20 Breathtaking Winning Photos from the 2025 Shark Photographer of the Year

The Shark Trust has unveiled the winners of its 2025 Shark Photographer of the Year contest, announced on Shark Awareness Day (July 14). Celebrating the beauty, mystery, and vulnerability of one of the ocean’s most iconic predators, this year’s competition attracted stunning entries from photographers around the globe. The overall winner is Julian Hebenstreit, whose striking image of an Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark (also known as a Zebra Shark) captured in Australian waters captivated the judges with its vivid contrast and dramatic flair.

In addition to the top honor, Hebenstreit has won an exclusive shark diving experience in The Bahamas, sponsored by Diverse Travel and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, as well as the prestigious Shark Photographer of the Year 2025 trophy. The Shark Trust, a UK-based marine conservation charity, also awarded two regional prizes—British Isles Winner and Overseas Winner—claimed by Hector Clarke and Martin Broen respectively. Their images, like the others in this top 20 selection, reflect the astonishing diversity and majesty of sharks in their natural habitats.

More than just a celebration of photography, the contest is a call to action. Sharks have roamed the oceans for over 400 million years, yet today they face an urgent extinction crisis—primarily driven by overfishing. Through initiatives like this competition, the Shark Trust raises awareness and inspires global advocacy. Their mission is clear: to improve the conservation status of sharks, skates, and rays through science-backed policy reform and unified global action.

These 20 breathtaking winning photos serve as both artistic marvels and powerful reminders of what’s at stake beneath the waves. They invite us not only to admire sharks but to protect them—before it’s too late.

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