Oct 26, 2025
“Under the Waterline”
“Matthew Smith carefully photographs a curious leopard seal beneath the Antarctic ice. Matthew used a specially made extension he designed for the front of his underwater housing to get this split image. It was his first encounter with a leopard seal. The young seal made several close, curious passes. ‘When it looked straight into the lens barrel, I knew I had something good.’ Though leopard seals are widespread and abundant, overfishing, retreating sea ice and warming waters mean that krill and penguins—their main food sources—are both in decline.”
by Matthew Smith, UK/Australia
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
