An image of a pair of southern elephant seal pups has won the Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026 contest.
Matty Smith, from Australia, took the photo in a rockpool on the Falkland Islands. Titled ‘Rockpool Rookies’, it depicts two pups who must learn how to navigate the world by themselves.
“Once their pups are weaned, elephant seal mothers abandon them ashore,” explained Smith.
“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,” added chair of the judging panel, marine ecologist Dr Alex Mustard.
This year’s contest received almost 8,000 entries from photographers around the world. The UPY contest is based in the UK and celebrates marine life there, although submitted images can be taken anywhere in the world.
Take a look at some of the category winners below.
Warning: This article contains images some may find distressing.
Cecile says of this image: "As a tour leader and photographer in Dominica, I was fortunate to experience a truly magical encounter with a curious juvenile sperm whale. We entered the water at a respectful distance alongside the mother and her calf, watching as the mother prepared to dive in search of food, leaving her youngster at the surface. Almost immediately, the calf spun around and approached us, coming remarkably close, mouth wide open to reveal his emerging teeth, rolling playfully upside down. It seemed he was eager to interact... Over the years, I’ve photographed sperm whales countless times for documentaries and a feature film, but this unforgettable moment will always hold a special place in my heart. - Credit: Cecile Gabillon Barats/UPY2026
Calm at the Heart of Turmoil by SeongCheol Cho – Macro category winner
"While diving in Tulamben with my guide, Jaye, I encountered a commensal shrimp living within a naturally spiralling whip coral," explains SeongCheol. "Something I had long hoped to see. The coral’s deep, rich green formed a striking nest for the brightly coloured shrimp resting inside. By introducing red and blue light against the green coral, I wanted to create a sense of intense beauty combined with visual turbulence, while expressing the shrimp’s stillness at the centre." - Credit: SeongCheol Cho/UPY2026
The Guns of the Nagato by Niclas Andersson – Wrecks category winner
Nagato was sunk as a target for the Operation Crossroads nuclear weapon tests, conducted by the United States in 1946 at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Niclas says: "This image was carefully staged by a four-person team to maximise safety and reduce silt, since visibility can be limited and particles stir easily." Today, access to Bikini Atoll is highly restricted due to radiation levels. - Credit: Niclas Andersson/UPY2026
Clownfish Hatchout by Kazushige Horiguchi – Behaviour category winner
This was an extremely well-timed shot, as Kazushige explains. "This photograph captures the exact moment clownfish eggs hatch in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. In the late afternoon, my close friend told me that the eggs would hatch that day... Holding a snoot in one hand, I carefully controlled the light so that it illuminated only the clownfish and their newborn larvae, allowing them to stand out against the darkness. I have been photographing clownfish for over three years and pressed the shutter countless times that day, but this single image is the only one that truly succeeded." - Credit: Kazushige Horiguchi/UPY2026
Rockpool Rookies by Matty Smith – Portrait category and overall winner
On his winning image, Matty says: "On Sea Lion Island in the Falklands, I watched dozens of elephant seal pups clamber over one another in shallow rockpools, awkwardly learning to swim, and quite engaging to my presence. I’d come here for this moment, to witness and photograph their first solo lessons in life. On the very first evening of my arrival, the sky ignited with colour. I donned my dry suit and rushed into the water, capturing a handful of frames before the light vanished. It turned out to be the defining moment of the trip, and I’m glad I didn’t hesitate." - Credit: Matthew Smith/UPY2026
Underwater Meteor Shower by Dr. Tom Shlesinger – Corals category winner
Dr Tom explains: "Like clockwork, thousands of corals across hundreds of kilometers synchronise to release egg-and-sperm bundles into the open sea. Capturing this fleeting event is exceptionally challenging: it occurs only once a year, on a specific night of a particular month, within a narrow window of just minutes. Using a slow shutter speed as waves break and sweep the buoyant bundles upward transforms the scene into a colourful underwater meteor shower." - Credit: Dr. Tom Shlesinger/UPY2026
Coral Window by Shunsuke Nakano – Black & White category winner
This image was taken in the waters off the coast of Sado Island, Japan. Shunsuke explains: "Light enters the wreck through a window, a square cut into history and now taken over by life. Choosing to shoot in black and white, I am inviting the viewer to contrast the thick, straight manmade lines with the delicate and intricate patterns of nature. Gorgonians fan outward like frozen breath, turning rust into art. Between them, a lone wrasse punctuates the frame, providing movement in an otherwise still composition." - Credit: Shunsuke Nakano/UPY2026
Lunging Leopard by Sam Blount – Up & Coming category winner
Sam says: "For years, the leopard seal topped my Antarctic wish list, a predator I dreamed of encountering face to face. I have to say, this dive was everything I could have hoped for: clear water, good lighting and a playful seal. Leopard seals wield an astonishing array of dominance displays, and 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." - Credit: Sam Blount/UPY2026
Alpine Lookout by Andrea Michelutti – Compact category winner
Andrea took this image in Lake Cornino, in northeastern Italy. They explain "Life is sparse [in the lake], but I spotted a freshwater crayfish among the aquatic plants. Impetuous, it swam toward me until it was touching my wet lens. With the housing too low to use the LCD, I had to shoot blind, holding the camera in one hand and one strobe in the other. I turned off my second strobe, positioning the remaining light above the dome for natural top-down illumination. The composition I'd planned for years is built on the transition from green vegetation to deep blue water, with mountain peaks framed in Snell's Window." - Credit: Andrea Michelutti/UPY2026
The Roar by Jack Ho – Mobile Phone category winner
"While shooting on the sandy seabed at 15 meters in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, I found this well-camouflaged frogfish patiently lying in wait for prey," says photographer Jack Ho. "I waited for at least 15 minutes. To get a clean shot against the messy background, I aimed a macro light at its head to capture the split second it opened its huge mouth. Luckily, I got the perfect moment." - Credit: Jack Ho/UPY2026
A Meeting of Giants by Evan Johnston – British Waters Wide Angle category winner
This image of multiple basking sharks was taken in the Hebridean sea, off the coast of Scotland. Evan Johnston says: "What started out with two large sharks feeding at the surface turned into three, then four, then five over the course of the day. At some point most of the sharks had gone, and after watching the last tail fade away, I turned around and was greeted with the image here. These sharks had stopped feeding and formed a tight shoal, before breaking off and swimming in slow rhythmic circles, eventually spiralling off into the deep. This behaviour is known as a Torus and is thought to be a courtship behaviour and the precursor to mating – although that remains a mystery." - Credit: Evan Johnston/UPY2026
Mum by Tom Ingram – British Waters Macro category winner
Tom took this image of an octopus at Porthkerris Beach, off Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula. Tom explains: "I wanted to capture a female's final act of selflessness, as after she lays her eggs she diligently guards, cleans and wafts oxygen rich water over them to keep them healthy. During this time, which can last for several months, she doesn’t leave their side not even to feed herself, and once the eggs hatch she will sadly die. In this bittersweet and quite poignant time I spent with her, I wanted to try and capture the narrative of her final few weeks by shooting her face on, and encircling her offspring in the background." - Credit: Tom Ingram/UPY2026
Life Under the Pier by Valerie Reid – British Waters Living Together category winner
Valerie says: "Last summer, I was fortunate to dive in my native west coast of Scotland after many years, and this pier dive was a particular highlight. I managed to find a pile where the dead man’s fingers soft coral had its polyps out... I was delighted to capture this magnificent scene of British marine life, and especially thankful to UPY judges awarding my image as the winner! I dedicate this image to the late Martin Edge, who taught and inspired me to appreciate the photographic opportunities under piers and jetties." - Credit: Valerie Reid/UPY2026
This image, taken by Khaichuin Sim, depicts the Grindadráp, the controversial annual pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands. Khaichuin says of this image, “In this poignant scene, a young boy sits atop a slain whale amid blood-red waters, a haunting reflection of how tradition, identity, and ethics collide. It captures not just a moment, but a generational question: what should be preserved, and what should change?”. Many organisations around the world have called for an end to the hunt, which the Faroe Islands claims provides a valuable, sustainable food source. In a 2023 press statement, the Government of the Faroe Islands wrote that “the practice of hunting pilot whales is regulated by law and organised to ensure the safety of participants and compliance with animal welfare legislation” and is “based on scientific research and continued monitoring”. - Credit: Khaichuin Sim/UPY2026
Crowded House by Natalie Yarrow – Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2026
Natalie took this image in Bali, Indonesia. "Peering into the crevices of this vibrant barrel sponge, I could see several dark figures moving around like shadow puppets," Natalie says. "This turned out to be a large colony of hinge-beak shrimps, living together in very close quarters! I would like to thank my guide, Wix (Scuba Seraya), for finding these shrimps for me, and also for taking me back to the same spot a second time as I liked them so much, which resulted in my getting this shot." - Credit: Natalie Yarrow/UPY2026
Sophie is the content creator for discoverwildlife.com and its sister title countryfile.com. She manages the Q+A section of BBC Wildlife and covers the latest natural history TV and film releases.
