Underwater Photographer of the Year, the prestigious British photo competition that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers, and even swimming pools, has announced its 2023 winners!
Today, the competition attracts entries from all over the world. For this edition, the jury received 6,000 photos submitted by photographers from 72 different countries. It includes 13 categories and challenges photographers with themes such as macro, wide angle, behavior, and wreck photography, as well as British photographers. This year’s jury was composed of big names in the field: Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich, and Alexander Mustard.
THE AMAZON PINK DOLPHIN JUDGED BEST UNDERWATER PHOTO Of the Year
A half-air, half-water photo of a pink river dolphin at the surface of the Amazon, taken by American photographer Kat Zhou, earned her the title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023.
Her photo « Boto Encantado » perfectly depicts this endangered species, whose numbers decrease year by year. Local residents have a legend that river dolphins, or « botos, » can transform into handsome men known as « boto encantado » to seduce women.
« Although I didn’t witness the transformation, I was enchanted by these magnificent mammals. After seeing how botos sometimes poked their beaks above the water, I wanted to take a half-air, half-water photo at sunset. As the water was dark, I triggered my camera blindly, and this dolphin gave me the perfect pose and smile » explains Kat Zhou.
« As more people settled in the Amazon, river dolphins began living near human populations« , she adds, « many river dolphins have been killed to serve as fish bait, drowned in nets or poisoned by mercury pollution from mining activities. I fear that one day botos will truly be nothing more than mythical creatures« .
The president of the competition’s jury, Alex Mustard, declared: « At first glance, it’s simple, but it’s simply perfect. In dark, tannic waters, Kat created a striking composition capturing this rarely photographed and threatened mammal in a precise composition. It is by far the best image we have ever seen of this species, whose numbers are declining at an alarming rate and whose status on the IUCN Red List was ominously raised to ‘endangered’ in 2019. »
« It is fitting that the Amazon, as the world’s most powerful river, produced our grand winner« , adds Alex Mustard. « The ‘Underwater Photographer of the Year’ competition aims to celebrate underwater photography in all its diversity, and we are thrilled that the winning images this year come from the poles, the tropics, all corners of the oceans, and renowned freshwater bodies such as the Amazon River and Lake Baikal. Being more than just a nature competition, we even have winners shot in swimming pools« .
Photographer of the Year 2023 – Kat Zhou (USA
British Photographer of the Year 2023 – Ollie Clarke (Australia)
« The whale sharks of Ningaloo are often accompanied by bait balls like this one, where small fish use the shark as a floating shelter. But this one was huge, much denser, and with many more fish than usual, so I was really excited to photograph it. The shark seemed fed up and was trying to shake off the swarm. It dived steeply and immediately resurfaced tail flapping, but the fish just swirled even more around him, barely able to see through the bait ball! I hoped to spend some time photographing this shark, but after a few ups and downs, it disappeared into the depths of the Indian Ocean, an encounter I will never forget« .
Judge’s comments:
« For me, it’s about the predator and prey. Whale sharks are sometimes mistakenly viewed as plankton eaters, but they are also active predators of schools of small fish. Ollie’s superb image is perfectly timed with the moment the shark leaps, transforming from harmless escort to hunter, mouth engulfing its prey« .
Alex Mustard
British Promising Photographer of the Year 2023 – Theo Vickers (United Kingdom)
« Sunlight filters through a marine jungle of Himanthalia algae on the reefs of the Needles Marine Conservation Zone. The purple-tipped tentacles of sea anemones (Anemonia viridis) emerge from the forest floor. The striking rock formations of the Needles on the Isle of Wight attract nearly 500,000 visitors a year. Yet, like many British marine habitats, the beauty and biodiversity of the island’s limestone reefs, which lie below, from nudibranchs and rays to cuttlefish and cuckoo wrasse, are largely unknown to most people. Exploring the shallower reefs one summer evening, my mission was to capture a wide-angle image documenting this amazing local habitat, combining both the towering forests above and the anemones ruling the floor below. After several unsatisfactory attempts, I came upon this ravine full of snakelocks, and descending into the forest below, I found the composition I was looking for. »
Judge’s comments:
« What an amazing image! This magical and mystical atmosphere is simply explosive. A very good example of what can be achieved even with a small camera and a good artistic eye! The blurry foreground even gives you the impression that you’re in a tiny little world, looking up through the grass. Very well done! The only slight drawback is the sun’s brightness, which is a bit too bright« .
Tobias Friedrich
Ocean Protection Foundation « Save Our Seas » Photographer of the Year – Alvaro Herrero (Spain)
« A humpback whale dies a slow, painful, agonizing death after becoming entangled in ropes and buoys, rendering its tail completely useless. A reflection of the suffering not only of our oceans but also our planet, a product of human selfishness and lack of responsibility. Taking this photo was, for me, the saddest moment I’ve ever experienced in the ocean. Especially because I’ve spent so much time with humpback whales underwater, experiencing eye contact, interactions, and seeing firsthand that they are sentient and intelligent beings. But I’m « happy » to be able to capture this moment and show the world what’s happening, what we are doing. I really hope this image will raise awareness, open our eyes, and inspire us to make real changes« .
Judge’s comments:
« What an astonishing image and what a message it delivers. I cannot imagine the sadness of discovering this poor whale, but it’s also a good decision to take some images to raise awareness among the public. For me, it was clear from the start that this image is the category winner. Well done ».
Tobias Friedrich
Wide angle
1st place – J. Gregory Sherman (USA)
« My dive partner and I chartered a boat to reach Stingray City on Grand Cayman before dawn to capture the morning light and the unbroken sand ripples. Just as the sun broke the horizon, a line of southern stingrays swam straight toward me, and I captured this image as they glided over the sand. Using a large dome port enabled me to create a split image showing the intensely colored dawn sky contrasting with the nearly monochromatic rays and sand beneath the surface chop« .
Judge’s comments:
« The planning and early start were rewarded by the perfect behavior of the rays and the dynamic capture of a spectacular sky. This image rightly went all the way to the end as a possible overall winner. A week after the judging, I loved looking at this image again ».
Peter Rowlands
2nd place – Andy Schmid (Switzerland)
3rd place – Rafael Fernandez Caballero (Spain)
Macro
1st place – Shane Gross (Canada)
« Walking along a rocky shore, I peeked under rocks with a probe lens and my camera’s LCD screen to check for midshipman nests. Once the nest was found, I lay on the barnacle-covered rocks, cutting my elbows, trying to compose images of fish most people have never heard of, yet they have one of the most interesting life cycles of any animal. It’s a deep-water fish that comes to the intertidal zone to spawn. The male sings to attract the female and she will lay eggs as his song deserves before moving to the next singer. Now, the male has a chance to fertilize the eggs, but only if he isn’t outdone by a sneaker male who looks like a female. The singer male will then guard the nest, unaware that the offspring might not be his. Drama!«
Judge’s comments:
« A school of embryonic fish still attached to both the seabed and their egg sacs. A secretive image revealing another incredible glimpse into life at sea. »
Alex Mustard
2nd place – Sage Ono (USA)
3rd place – Kat Zhou (USA)
Wrecks
1st place – Brett Eldridge (USA)
« We were scanning a seabed in June when we saw a very small but promising sonar spot at 230 feet deep. I geared up and jumped in hoping to find something special. After some searching, my heart raced when I first saw the propeller of a nearly intact World War II single-engine aircraft! It was an F8F-1 Bearcat, a rare aircraft that Neil Armstrong once said was his favorite and described as ‘an engine with a saddle.’ Alone on the first dive, with limited bottom time, I took enough photos to build a ‘provisional’ model and identify the wreck. Needing a better photogrammetric model for the UPY contest and with deadlines approaching fast, I booked December 19 and crossed my fingers. Fortunately, we had epic conditions and I got the photos I needed. It was my last dive of 2022 ».
Judge’s comments:
« Underwater photogrammetry, which creates a three-dimensional panorama of the subject, is a recent technique in underwater photography that has proven incredibly useful for studying reefs and wrecks. It allows scholars to study in detail, measure, and visualize the underwater world without descending there. Yet, Brett’s image also reveals how visually appealing these images can be too, rewriting the rules of underwater wreck photography, and offering the world the first view of this fighter plane that sank during World War II« .
Alex Mustard
2nd place – Nicolai Posininsky (Germany)
3rd place – René B. Andersen (Denmark)
Animal Behavior
1st place – Yury Ivanov (Indonesia)
« A pair of coconut octopuses ‘making love’ (mating). I knew I could find this octopus species on one of the dive sites near the village of Tulamben (Bali, Indonesia), and they are only active there at night. I only dive there after 7 PM hoping to photograph something unique – their mating. I did over 30 night dives at this site and finally got lucky. The photo shows the end of their love. »
Judge’s comments:
« An absolutely incredible moment, perfectly photographed. This image highlights that patience and knowledge of an animal results in a winning shot. It was immediately clear to all judges that this picture would go far in the competition the moment we saw it. Very well done and executed ».
Tobias Friedrich
2nd place – Wojciech Dopierala (Poland)
3rd place – Bryant Turffs (USA)
Portrait
1st place – Suliman Alatiqi (Kuwait)
« The elephant’s trunk is one of the most distinctive anatomical features in the natural world, and this photo aims to showcase it. By chance, it was curious about my camera and was happy to feel it, giving me the chance to capture this perspective despite otherwise poor conditions for an overhead shot (choppy water and poor visibility). On my initial attempts, the nostrils were not fully illuminated due to their proximity to the lens (which was necessary for the desired photographic effect). I therefore returned at a precise moment when I thought the sun angle would be optimal, and I managed to illuminate them fully. It added much more detail to the key part of the image, without which the photo wouldn’t have been as effective« .
Judge’s comments:
« There is an irresistible charisma in this composition that pleases the crowd. In this joyful setting, a domesticated Indian elephant cools off in the sea and curiously dips its trunk below the surface to examine Suliman’s underwater camera« .
Alex Mustard
2nd place – Rafael Fernandez Caballero (Spain)
3rd place – Thomas Heckmann (Germany)
Black and White
1st place – Don Silcock (Australia)
« The image was taken on the final morning of a five-day trip to the Valdes Peninsula in Argentina, in August 2022, under a special permit allowing us to enter the water with southern right whales that gather there between June and December each year. The mother, visible in the background, accepted our presence and allowed the calf to interact with us. It was very playful, careful not to hit us with its tail, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the interaction – almost as much as we did! White calves are very rare and are locally called ‘El Blanco’ or the white one! The Valdes Peninsula is an incredibly important refuge and breeding ground for southern Atlantic right whales, and Argentina has done an excellent job managing it. It was, without a doubt, my best underwater experience!«
Judge’s comments:
« This is an absolutely incredible example of how black and white images should be used. I cannot imagine it being done better – and the encounter must have been truly breathtaking! A well-deserved winner of this category!«
Tobias Friedrich
2nd place -Victor Huertas (Australia)
3rd place – Fabrice Guérin (France)
Compact Camera
1st place – Enrico Somogyi (Germany)
« While snorkeling in Marsa Alam, I saw countless Klunzinger wrasse. One was particularly curious and very interested in my lens. I got some good classic wide-angle photographs. After a while, I thought it would be a good idea to try a long exposure. So I set my camera to the smallest aperture f11, the ISO value to 64, and the exposure time to 1/13s. For this photo, I moved the camera forward a bit while the shutter was triggered. This created the zoom effect in the lower part of the image. I was very pleased with the result« .
Judge’s comments:
« A smart image that plays to the camera’s strengths and produces a final result that most larger cameras would be proud of ».
Peter Rowlands
2nd place – Takeshi Iioka (Japan)
3rd place – James Rokop (United States)
Promising Photographer
1st place – Kat Zhou (United States)
Judges’ comments:
« This is a perfectly timed and composed image of a distinct but rarely well-photographed subject, which allowed it to stand out early on. Like a chef reducing their sauce, this powerful image improved with each viewing and surpassed the very high-quality images this contest attracts. A joy to behold » – Peter Rowlands
« At first glance simple, then simply perfect. In dark, tannic waters, Kat created a striking composition capturing this vulnerable and rarely photographed species at the perfect moment. I love the almost monochromatic burnt orange color palette of the pink dolphin, photographed in brown waters and framed by the setting sun. This is by far the best image we have ever seen of this species » – Alex Mustard
« Wow – perhaps the best image of a river dolphin I’ve ever seen. I also love split shots and this image perfectly serves its purpose. It works in all disciplines: Wide angle, portrait, and behavior at the same time. The dolphin’s gaze and pose are just perfect – congratulations to Kat for achieving that! » – Tobias Friedrich
2nd place – Ollie Clarke (Australia)
3rd place – Barney Smith (United Kingdom)
Wide angle British waters
1st place – Theo Vickers (United Kingdom)
2nd place – MNimmo (United Kingdom)
3rd place – Nicholas More (United Kingdom)
Macro British waters
1st place – Kirsty Andrews (United Kingdom)
« I have long admired photos of nudibranchs feeding on egg coils of other species around the world. I had seen this species of nudibranch, Favorinus branchialis, before and knew it fed this way, but I had never seen it in action until recently. I was thrilled to find three large specimens feeding on a large egg coil in Shetland, Scotland. The eggs were several inches in diameter, forming a wide spiral, and the challenge was to isolate an attractive composition of eggs and nudibranchs« .
Judge’s comments:
« What a beautiful and clean composition of these nudibranchs. From the start, this image caught my attention and I knew it had every chance of winning this category. It is not only a macro, but also a portrait, with a behavioral element as well. What more could one wish for? Very well done and congratulations!«
Tobias Friedrich
2nd place – MNimmo (United Kingdom)
3rd prize – Ryan Stalker (UK)
Living Together – British waters
1st prize – Dan Bolt (UK)
« We first became interested in this Loch Fyne site for the fields of fire anemones, but equally interesting was an old pipe that had this patterned concrete protective coating all along its length. This shallow artificial reef housed many different species, including large langoustines (Nephrops norvegicus) that seemed undisturbed by my presence« .
Judge’s comments:
« A seabed structure makes the perfect habitat for marine life and an excellent recreational dive site. The composition perfectly balances the langoustine with the diver as it moves over this intriguing structure« .
Alex Mustard
2nd prize – Lukasz Jan Kowalski (UK)
3rd prize – Henley Spiers (UK)
Compact Camera – British waters
1st prize – Tony Reed (UK)
« For several weeks I returned to this spot on Crack rock to capture an image of this blenny. He was caring for his eggs in the crevice and I was trying to capture the moment when the eggs were hatching. Being very curious, he kept moving to get closer to the camera, until he came so close that I took a few shots. I didn’t stay too long as I didn’t want to have any negative or harmful effects on the parents’ behavior. It’s great to see an increase in the number of blennies around Torbay over the past two years« .
Judge’s comments:
« These blennies are relatively new to our shores and I can’t believe a blenny has ever been captured so perfectly as this before. What a portrait!«
Alex Mustard
2nd prize – James Lynott (UK)
3rd prize – Tony Reed (UK)
Save Our Seas Foundation for Marine Conservation
1st prize – Alvaro Herrero (Spain)
2nd prize – David Alpert (UK)
3rd prize – Celia Kujala (USA)
Opening Image British Photographer of the Year 2023. © Ollie Clarke/UPY 2023