A Pair of Elephant Seal Pups Wins the 2026 Underwater Photographer of the Year — Colossal

From dramatic aquatic encounters to deep caves to fish and amphibians intently guarding their eggs, there’s a complete world beneath the floor that few of us ever actually get to see. That’s the place photographs like these within the annual Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) are available, glimpsing among the darkest depths and most alluring and fragile ecosystems on the planet.

The high prize of the 2026 competitors, which has been working yearly since 1965, goes to Matthew Smith for his seize of two younger elephant seals within the Falkland Islands. Additional profitable photographs embody Natalie Yarrow’s tableau of hinge-beak shrimp inside a pink barrel sponge, Khaichuin Sim’s remark of the controversial annual whale hunt within the Faroe Islands, and Sam Blount’s dramatic encounter with a leopard seal.

UPY’s classes vary from portraits to coral reefs to macro photographs, all with an emphasis on the variety, magnificence, and vulnerability of the huge components of our submerged world. We’ve shared a choice of our favorites right here, however you may see your complete winners’ gallery on UPY’s website, and observe updates on Instagram.

Correction: This article beforehand misidentified the pups in Matthew Smith’s photograph as sea lions. They are elephant seals.