The Winners of Shark Photographer of the Year

Jul 14, 2025

Matt Growcoot

A triptych: left, a black-and-white photo of a boat above a school of rays underwater; center, a top-down shot of a single ray on the ocean floor; right, a whale shark swims in deep blue water, viewed from the front. — Photo credit: Martin Broen, Julian Hebenstreit, and Mizy.

The Shark Trust has announced the winners of its Shark Photographer of the Year contest on Shark Awareness Day (July 14).

The overall winner is a shot of an Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark (also known as Zebra Shark) taken in Australia by photographer Julian Hebenstreit.

The judges praised Hebenstreit’s photo for its “vivid contrast” and “sense of drama.” Hebenstreit has won a package of accommodation and shark diving in The Bahamas courtesy of Diverse Travel and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. He also receives the Shark Trust Shark Photographer of the Year 2025 trophy.

A lone zebra shark swims over a sandy seabed with dark patches of coral and rocks, surrounded by deep blue water, viewed from above. — Shark Photographer of the Year – Julian Hebenstreit.

Shark Trust is a UK-based charity; it crowned a British Isles Winner and an Overseas Winner. These awards went to Hector Clarke and Martin Broen, respectively.

A black and white split-shot photo of a boat with people on the surface and a large school of rays swimming underwater beneath it, with dramatic clouds in the sky. — Overseas Winner – Martin Broen. Martin’s shot is an eye-catching split-shot. Where the camera captures subjects both above and below the water. It depicts the mobular ray migration in Mexico in dramatic black and white. Martin said: “Below the surface, a dense school of rays forms a luminous, geometric ballet, their bodies catching shafts of sunlight filtering through the ocean. Above, a small boat with observers floats quietly, a silent witness to one of nature’s most graceful spectacles.”

A small, spotted catshark rests on the seafloor, surrounded by numerous brittle stars and a sea urchin in greenish, murky water. The scene is full of marine life and detail. — British Isles Winner – Hector Clarke. A Small Spotter Catshark lying on a mass of brittle stars in Loch Carron, Scotland highlights just why our seabed is so important to many species, including sharks and rays. Hector said “I found this individual resting on a bed of brittle starfish at around twenty metres depth. It seemed very comfortable with my presence, allowing me to get exceptionally close. I like how this image captures the density and diversity of life in this area, all the way from the multicoloured brittle stars to the exquisitely patterned catshark.”

Underwater scene featuring several sharks swimming, with one large shark in the foreground and others visible in the background beneath a surface reflecting light and colors. — Oceanics Programme Winner – Byron Conroy. A Silky Shark at the surface in Cuba. He said “To tell the story of these sharks I used a slow shutter speed to get some natural movement into the image. This also allowed me to use Snell’s window at sunset to burn in some beautiful colours from the sunset above and show the relationship these sharks have with the surface. A memorable experience, amongst the best large animal encounters I have had.”

A thresher shark swims near the ocean floor, its long tail fin trailing behind and its mouth slightly open; the water around is clear blue with coral and rocks visible below. — Oceanics Programme Runner Up – László Földi.

“Sharks have been in our ocean for over 400 million years. Now, the survival of
many species is in danger. This extinction crisis is avoidable if we act to address
the primary threat: overfishing. The Shark Trust works globally to improve the
conservation status of sharks, skates and rays. Advocating for policy changes.
And generating collective action to support our goals.”

A close-up underwater image of a wobbegong shark lying on the sandy ocean floor. The shark has a flat, mottled body and distinctive whisker-like barbels around its mouth. — Mediterranean Programme Winner – Linda Mazza. The Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot of extinction risk for sharks and rays. A complex body of water home to nearly 80 species of shark and ray, of which at least 53% are at risk of extinction. Surrounded by 22 different countries across 3 continents, and home to over 77,000 small boats, the Mediterranean Sea is subject to a broad range of diverse fisheries pressures. Working through a network of regional partners, the Mediterranean Programme spans policy engagement, species-specific recovery programmes, and community engagement.

A close-up of a deep-sea shark with glowing blue-green eyes and rough brownish skin, swimming in dark water. — Mediterranean Programme Runer up -Andrej A. Gajić

A blue shark swims near the surface of clear water, closely approaching an underwater photographer with a large camera, both reflected on the water above. — Living with Sharks Winner – Gillian Marsh. A Blue Shark off the coast of Cornwall with an underwater photographer. She said “The blue sharks were bold and curious, and we four snorkelers had a lot of good interactions with them, but I particularly like the interaction in this image. It’s tempting to imagine the shark is asking the photographer, “Have you got my best side?”

A group of snorkelers swims near a large whale shark in clear blue water, observing and photographing the gentle giant as it glides peacefully beneath the surface. — Living with Sharks Runner Up – László Földi

A large basking shark swims underwater with its mouth wide open, displaying gill rakers and its streamlined grey body against a blue-green ocean background. — British Isles Runner Up – James Lea

A close-up underwater photo of a blue shark swimming, with its large, pointed snout and round eye visible against a deep blue ocean background. — British Isles Runner Up – Colin Garrett

A close-up of a ghost shark, also known as a chimaera, swims against a black background, displaying its large eyes, smooth skin, and long, wing-like fins. — Overseas Runner Up – Galice Hoarau

A Port Jackson shark swims among vibrant green and brown seaweed and coral in clear, sunlit water. The shark has a distinctive striped pattern and is surrounded by lush underwater vegetation. — Overseas Runner Up -Vadim Belakhov

A whale shark swims in deep blue water, viewed from above. Its grey skin is covered with white spots and lines, contrasting against the blue background that fades outward in a radial pattern. — Highly Commended. Solo spotty traveller. Young whale shark. Huvadhoo blue, Maldives. | Mizy

A group of sharks swim near the water's surface at dusk, with one shark's face clearly visible. The sky is dark with dramatic clouds and an orange sunset on the horizon. — Highly Commended. Caribean Reef Shark – Jardines de la Reina, Cuba. | Martin Broen

A lone shark swims gracefully in deep blue water, its long tail fin trailing behind as it moves forward, surrounded by a dark, empty ocean. — Highly Commended. Thresher Shark Philippines Malapascua. | Megan Shea Graff

A camouflaged wobbegong shark lies on the ocean floor with its mouth open, surrounded by a dense swirling school of small fish in dark blue water. — Highly Commended. Wobbegong, Rajaampat, Indonesia. |Galice Hoarau

A whale shark rises toward the water’s surface with its mouth open, creating bubbles and ripples, against a dark, black background. — Young Shark Photographer of the Year – Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya.

Entries came in from 34 countries and represented 76 different species of shark, ray, skate, and chimera. An exhibition of the finalists’ images is currently on display in Plymouth, the home of the Shark Trust. They’ll remain there until the end of the month as part of the Shark Month celebrations going on in Britain’s Ocean City.