The best camera isn’t the latest one. It’s the one you know how to use better than anyone else. And no one showcased that better in recent weeks than the winners of the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year contest. New gear won’t automatically make you a better photographer than you already are. The hard truth is that most modern cameras are incredibly capable, even models from nearly a decade ago. Why, just the other day, I shot an international sports tournament with my Nikon D4, which is nearly 13 years old now. The perceived limitations we observe often lie not in the equipment we own but in our ability to use the gear effectively. These UPOTY winners clearly show that having the latest gear is absolutely not a necessity to get amazing photographs.
Table of Contents
The Top 5 Winners at the UPOTY 2025
Here they are!
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
© Alvaro Herrero/UPY2025
ISO: 1100 Aperture: f/8 Shutter: 1/640A mother humpback whale accompanies her calf to the surface for its first breath early in the morning. The youngster is releasing a few bubbles as it rises, perhaps this is because it is still learning to control its breathing, or it is simply experimenting with its own body.The simplicity of this image by Alvaro Herrero coupled with the hauntingly beautiful rays of light are probably what helped this image triumph over 6750 underwater images entered into the Underwater Photographer Of The Year 2025 contest. “The mother is accompanying her calf to the surface, because the baby is still so small and clumsy,” explained 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 added his thoughts by saying “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.”
Gear Used: Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor Z 14-24mm 2.8 s, Isotta housing
Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
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Ruruka/UPY 2025ISO:800 Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/60sThe mystery behind what could have led to these amazing colours adds to the charm of its appeal, and the diver adds a wonderful sense of scale. A well framed photo by the young winner Ruruka. In his own words – “I first travelled to Cancun, Mexico, for a shoot two years ago, and since then, I’ve been captivated by its charm. These days, I find myself visiting Cancun frequently. From where I live, it’s a very long journey – about 24 hours by plane – but this place perfectly aligns with the direction of my photography and offers a variety of shooting opportunities. To capture this particular photo, I visited during the rainy summer season and worked with a local Korean guide as my model.
I imagine the 24-50mm Z lens was chosen more for its size rather than any optical preferences. It’s not really a lens that professionals reach out for, so to see Ruruka make such a fantastic image using this further reinforces what’s said in the opening paragraph of this article
Gear Used: Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 24-50mm f4, Nauticam WACP-1
‘Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2025
1 / 200.000.000‘© R
obert Marc Lehmann/UPY 2025ISO: 1000 Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter: 1/6400This tiger shark is just one of around 200 million sharks that lose their lives every year at the hands of humans. Since I was six years old (35 years+), I have been intensively studying sharks. In all these years, hardly anything has changed and that is frustrating. Sharks protect their habitat, the sea, through their ecological function as "health police". Over a billion people depend on the sea every day and we all breathe the oxygen that is largely produced in the sea. If we continue to eradicate the animals that guard our largest and most important habitat, we are taking away our own livelihood. And that's why I've been fighting for people to see and understand sharks through my eyes. “”Every time I take a photo like this, it hurts, but through imagery I can inspire millions of people to understand sharks and their situation and make a difference,” poignantly notes Robert Marc Lehmann about this photograph. The title is a nod to the 200 million sharks that humans remove off the face of the earth each year. For an creature that’s so vilified by popular culture as a swimming monster, it seems like we humans are the real terror.
The Canon EF 24mm F1.4L II USM lens was introduced in December 2008. Not a bad job for a 16 year old lens eh?
Gear Used: Canon R5, Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM, EF to RF Mount adapter
British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
© David Alpert
/UPY 2025ISO: 200 Aperture: f/8 Shutter: 1/200North Devon is easily one of the most beautiful coastlines in Britain. High jagged cliffs pounded by an unforgiving sea. With the second highest tide change in the world, the outgoing current whips up against waves and wind rolling in from the North Atlantic. Stand back and marvel. Diving windows are limited so I based myself in the area for two months last year, exploring different locations. This shot shows a grey seal off Lundy Island, a marine protected area since 1973. This images challenges the traditional notion that British waters are murky and lifeless. “Seals are delightfully curious creatures, more interactive than any other species I have dived with around the world,” says category winner David Alpert. “Briefly, I become one of the privileged few, crossing the bridge into the world of a sentient wild animal.”
Gear Used: Canon 5D MKiii, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L iii USM
Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2025
Fluo Spiny Squat Lobster‘©
James Lynott/UPY 2025I
SO: 500 Aperture: f/6.3 Shutter: 1/50This image was taken on a wonderful night dive at Inveraray, Loch Fyne. This site is known for being home to many beautiful fireworks anemones at shallow depths, but it also has an old pipe covered in concrete blocks which is home to lots of life, including the spiny squat lobster. These squat lobsters are usually found clinging upside down on boulders/overhangs and disappear the instant the camera shutter is pressed. However, on this night dive they were wondering about in the open and didn’t seem to mind having a few pictures taken. These squat lobsters show the brightest fluorescence I have seen in crustaceans and I was really pleased on this dive to be able to capture the whole animal in frame. I used excitation filters on my strobes, along with a yellow barrier filter in front of the lens to capture the fluorescence.Lobsters are brightly colored, but I have to admit I never thought they existed in this shade of green. This fascinatingly vivid image by James Lynott wins him the Most Promising British Underwater Photographer of the year award.
Gear Used: OM System OM-D EM-1 Mark III, M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ
Other Category Winners
Macro
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Paolo Bondaschi/UPY 2025ISO: 100 Aperture: f/16.0 Shutter: 1/200At the end of this dive, I spotted a couple of underwater photographers focused on shooting and it piqued my curiosity about what they were photographing. I signalled to my guide to check what they were shooting. After realizing that it was one of my favourite subjects, a hairy shrimp, I waited patiently for my turn and used the time to plan and prepare for the shot. I chose to shoot it in profile, backlight with a snoot. My guide and my buddy played a fundamental role in expertly managing the light of the snoot. After a few test shots to find the right setting, I finally got the photo I was looking for.Gear Used: Canon EOS R7, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM, wet lens AOI UCL-90PRO
Wrecks
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Alex Dawson/UPY 2025ISO: 800 Aperture: f/4.5 Shutter: 1/80The wreck sits on the reef at around 104m depth. When she sank she got wedged between the reef wall and a small reef so there is a swim through under the wreck. We did 25 min bottom time and about 2 1/2 hours of deco to produce this image.Gear Used: Nikon Z9, Nikkor 8-15mm fisheye lens, Nauticam Z9 housing
Behaviour
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Shunsuke Nakano/UPY 2025ISO: 200 Aperture: f/16 Shutter: 1/250This is a photo of two male Asian sheepshead wrasse fighting. The unique form of this species is characteristic of males, who form harems and claim territories during the breeding season. The one on the left in the photo is the harem king, who has defended his territory for more than 10 years and is estimated to be over 30 years old, while the one on the right is a young challenger. Although I had planned carefully to capture the images, the 2024 season was more difficult to predict than usual, and despite staying there for a week during the breeding season, I was only able to observe this scene once, for just 10 seconds. And this was the only photograph I was able to take. The sight of them fighting in their flashy white outfits was so magnificent I can still remember it vividly.Gear Used: Nikon D850, Nikkor 28-70mm f3.5-4.5 D, Nauticam WACP-1
Portrait
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Abdulaziz Al Saleh/UPY 2025ISO: 100 Aperture: f/18 Shutter: 1/100I had the idea of photographing the camels drinking water for about one and half a years. I wanted to photograph them drinking water from the underwater perspective because I did not see any images showing this. The weather was a critical, and it took me several weeks to get the best possible shots. The first week the camels were a bit hesitant to drink water while my camera was under the water and only few gathered to drink, which is not what i wanted. But after several days the camels had already accepted to me and my equipment. After my first week of shooting the Camels, I changed to electronic synch cords for my strobes instead of fibre-optic cables because of problems. And finally the shots came together.Gear Used: Nikon Z8, Nikkor 8-15mm fisheye lens, Nauticam NA-Z8
Coral Reefs
Kaleidoscope of Colour‘©
Catherine Holmes/UPY 2025ISO: 320 Aperture: f/11 Shutter: 1/160Raja Ampat, Indonesia, is a magical destination where the colour, beauty, biodiversity and dense fish life can almost be an overload on the senses- a celebration of healthy reef life. I was lucky to find perfect conditions with clear water and schooling baitfish swirling amongst the canyons of a large coral bommie, adorned with verdant soft corals. I aimed to capture the reef teeming with life and colour to inspire us all to protect this valuable habitat. All around the world, our oceans, and in particular the coral reefs, are under threat. They are vital habitat for the myriad of species they support, and critical for the oceans health. Climate change, pollution, overfishing and destructive fishing all threaten this environment, and the devastating outcomes are seen worldwide with bleached and dying reefs, with dwindling fish life. Awareness is essential to protect and sustain these precious environments for the future.Gear Used: Nikon D500, Nikkor 8-15mm fisheye lens, Retra Pro strobes- with diffusers, Nauticam housing
Black & White
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Enric Gener/UPY 2025I
SO: 160 Aperture: f/4 Shutter: 1/500This image was captured in the northern Red Sea during a freediving expedition in search of bottlenose dolphins. The moment portrays an intimate mating ritual, where several males—four visible in the picture, though others were nearby—were playfully chasing a female. It was a dynamic and ritualistic display, with the males engaging in friendly skirmishes and occasionally mating with the female, their bodies joining briefly for just a few seconds. Notably, the female was not attempting to escape; she actively participated, playing along and waiting for them. The entire group swam gracefully and at a slow, deliberate pace, creating a mesmerizing underwater scene.Gear Used: Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 16-35mm 1:2.8 L III USM, Seacam housing
Compact
The Beauty of the Swamp‘©
Bryant Turffs/UPY 2025I
SO: 791 Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter: 1/180I captured this image at one of my favourite locations within the Everglades ecosystem. Historically, I primarily dove in saltwater, but I have become enamoured by this foreboding environment, with clear waters, light filtering through cypress trees, and the fish species, both native and introduced. I have revisited this spot many times trying to capture various subjects and the light just right. The water levels vary significantly, sometimes completely drying, during different times of year. The fish species are in constant flux, and this location is often dominated by exotics. Ironically, on this occasion, I hadn't invested too much thought and I was enjoying the scenery when this Florida Gar positioned itself perfectly in the frame of my GoPro.Gear Used: GoPro Hero 7 Black. AOI 0.73x Ultra Wide Lens
Overall Thoughts
It’s clear to see that a lot of the cameras and lenses used by the winners aren’t exactly the latest releases from their respective brands. Nikon and Canon cameras have taken most of these photos; Sony and Fujifilm are notably absent here. Nauticam seems to be the housing choice for most. What’s most striking however is that some of the lenses used here are considered ancient by modern standards. Just goes to show that you can still create striking imagery with older gear if you have creative vision and a drive to succeed.
All images seen in this article are copyright of the respective photographers, and were provided to us for usage by the Underwater Photographer of the Year marketing team. The lead image is also by the UPOTY 2025 overall winner, Alvaro Herrero