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The 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year Award winners have been announced. Their photographs showcase the breathtaking beauty and fragility of life beneath the waves. Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero claimed the prestigious title with his stunning photograph Radiant Bond, which captures the tender moment between a mother humpback whale and her newborn calf in the waters of French Polynesia.
The winning image was selected from over 6,750 entries submitted by photographers across 28 countries, and judges say it stood out for its emotional depth and technical brilliance. Alongside Herrero, winners from Japan, Kuwait, the United States, South Korea, and the UK were recognized across various categories, each offering a unique perspective on marine life, conservation, and the artistry of underwater photography. Here are the rest of the winning images.
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
Wide Angle and UPOTY 2025 Winner: Alvaro Herrero, Spain
“Radiant Bond”
A mother humpback whale accompanies her calf to the surface for its first breath early in the morning. The youngster is releasing a few bubbles as it rises, perhaps this is because it is still learning to control its breathing, or it is simply experimenting with its own body.
Every year, during the southern winter, I travel to French Polynesia to photograph these majestic animals. 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.
Macro
Winner: Paolo Bondaschi, Italy
“Magic backlit”
At the end of this dive, I spotted a couple of underwater photographers focused on shooting and it piqued my curiosity about what they were photographing. I signalled to my guide to check what they were shooting. After realizing 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, backlight 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.
Wrecks
Winner: Alex Dawson, Sweden
“Deep wreck”
The wreck sits on the reef at around 104m depth. When she sank she got wedged between the reef wall and a small reef so there is a swim through under the wreck. We did 25 min bottom time and about 2 1/2 hours of deco to produce this image.
Behaviour
Winner: Shunsuke Nakano, Japan
“Face Off”
This is a photo of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse fighting. The unique form of this species is characteristic of males, who form harems and claim territories during the breeding season. The one on the left in the photo 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 only able to observe this scene 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.
Portrait
Winner: Abdulaziz Al Saleh, Kuwait
“Hydration”
I had the idea of photographing the camels drinking water for about one and half a years. I wanted to photograph them drinking water from the underwater perspective because I did not see any images showing this. The weather was a 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 few gathered to drink, which is not what i wanted. But after several days the camels had already accepted to 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.
Coral Reefs
Winner: Catherine Holmes, UK
“Kaleidoscope of Colour”
Raja Ampat, Indonesia, is a magical destination where the colour, beauty, biodiversity and dense fish life can almost be an overload on the senses- a celebration of healthy reef life. I was lucky to find perfect conditions with clear water and schooling baitfish swirling amongst 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. All around the world, our oceans, and in particular the coral reefs, are under threat. They are vital habitat for the myriad of species they support, and critical for the oceans health. Climate change, pollution, overfishing and destructive fishing all threaten this environment, and the devastating outcomes are seen worldwide with bleached and dying reefs, with dwindling fish life. Awareness is essential to protect and sustain these precious environments for the future.
Black and White
Winner: Enric Gener, Spain
“Chasing Dolphins”
This image was captured in the northern Red Sea during a freediving expedition in search of bottlenose dolphins. 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 mesmerizing underwater scene.
Up and Coming
Winner: Ruruka, Korea
“Aurora Underwater”
I first travelled to Cancun, Mexico, for a shoot two years ago, and since then, I’ve been captivated by its charm. 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.
Compact
Winer: Bryant Turffs, USA
“The Beauty of the Swamp”
I captured this image at one of my favourite locations within the Everglades ecosystem. Historically, I primarily dove in saltwater, but I have become enamoured by this foreboding environment, with 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.
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.
British Waters Wide Angle
Winner: David Alpert, UK
“The Curious Seal”
North Devon is 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.
British Waters Macro
Winner: Dan Bolt, UK
“The Hitch Hiker”
Occasionally in my time under the water I have come across this medusa ‘Neoturris pileata’ in the open water but had not taken a decent photo of one. 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 this medusa. The frames either side of this capture actually 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 and hence the effect of being contained within the transparent body.
Britsh Waters Living Together
Winner: Dan Bolt, UK
“Rusty Haven”
This images shows nature’s ability to make the best of a bad situation. 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 it 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 no-where to be seen! Happily for me though that meant I was able to use my practice photos for UPY!
‘Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year
Winner: Robert Marc Lehmann, Germany
“1 / 200.000.000”
This tiger shark is just one of around 200 million sharks that lose their lives every year at the hands of humans.
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.
All the winning images and runners up can be viewed on the competition website.