The extraordinary richness and diversity of life in our oceans was vividly portrayed at the 2020 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition in London earlier this year.

This year’s competition attracted a record 5,500 entries from 500 photographers representing 70 countries. Their images reflected the best of sea-life from every section of the globe – east, west, south and north, tropical and polar. Sadly, they also reflected mankind’s unrelenting impact on the fragile eco-systems.

Based in the UK, the Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools. British photographer Phil Smith was the first underwater Photographer of the Year, named in 1965.

Today’s competition attracts entries from all around the world, has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters.

The winning photographer was Frenchman Greg Lecoeur – a former National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year winner. His image of seals in Antarctica (titled Frozen Mobile Home) featured in our April 2020 issue.

See more on our website.