London, Europe Brief News – The winner of this year’s Underwater Photographer of the Year contest was announced today.
Rafael Fernandez Caballero has wined Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022 for his image of whale sharks in the Maldives.
Prizes and commendations were handed out in categories including Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behavior, Portrait, Black and White, Compact, Up and Coming, Marine Conservation, and more.
In his picture, Dancing with the Giants of the Night, the whale sharks were feeding on nocturnal plankton gathered around the lights of a boat.
“It was incredible when one whale shark came to our boat. But more and more kept arriving,” Mr Caballero, from Spain, says.
“I was diving with shark researcher Gador Muntaner, who couldn’t believe it as their numbers grew.
“He counted 11 sharks that night – a once-in-a-lifetime encounter that nobody thought was possible.”
The picture came first out of 4,200 images from 71 countries.
Judge Alex Mustard says: “Photography needs light – and simply recording these giants in a dark ocean is a massive achievement..
“To do this with such beautiful light and careful composition of the five sharks is outstanding.
“Restriction on travel over the last year may have stopped many photographers visiting their favourite waters. But it hasn’t stifled their creativity.”
The annual competition, founded in 1965 in the UK, celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools.
