Elephant seal pups image wins Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026
Image by Matthew Smith, Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026. Image courtesy of UPY2026
Matty Smith from Australia has been named Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026. Smith’s photograph – Rockpool Rookies – triumphed over 7900 pictures entered by underwater photographers from around the world.
“Once their pups are weaned, elephant seal mothers abandon them ashore,” explains Smith whose winning image can be seen above. “I watched dozens clamber over one another in shallow rockpools, awkwardly learning to swim. On my very first evening, the sky ignited with colour and I captured a handful of frames before the light vanished. It was the defining moment of the long trip.”
Smith used a special dome that he built himself to capture the revealing under-over perspective, perfectly balancing his lighting on the pups’ fur with the setting sun.
Ocean babies dominate international categories
Ocean babies starred in several of the contest’s international categories including Clownfish Hatchout by Kazushige Horiguchi from Japan, which shows the moment anemonefish eggs hatch, with the parent watching on. “I have been photographing clownfish for over three years, but this single image is the only one that truly succeeds,” says Horiguchi, who won the Behaviour category.
Cecile Gabillon Barats, from France, won the Wide Angle category, sponsored by Scuba Finders, with her characterful portrait of a sperm whale calf.
Tom Shlesinger, from Israel, won the Coral Reefs category with a coral spawning the next generation. There is a tiny window to capture such an image as Shlesinger explains: “This coral spawns just once a year, on one specific night and just for a couple of minutes.” Shlesinger also risked a long exposure to show how the spawn was swept away by the water and to give the impression of a meteor shower.
Sam Blount from the United States was named PADI Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 for his photo Lunging Leopard.
“Leopard seals wield an astonishing array of dominance displays,” explained Blount. “This one put them all to use, darting around me with effortless power. Watching that massive mouth lined with sharp teeth charge straight toward me is a thrill I’ll never forget.”
Smartphone photography makes waves
The UPY Contest aims to promote underwater photography and in 2026 includes a Smartphone category to encourage more people to try making images underwater using the camera most people carry in their pocket – their phone. Jack Ho from China won the category, sponsored by DIVEVOLK, with The Roar, a photo of a yawning hairy frogfish taken with a Vivo phone.
“I found this well-camouflaged frogfish patiently lying in wait for prey on the sandy seabed in Indonesia,” says Ho. “I also waited patiently for at least 15 minutes to capture the moment it opened its huge mouth.”
The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK and celebrates underwater life in the UK.
Tom Ingram won the British Waters Macro category with Mum, showing a female octopus guarding her eggs in Cornwall.
“Octopus are the most dedicated parents. The female guards the eggs for many weeks, stops feeding and dies soon after she’s ensured they have safely hatched,” says Ingram.
Malaysian photographer Khaichuin Sim was named Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2026 with his photo Innocence Meets Tradition, depicting the annual pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands.
“Seen by locals as a cultural heritage and source of food, it is condemned globally for its brutality and impact on wildlife,” says Sim. “A young boy sits atop a slain whale amid blood-red waters, a haunting reflection of how tradition, identity and ethics collide.”
Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from all around the world. In 2026 the contest attracted 7934 underwater pictures and is truly international, with the awarded photographers coming from 28 different countries. The contest was first run in 1965 and details of previous winners can be found on its website.
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