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An lovely pair of Southern elephant seal pups, photographed in a rockpool on the Falkland Islands, sees Matty Smith from Australia named Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026.
Smith’s {photograph} ‘Rockpool Rookies’ triumphed over 7,900 photos entered by underwater photographers from around the globe.
“Once their pups are weaned, elephant seal mothers abandon them ashore,” explains 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 constructed a particular dome-shaped digital camera housing to seize the under-over perspective of the pups.
“Elephant seals were hunted right to the brink of extinction,” says chair of the judging panel, marine ecologist Dr. Alex Mustard. “Their oil-rich blubber was used for everything from fuel for lighting to margarine. Fortunately, the hunt was stopped just in time, and their recovery over the last 100 years is a great example of resilience of the ocean. A beautiful and hopeful photograph.”
10 Winners of Underwater Photographer of the Year
The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is predicated within the U.Okay. and goals to advertise underwater pictures. To see all the awarded photographs, head to the website.
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