The Underwater Photographer of the Year competition celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from around the globe. There are thirteen categories with themes such as macro, wide angle, and wreck photography. British photographer, Phil Smith was the first Underwater Photographer of the Year, awarded in 1965.
A South American sea lion in the giant kelp forests of the Falkland Islands, which was third in the portrait category of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition. Patrick Webster/UPY 2025
The winning photograph
Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero was named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025, whose photograph “Radiant Bond” shows the special relationship between a mother humpback whale and her newborn calf.
The photo was taken in French Polynesia and triumphed over 6,750 images entered by underwater photographers from around the world.
A mother humpback whale accompanies her calf to the surface for its first breath early in the morning. Winner: Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025. Alvaro Herrero/UPY 2025
His photo shows “a mother’s love and communicates the beauty and fragility of life in our ocean”, the competition’s organisers said.
Contest judge Peter Rowlands said: “This delicate yet powerful study of a mother and calf’s bond says all that is great and good about our world. We face our challenges, but the increasing populations of humpback whales worldwide shows what can be achieved.”
Two male Asian sheepshead wrasse fighting, which won the action category in the competition. Shunsuke Nakano/UPY 2025
A winning image in the British Waters Living Together category of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition, taken at Loch Carron. Dan Bolt/UPY 2025.
The gallery of all 130 underwater images from the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 can be viewed online.