The world under water is as mysterious to many of us as the Moon and the stars, but intrepid underwater photographers are braving the deep to capture stunning, captivating and extraordinary images of life under the waves. The annual Underwater Photographer of the Year competition celebrates the best of these pictures, and the UPY2018 is one of the best collections yet.
Here are the first, second and third place images in each of the categories but you can see the full set of winners, runners-up and highly commended underwater photos at underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com.
All images © UPY2018
Humpback whale spy hopping
Wide Angle Winner – Greg Lecoeur (France)
Surrounded
Wide Angle Runner Up – Fan Ping (China)
Sunset Snorkel
Wide Angle Third – Brook Peterson (United States)
Seahorse Density
Macro Winner – Shane Gross (Canada)
Friend or Food?!
Macro Runner Up – Songda Cai (China)
The Shadow
Macro Third – Kenji Cheow (Malaysia)
CYCLE-WAR
Wrecks Winner – Tobias Friedrich (Germany)
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2018
Safe Navigation
Wrecks Runner Up – Gianni Pecchiar (Italy)
TRUCK-NOBIA
Wrecks Third – Tobias Friedrich (Germany)
The fisherman
Behaviour Winner – Filippo Borghi (Italy)
In Hinding
Behaviour Runner Up – Scott Tuason (Philippines)
Gannets feeding
Behaviour Third – Greg Lecoeur (France)
A sand tiger shark surrounded by tiny bait fish
Portrait Winner – Tanya Houppermans (United States)
The nose
Portrait Runner Up – Mike Korostelev (Russian Federation)
Under The Wave
Portrait Third – Rodney Bursiel (United States)
Crocodile reflections
Black & White Winner – Borut Furlan (Slovenia)
Graceful manta
Black & White Runner Up – Sylvie Ayer (Switzerland)
Angels of the Deep
Black & White Third – Santosh Shanmuga (United States)
Dancing with the giants
Compact Winner – Simone Matucci (New Zealand)
Flower power © Jack BERTHOMIER/UPY2018
Compact Runner Up – Jack BERTHOMIER (New Caledonia)
Frogfish Illusion
Compact Third – Ipah Uid (Malaysia)
ROAR
Up & Coming Winner – ABDUL RAHMAN JAMALUDIN (Malaysia)
Up and Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2018
The Hammer
Up & Coming Runner Up – Jacob Degee (Poland)
Migration
Up & Coming Third – Austin Ferguson (United States)
Love Birds
British Waters Wide Angle Winner – Grant Thomas (United Kingdom)
British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2018
Shark Speed
British Waters Wide Angle Runner Up – Nicholas More (United Kingdom)
Fresh Otter at Sea
British Waters Wide Angle Third – Greg Lecoeur (France)
How many pike?
British Waters Wide Angle Highly Commended – Tony Stephenson (United Kingdom)
Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2018
Battle of the Tompots
British Waters Macro Winner – Henley Spiers (United Kingdom)
Topshell tapestry
British Waters Macro Runner Up – Cathy Lewis (United Kingdom)
Colourful Corkwing
British Waters Macro Third – Kirsty Andrews (United Kingdom)
Scratchy Seal
British Waters Compact Winner – Vicky Paynter (United Kingdom)
Intertwined Mute Swans
British Waters Compact Runner Up – Ian Wade (United Kingdom)
Curled Octopus
British Waters Compact Third – James Lynott (United Kingdom)
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