See the amazing winning entries from winner from the Underwater Photographer of the Year featuring playful seals, inside the jaws of a Leopard seal and the selfless final moment of an Octopus mother

This adorable pair of Southern elephant seal pups has been crowned Best Underwater Photograph of the Year.

The playful duo were pictured by Matty Smith soon after they had been abandoned ashore by their mother. Once their pups are weaned, elephant seal mothers leave them. Smith perfectly captured the moment these “Rockpool Rookies” took their first solo lessons, clambering over one another as they learned to swim.

To create this winning image, Smith used a special dome he built himself to achieve the striking under-over perspective, perfectly balancing the light on the pups’ fur with the setting sun.

The image scooped the top prize from nearly 8,000 entries, but there were many other stunning photographs selected by the judges that picked up awards in other categories.

Another brilliant image was Sam Blount’s “Lunging Leopard,” which shows the jaws of a leopard seal — one of Antarctica’s top predators — coming right toward him. He recalled: “Watching that massive mouth lined with sharp teeth charge straight toward me is a thrill I’ll never forget.”

“Probably the best leopard seal shots I’ve seen,” commented contest judge Tobias Friedrich. “To capture such a perfect composition with delicate lighting, in such an intense moment, is so impressive.”

We’ve documented all the category winners in the gallery below — let us know your favourite image in the comments section.