devastating outcomes are seen worldwide with bleached and dying reefs, with dwindling fish life. Consciousness is crucial to guard and maintain these treasured environments for the long run.
Black and White
Winner: Enric Gener, Spain
“Chasing Dolphins”
This picture was captured within the northern Pink Sea throughout a freediving expedition in quest of bottlenose dolphins. The second portrays an intimate mating ritual, the place a number of males—4 seen within the image, although others had been close by—had been playfully chasing a feminine. It was a dynamic and ritualistic show, with the males participating in pleasant skirmishes and sometimes mating with the feminine, their our bodies becoming a member of briefly for just some seconds. Notably, the feminine was not making an attempt to flee; she actively participated, taking part in alongside and ready for them. The complete group swam gracefully and at a gradual, deliberate tempo, making a mesmerizing underwater scene.
Up and Coming
Winner: Ruruka, Korea
“Aurora Underwater”
I first travelled to Cancun, Mexico, for a shoot two years in the past, and since then, I’ve been captivated by its appeal. Lately, I discover myself visiting Cancun continuously. From the place I reside, it’s a really lengthy journey – about 24 hours by airplane – however this place completely aligns with the route of my pictures and provides quite a lot of capturing alternatives. To seize this specific picture, I visited in the course of the wet summer time season and labored with a neighborhood Korean information as my mannequin.
Compact
Winer: Bryant Turffs, USA
“The Fantastic thing about the Swamp”
I captured this picture at one in all my favorite areas inside the Everglades ecosystem. Traditionally, I primarily dove in saltwater, however I’ve change into enamoured by this foreboding setting, with clear waters, gentle filtering by cypress timber, and the fish species, each native and launched. I’ve revisited this spot many instances making an attempt to seize numerous topics and the sunshine good.
The water ranges fluctuate considerably, typically utterly drying, throughout totally different instances of 12 months. The fish species are in fixed flux, and this location is commonly dominated by exotics. Sarcastically, on this event, I hadn’t invested an excessive amount of thought and I used to be having fun with the surroundings when this Florida Gar positioned itself completely within the body of my GoPro.
British Waters Vast Angle
Winner: David Alpert, UK
“The Curious Seal”
North Devon is definitely one of the crucial lovely coastlines in Britain. Excessive jagged cliffs pounded by an unforgiving sea. With the second highest tide change on the planet, the outgoing present whips up in opposition to waves and wind rolling in from the North Atlantic. Stand again and marvel.
Diving home windows are restricted so I primarily based myself within the space for 2 months final 12 months, exploring totally different areas. This shot exhibits a gray seal off Lundy Island, a marine protected space since 1973. Seals are delightfully curious creatures, extra interactive than another species I’ve dived with all over the world. Briefly, I change into one of many privileged few, crossing the bridge into the world of a sentient wild animal.
British Waters Macro
Winner: Dan Bolt, UK
“The Hitch Hiker”
Sometimes in my time beneath the water I’ve come throughout this medusa ‘Neoturris pileata’ within the open water however had not taken an honest picture of 1. On this event nevertheless, my buddy and I had been particularly focusing on them and different comparable creatures to attempt to discover the thought of UK ‘blackwater’ photographic alternatives.
Of the various, many(!), photographs I took that day, this one revealed a larval crustacean inside the bell of this medusa. The frames both aspect of this seize really present that the larval crab (or lobster) is definitely on the surface of the bell, however on this instantaneous it was completely on the alternative aspect from me and therefore the impact of being contained inside the clear physique.
Britsh Waters Residing Collectively
Winner: Dan Bolt, UK
“Rusty Haven”
This photographs exhibits nature’s potential to make one of the best of a nasty scenario. The iron block and heavy chain are literally holding a small barge in-place on the floor the place native scallop divers retailer their tools. The barge itself is a floating reef system all of it personal, and the anchor blocks have attracted many species too.
I used to be really practising for a distinct underwater pictures competitors after I took this shot. For a few days earlier than an on-the-day ‘splash in’ competitors, this crab was persistently on this place, or very shut by. Sadly on the day it was no-where to be seen! Fortunately for me although that meant I used to be in a position to make use of my observe pictures for UPY!
‘Save Our Seas Basis’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the 12 months
Winner: Robert Marc Lehmann, Germany
“1 / 200.000.000”
This tiger shark is only one of round 200 million sharks that lose their lives yearly by the hands of people.
Since I used to be six years outdated (35 years+), I’ve been intensively finding out sharks. In all these years, hardly something has modified and that’s irritating. Sharks defend their habitat, the ocean, by their ecological perform as “well being police”.
Over a billion individuals rely on the ocean every single day and all of us breathe the oxygen that’s largely produced within the sea. If we proceed to eradicate the animals that guard our largest and most vital habitat, we’re taking away our personal livelihood. And that’s why I’ve been preventing for individuals to see and perceive sharks by my eyes. Each time I take a photograph like this, it hurts, however by imagery I can encourage tens of millions of individuals to know sharks and their scenario and make a distinction.
All of the successful photographs and runners up might be considered on the competitors web site.
