Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 Awards: Gorgeous Image of Endangered Pink Dolphin Wins — See More Stunning Shots
"Boto Encantado" (Kat Zhou, Brazil)
A beautiful image of a pink dolphin poking its nose out of the Amazon river under a pastel-hued sunset earned California resident Kat Zhou the title of the 2023 Underwater Photographer of the Year.
Over 6,000 entries from photographers in 72 countries were submitted for consideration in the U.K.-based annual competition, which “celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools,” per a press release, and awarded its first winner in 1965. In addition to claiming the top honor, Zhou was also named Up & Coming Photographer of the Year for her striking shot of the endangered pink river dolphin, entitled “Boto Encantado.”
“There’s a legend among locals that river dolphins, or ‘botos’, can transform into handsome men known as ‘boto encantado’ to seduce women. Though I did not witness the transformation, I was enchanted by these beautiful mammals in a different way,” she shared in a statement.
“After seeing how botos would sometimes bring their beaks above water, I wanted a split shot at sunset,” she said. “Though the water was so dark that I was shooting blind, this dolphin gave me a perfect pose and smile!
Competition judge Alex Mustard called the photo “by far the best image we’ve ever seen of this species,” later adding: “It is appropriate that the Amazon, as the world’s mightiest river, has produced our overall winner.”
Additional winners placed in 12 other categories, including Portrait, Behavior, Wrecks, Wide Angle, and more. Scroll through to see the standouts, or click here to see all of the commended images from the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition.
Over 6,000 entries from photographers in 72 countries were submitted for consideration in the U.K.-based annual competition, which “celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools,” per a press release, and awarded its first winner in 1965. In addition to claiming the top honor, Zhou was also named Up & Coming Photographer of the Year for her striking shot of the endangered pink river dolphin, entitled “Boto Encantado.”
“There’s a legend among locals that river dolphins, or ‘botos’, can transform into handsome men known as ‘boto encantado’ to seduce women. Though I did not witness the transformation, I was enchanted by these beautiful mammals in a different way,” she shared in a statement.
“After seeing how botos would sometimes bring their beaks above water, I wanted a split shot at sunset,” she said. “Though the water was so dark that I was shooting blind, this dolphin gave me a perfect pose and smile!
Competition judge Alex Mustard called the photo “by far the best image we’ve ever seen of this species,” later adding: “It is appropriate that the Amazon, as the world’s mightiest river, has produced our overall winner.”
Additional winners placed in 12 other categories, including Portrait, Behavior, Wrecks, Wide Angle, and more. Scroll through to see the standouts, or click here to see all of the commended images from the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition.
Marelux Wide Angle. "Fade" (J. Gregory Sherman, Cayman Islands)
Marelux Macro. "Unsung" (Shane Gross, Canada)
Wrecks. "Engine With a Saddle" (Brett Eldridge, United States)
Behavior. "Make Love Not War" (Yury Ivanov, Indonesia)
Portrait. "The Trunk" (Suliman Alatiqi, Thailand)
Black & White. "El Blanco – The White One" (Don Silock, Argentina)
Compact. "Klunzinger's Wrasse In Motion" (Enrico Somogyi, Egypt)
British Waters Wide Angle. "An Island's Wild Seas" (Theo Vickers, United Kingdom)
British Waters Macro. "Egg Eaters" (Kirsty Andrews, Scotland)
British Waters Living Together. "Pipe Reef" (Dan Bolt, United Kingdom)
British Waters Compact. "Beauty In The Blow Hole" (Tony Reed, England)
Source: nicenews.com
