Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, HUGBRE1 - Oceanographic
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1st place Conservation (Impact) Photographer of the Year

Hugo Bret Faroe Islands

62°11'46.7"N 6°44'14.8"W

A long-finned pilot whale foetus lies lifeless under its mother’s corpse in the Faroe Islands. "Each year, more than 1,000 cetaceans are killed during grindadráp, the slaughter of entire whale groups, including juveniles and pregnant females," says Bret. "Usually, the foetuses are ripped from their mother’s womb far from the public gaze, but this pregnant female was undetected and eviscerated among the others, revealing this deeply moving scene. While these hunts were once an existential necessity, they are no longer subsistence practices. I hope this image drives global attention to end the grindadráp and, at a broader scale, advocates for a reconsideration of what the human relationship with others living beings should be."

BEHIND THE LENS

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, HUGBRE1

Hugo Bret France

  • Follow Hugo On Instagram

ABOUT THE IMAGE

  • Overcast conditions
  • Morning
  • Shot under pressure fro whalers
  • f/5.6, 1/160s, ISO 320

With a background in marine biology, Hugo has spent the last few years immersed in ocean conservation initiatives around the world, combining scientific research with conservation and underwater photography. His storytelling work focuses on documenting scientists’ fieldwork, anthropogenic pressures on marine life, and the stories of those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

IMAGES BY Hugo Bret

Conservation (Hope)Photographer of the Year

2025 Seychelles

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025, HUGBRE30

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