Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 winners
Alex Dawson has been named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for his image of a free diver examining the aftermath of whaling. Jenny Stock was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Rafael Fernandez Caballero won Behaviour and Portrait categories. Lisa Stengel was named Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Nuno Sá was named Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024. Talia Greis won Macro category. Martin Broen won Wrecks category. Jasmine Skye Smith won Black & White category. Kat Zhou won British Waters Wide-Angle. Kirsty Andrews won British Waters Living Together category. Jonathan Bunker won British Waters Compact. Enrico Somogyi won Compact category.
Alex Dawson named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024
Alex Dawson has been awarded the title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for his stunning photograph capturing a free diver examining the aftermath of whaling. The image titled 'Whale Bones' surpassed over 6,500 submissions from photographers around the world.
Whale Bones was photographed in challenging conditions as a breath-hold diver dove beneath the Greenland ice sheet to witness the carcasses up close. The diver's suit and torch give the photograph an otherworldly feel, and the composition effortlessly guides the viewer through the story being told.
Jenny Stock - British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024
Jenny Stock was named as the British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her captivating image titled 'Star Attraction'. The photograph was taken at Loch Leven, a dive site in Scotland near Oban.
Stock captured the vibrant colors of thousands of brittle stars in the dark green depths of the sea loch during a dusk dive. Amongst the brittle stars, she spotted a purple sea urchin, creating a beautifully balanced pair with a dominant star. The composition is further enhanced by the entanglement of the background.
Rafael Fernandez Caballero excels in Behaviour and Portrait categories
Former Photographer of the Year, Rafael Fernandez Caballero, secured victory in the Behaviour and Portrait categories. His photograph of a gray whale's eye and another one showcasing a Bryde's whale engulfing an entire bait ball were both taken in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico.
The photograph captures the exact moment of attack, with the whale's ventral pleats wide open as it filters prey from the water using its baleens. These incredible shots provide viewers with an unforgettable glimpse into the underwater world.
Other notable winners
In addition to the main awards, there were several other notable winners in different categories. Lisa Stengel from the United States was crowned the Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image of a mahimahi catching a sardine in Mexico.
Nuno Sá, a Portuguese photographer, received the title of Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024 for his photograph titled 'Saving Goliath'. The image showcased beachgoers attempting to save a stranded sperm whale near Lisbon, Portugal.
Talia Greis from Australia won the Macro category with her abstract portrait of a potbelly seahorse. Martin Broen from the USA claimed victory in the Wrecks category with his fish-eye lens photograph of two Chieftain tanks at an underwater military museum in Jordan.
Jasmine Skye Smith impressed the judges with her Black & White entry, capturing two synchronised swimmers in a pool in Western Australia. Kat Zhou won the British Waters Wide-Angle category with her stunning image of dive-bombing gannets in Shetland, while Kirsty Andrews won the British Waters Living Together category with her photograph of a blenny inside a glass bottle.
Jonathan Bunker's shot of a catshark in bootlace seaweed at Chesil Cove, Dorset earned him the title of British Waters Compact winner. Enrico Somogyi won the Compact category with his photograph of a nudibranch sea slug with an emperor shrimp on its head in Bali, Indonesia.
