Underwater nature photography is a tough job.
To get the perfect shot, photographers brave freezing waters, pitch-black diving expeditions, and hungry predators. Sometimes, they wait days for the right moment to snap a picture of a reticent seahorse or a swift shark.
The annual Underwater Photographer of the Year competition brings together the best photos of creatures lurking beneath bodies of water.
Here are the top three award-winning underwater photos in every category. You can see last year's winners here.
Captions have been condensed and edited for clarity.
Underwater Photographer of the Year winner: "CYCLE-WAR" by Tobias Friedrich
"For a few years now I had had this image in mind as the motorcycles on this truck inside the Thistlegorm lie so perfectly together, but you can only barely capture it because the wall is very close and you can't move backwards enough to capture the whole scenery. As a result I had to create a panoramic image of the same scene to capture the whole cargo deck, including some lights that give the image more depth."'
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British Underwater Photographer of the Year winner: "Love Birds" by Grant Thomas
"I chose Loch Lomond as the location for this shot due to its idyllic scenery, water access and friendly swans. My initial idea was to frame a split shot of one swan feeding below the surface of the water but when I noticed how comfortable they were around me I was confident, with some patience, I could get that magical shot of the two. It was mid-day, sun high in the sky, I waded slowly into the shallow water, allowing the swans to become comfortable with my presence. When they began searching for food below the water line I just had to wait for that perfect moment of synchronicity."
Most Promising British Underwater Photographer winner: "How many pike?" by Tony Stephenson
"I love photographing pike and on this particular dive during the Easter holidays, a ‘group’ of males were looking for a mate. Once they found one they pursued her relentlessly and were completely transfixed on gaining her attention. This allowed me to get close in front of the fish, fill the frame and aim to get lots of good eye contact. I was delighted by the results."
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