Shark Trust Announces 2025 Photography Winners
Today on July 14, Shark Awareness Day, the Shark Trust announced the winners of its 2025 Shark Photographer of the Year competition. With over 1,200 known species of sharks and rays in the ocean, the competition invited photographers from around the world to capture these animals in their natural environments.
And they delivered.
Entries came in from 34 countries, showcasing 76 different species including rarely seen chimeras, the Critically Endangered great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), and the graceful zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum; also known in the Indo-Pacific as the leopard shark). 'The highlight of the photography competition for me is the wonderful diversity of sharks and rays represented and the quality of images across the board," said Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO. 'We're grateful to each and every one of the photographers for taking part and sharing their love of sharks with the world.'
The winning image, shot by Julian Hebenstreit in Australia, features the golden body of a zebra shark set against dark rock and pale sand. 'When I think back to the moment of this capture, I remember the stark contrast between the wild and uncomfortable outside and the calm and quiet world below the water,' he explained. 'I selected this image because it reminds me why I do what I do. Why I dive, why I explore, and try to protect. It's not just about documenting wildlife; it's about conveying the fragile beauty of the ocean in a way that makes people care.' At first glance it's a simple photograph, but its composition and contrast evoke the delicate state of shark survival today. Small in the frame and surrounded by vast, shadowy rock, the picture is a stand-in symbol on how these ancient animals now face mounting threats in an increasingly uncertain environment.
Hector Clarke earned the UK title with his image of a Small-Spotted Catshark resting on a bed of ... More brittle stars in Scotland's Loch Carron.
This year's panel of judges, including Shark Trust patron Simon Rogerson, praised the photo's subtle storytelling, calling it a 'treasure in dark times.' But Hebenstreit wasn't the only one honored. The competition also recognized a British and Overseas Winner. Hector Clarke earned the UK title with his image of a small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) resting on a bed of brittle stars in Scotland's Loch Carron. His shot underscores the importance of seabed habitats, which support a surprising amount of biodiversity; from the intricately patterned shark to the vivid starfish beneath it, the image is a reminder that many animals rely on the seafloor to survive. Meanwhile, the Overseas Winner, Martin Broen, captured a black-and-white split-shot showing a school of rays swimming below a boat off the coast of Mexico during a mobula ray migration. His image, elegant and dramatic, shows the connection between what's above and below the surface — and who's watching whom. 'Below the surface, a dense school of rays forms a luminous, geometric ballet, their bodies catching shafts of sunlight filtering through the ocean,' Broen recounts. 'Above, a small boat with observers floats quietly, a silent witness to one of nature's most graceful spectacles.'
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Overseas Winner Martin Broen captured a black-and-white split-shot showing a school of rays swimming ... More below a boat off the coast of Mexico during a mobula ray migration
The Shark Trust, a UK-based charity, has used photography and storytelling to educate the public, advocate for policy change, and encourage community action. Sharks have roamed our oceans for over 400 million years, yet today many species are at risk due to overfishing and habitat loss. Thus, the Shark Photographer of the Year competition is part of a larger movement to raise awareness about those threats and inspire solutions. To reflect some of their current projects, the Shark Trust awarded additional honors to photographers whose images aligned with key conservation themes. Byron Conway's photo of silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) swimming near the surface in Cuba won the Oceanics Programme category. He used a slow shutter speed to add a sense of motion and color to the image, capturing the moment during sunset using a technique called Snell's Window. Silky sharks, like many oceanic species, are heavily impacted by overfishing, and Conway's work adds urgency to calls for protecting pelagic species.
Gillian Marsh photographed a blue shark (Prionace glauca) interacting with an underwater ... More photographer off the coast of Cornwall, portraying a moment of curiosity between species.
In the Living with Sharks category, Gillian Marsh photographed a blue shark (Prionace glauca) interacting with an underwater photographer off the coast of Cornwall, portraying a moment of curiosity between species. Another award was given under the Mediterranean Programme, which focuses on a region where over half of the shark and ray species face extinction.
Linda Mazza's photo of a Critically Endangered angelshark was taken in the Canary Islands, one of ... More the few places where sightings are still possible.
Linda Mazza's photo of a Critically Endangered angelshark wasn't taken in the Mediterranean but in the Canary Islands, one of the few places where sightings are still possible. The image, intimate and raw, serves as a stark reminder of how rare some sharks have become. In the citizen science-focused Great Eggcase Hunt category, Grant Evans took home the prize for a photo of a pyjama shark (Poroderma africanum) eggcase nestled among sea fans in South Africa. The picture illustrates how important the seafloor is for shark reproduction, and how practices like bottom trawling can destroy crucial nursery habitats.
Grant Evans took home the prize for a photo of a pyjama shark (Poroderma africanum) eggcase nestled ... More among sea fans in South Africa.
Finally, the Young Shark Photographer of the Year award went to Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya for an image of a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at the surface. The photograph, taken during a moment of awe, carries a message of hope for the photographer: 'For me, enjoying this moment is not all there is, we must take action to help ensure these incredible, gentle giants of the sea survive. I believe that together we can help Whale Sharks live and swim freely in their ocean home, allowing them to share this planet with us for years to come.' These gentle giants feed on some of the smallest organisms in the sea, yet they face enormous threats. Paribatra Na Ayudhya hopes his generation can be the one to ensure their survival.
Young Shark Photographer of the Year award went to Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya for an image of a ... More whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at the surface.
All of the photographs entered into the competition — whether they won or not — will be used to support shark and ray conservation efforts for years to come. And this is what makes each image so important because beyond their beauty, they carry weight.
They inform, inspire and push people to act.
The finalist images are on display in Plymouth, Britain's Ocean City, until the end of the month. They are a celebration, yes, but also a call to action. Because while sharks have survived mass extinctions and shifting seas, they now need our help to survive us.
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