A photograph showing a freediver examining the aftermath of whaling has led to Alex Dawson from Sweden being crowned as Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024.

Dawson’s photograph Whale Bones triumphed over 6,500 pictures entered from around the world.

“Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear witness to the carcasses,” Alex Mustard, the chairman of the judging panel, said.

“The composition invites us to consider our impact on the great creatures of this planet. Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85 per cent. Our way needs to change to find a balance with nature.”

Whales dominated the winning pictures this year with Rafael Fernandez Caballero, a Spanish