Breathtaking pictures of the underwater photographer of the year

Breathtaking pictures of the underwater photographer of the year

In 2025, the most impressive underwater photographs were awarded in the “Underwater Photographer of the Year” competition. Fighting fish, thirsty camels and hairy shrimps can be found among the winners.

winning photo: The connection between mother and calf

The Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero was chosen as overall winner. His outstanding picture shows the relationship between a humpback whale and its newborn calf and is entitled "Radiant Bond". Herrero achieved the impressive photo in French-Polynesia. In an explanation, Herrero expressed: "The mother accompanies her calf to the surface because the baby is so small and clumsy. The calf produces a few blowing under water, which shows that it still learns how to get air. For me, this photo shows the love of a mother and communicates the beauty and fragility of life in our oceans."

over 6,750 contributions and a powerful message

The picture prevailed against impressive 6,750 contributions this year. Peter Rowlands, one of the jurors of the competition, said: "This delicate but powerful study of the connection between mother and calf embodies everything big and good in our world. We face challenges, but the increasing populations of the humpback whales worldwide show what can be achieved."

category award winner and the history of the competition

The other winners include a photo of two male Asian sheep's sheep mackerel who struggle with each other, recorded by the Japanese photographer Shunsuke Nakano. The photo of camels that drink from the water perspective in the desert sand, captured by the Kuwaiti photographer Abdulaziz al Saleh, is also impressive. The competition took place for the first time in 1965 and interested participants from 13 different categories this year.

Review of the past winners

In 2024, Alex Dawson was awarded the overall winner for his image of Minkewal bones in the flat waters off the east coast of Greenland. And in 2023 the photo of the American Kat Zhou, which shows a river dolphin, or "Boto", who apparently poses for the camera at sunset, crowned as the winner of the competition.