Boto Encantado, absolute winner of the competition and awarded with the first prize in the category: Up & Coming.

Photo: Kat Zhou.

The image of a pink dolphin breaking the surface of the Amazon River has earned nature photographer Kat Zhuo to rise as the best underwater photographer of the year 2023. Her photo prevailed over the more than 6,000 images submitted by some of the best underwater photographers from 72 different countries.

This year's competition leaves an impressive collection of images divided into 13 categories that portray the underwater world in all its aspects.

In this photo gallery we show you a selection of the winners and finalists in each of them.

Pipe Reef, First Prize Award Winning Photograph in the Category: British Waters Living Together.

Photo: Dan Bolt.

Crack rock blenny, photograph awarded with the first prize in the category: British Waters Compact.

Photo: Tony Reed.

Egg eaters, photography awarded with the first prize in the category: British Waters Macro.

Photo: Kirsty Andrews.

Scillonian reflections, photography awarded second prize in the category: British Waters Wide Angle.

Photo: Malcolm Nimmo.

Welcome, photography awarded with the second prize in the category: Compact.

Photo: Takeshi Yoka.

Klunzinger's wrasse in motion, photograph awarded with the first prize in the category: Compact.

Photo: Enrico Somogyi.

El Blanco - The White One, photograph awarded with the first prize in the category: Black and White.

Photo: Don Silcock.

Curiosity among icebergs, photograph awarded with the second prize in the category: Portrait.

Rafael Fernandez Caballero.

The trunk, photography awarded with the first prize in the category: Portrait.

Photo: Suliman Alatiqi.

Chew with your mouth closed!, photography awarded with the third prize in the category: Behavior.

Photo: Bryant Turffs.

Double whale time, photography awarded with the second prize in the category: Behavior.

Photo: Wojciech Dopierala.

Make love not war, photography awarded with the first prize in the category: Behavior.

Photo: Yuri Ivanov.

Unsung, photography awarded with the first prize in the category: Marelux Macro.

Photo: Shane Gross.

Sky full of rays, photography awarded with the third prize in the category: Marelux Wide Angle.

Photo: Rafael Fernandez Caballero.

Crowd Control, photography awarded with the second prize in the category: Marelux Wide Angle.

Photo: Andy Schmid.

Fade, photography awarded with the first prize in the category: Marelux Wide Angle.

Photo: J.Gregory Sherman.

Hopeless, winner of the Best Underwater Conservation Photographer of the Year award and first place in the category: Save Our Seas Foundation.

Photo: Álvaro Herrero López Beltrán.

An island's wild seas, photograph awarded with the award for Best Promising Submino Photographer and with the first prize in the category: British Waters Wide Angle.

Photo: Theo Vickers.

The Swarm, winner of the British Photographer of the Year award and second prize winner in the category: Up & Coming.

Photo: Oliver Clarke.

(Taken from National Geographic)