Australian photographer Matty Smith has been named Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2026 for his image of a pair of southern elephant seal pups in a rockpool on the Falkland Islands.
Named “Rockpool Rookies,” the photograph was named the overall winner of the awards, which received more than 7,900 entries, according to a statement from the organizers.
A sunken ship, shrimp, sharks and a protective octopus mother were among the other category winners.
Smith said in the statement that he watched dozens of seal pups climb over one another, “awkwardly learning to swim,” after their mothers left them.
“On my very first evening, the sky ignited…