{"id":361370,"date":"2026-02-28T20:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T20:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/361370\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T20:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T20:41:11","slug":"a-pair-of-elephant-seal-pups-wins-the-2026-underwater-photographer-of-the-year-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/361370\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pair of Elephant Seal Pups Wins the 2026 Underwater Photographer of the Year \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

From dramatic aquatic encounters to deep caves to fish and amphibians closely guarding their eggs, there\u2019s an entire world below the surface that few of us ever really get to see. That\u2019s where images like those in the annual Underwater Photographer of the Year<\/a> (UPY) come in, glimpsing some of the darkest depths and most alluring and fragile ecosystems on the planet.<\/p>\n

The top prize of the 2026 competition, which has been running annually since 1965, goes to Matthew Smith<\/a> for his capture of two young elephant seals in the Falkland Islands. Additional winning images include Natalie Yarrow<\/a>\u2019s tableau of hinge-beak shrimp inside a pink barrel sponge, Khaichuin Sim<\/a>\u2019s observation of the controversial annual whale hunt in the Faroe Islands, and Sam Blount<\/a>\u2019s dramatic encounter with a leopard seal.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>\u00a9 Kirsty Andrews (U.K.), \u201cDusk Encounter,\u201d Porthkerris, Cornwall, U.K. Runner-up in the British Waters Wide Angle category<\/p>\n

UPY\u2019s categories range from portraits to coral reefs to macro images, all with an emphasis on the diversity, beauty, and vulnerability of the vast parts of our submerged world. We\u2019ve shared a selection of our favorites here, but you can see the entire winners\u2019 gallery on UPY\u2019s website<\/a>, and follow updates on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Correction: This article previously misidentified the pups in Matthew Smith\u2019s photo as sea lions. They are elephant seals.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>\u00a9 Anton Sorokin (U.S.), \u201cEgg Clutcher,\u201d San Francisco Bay Area, California, U.S. Third place in the Behavior category<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u00a9 Dan Bolt (U.K.), \u201cNew Life,\u201d Manse Point, U.K. Third place in the British Waters Macro category<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u00a9 Simon Theuma (Australia), \u201cA Time to Dream,\u201d The Gutter, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia. Third place in the Macro category<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>\u00a9 Steven Kovacs (U.S.), \u201cScreaming Swallower,\u201d Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. Runner-up in the Portrait category<\/p>\n

\"Little<\/a>\u00a9 Natalie Yarrow (U.K.), \u201cCrowded House,\u201d Bali, Indonesia. Highly commended in the Up & Coming category and winner of Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2026<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u00a9 Kazushige Horiguchi (Japan). \u201cClownfish Hatchout,\u201d Kagoshima Minamisatsuma, Japan. Winner of the Behavior category<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u00a9 Fabian Becker (Germany), \u201cJAWS,\u201d Bohol, Philippines. Runner-up in the Macro category<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u00a9 Sam Blount (U.S.), \u201cLunging Leopard,\u201d Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica. Winner of the Up & Coming category and Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u00a9 Renee Capozzola (U.S.), \u201cSunset Patrol,\u201d Fakarava, French Polynesia. Runner-up in the Coral Reefs category<\/p>\n

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