Alvaro Herrero Named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
Spanish photographer Alvaro Herrero has been named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for his image Radiant Bond, which captures the connection between a mother humpback whale and her newborn calf. Taken in French Polynesia, the photograph was selected from 6,750 entries submitted by photographers worldwide.
“The mother is accompanying her calf to the surface, because the baby is still so small and clumsy,” explains Herrero. “The calf is releasing a few bubbles underwater, showing it is still learning to hold its breath properly. For me, this photo really shows a mother’s love and communicates the beauty and fragility of life in our ocean.”
Contest judge Peter Rowlands describes the image as “a delicate yet powerful study of a mother and calf’s bond,” adding, “we face our challenges, but the increasing populations of humpback whales worldwide show what can be achieved.”
Category Winners
Other category winners include Shunsuke Nakano from Japan, whose photograph Face Off captures two male Asian sheepshead wrasse competing for spawning rights. Abdulaziz Al Saleh from Kuwait won the Portrait category for Hydration, a perspective of camels drinking in the desert from beneath the water. Bryant Turffs from the United States won the Compact Cameras category with The Beauty of the Swamp, a photograph of a gar fish taken in the Everglades using a GoPro.
The ‘Padi’ Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 title was awarded to Ruruka from the Republic of Korea for Underwater Aurora, an image of a diver in the multicoloured waters of a cenote sinkhole in Mexico.
British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
David Alpert was named British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 for The Curious Seal, an image taken at Lundy Island, a marine protected area since 1973. Robert Marc Lehmann from Germany was named ‘Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2025 for his image ‘1 in 200,000,000,’ taken in Indonesia.
Competition Details
The Underwater Photographer of the Year competition, based in the UK, celebrates marine photography beneath the surface of oceans, lakes, and rivers. In 2025, it received 6,750 entries from photographers across 28 countries. The contest has 13 categories, including Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour, and Wreck photography, as well as three dedicated to British waters. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in London, hosted by The Crown Estate. Judges for this year’s competition were Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich, and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE.
The contest was first held in 1965, with Phil Smith as its first winner.
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