Winners Gallery

<< Back to WINNERS GALLERY

Finalist Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Henley Spiers Philippines

1°04'44.4"S 130°08'34.8"E

A bottlenose dolphin bites a small fish beside a traditional bagan fishing platform in Indonesia. These dolphins have learned to associate the illuminated nets with an easy source of food, often taking discarded or unwanted fish provided by fishermen. Bagan vessels use lights at night to attract fish before lowering nets from floating platforms. This image captures the close relationship between a wild predator and a human fishing practice, while revealing how animal behaviour can adapt to changing ocean environments.

BEHIND THE LENS

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026, HENSPI23

Henley Spiers United Kingdom (UK)

ABOUT THE IMAGE

  • Shot while snorkelling
  • Site access via boat
  • Nikon D850, Nikon 8-15mm, Nauticam housing, Marelux Apollo III 2.0 strobes
  • ISO 2000, f/5.6, 1/15s

Henley Spiers is an award-winning underwater photographer, storyteller, and expedition leader, widely recognised as one of the leading voices in contemporary ocean photojournalism. Henley combines technical skill with a storyteller’s eye to create images that reflect both the wonder and vulnerability of the natural world. In recognition of his narrative approach, he was named the first-ever Storyteller in Residence for Oceanographic Magazine. He was named Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year (2024) and awarded the Grand Prize at HIPA (2022). His portfolio also includes major honours from the Nature Photographer of the Year, Environmental Photography Award, European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, as well as the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year. His photography has been widely published, including in National Geographic, The Sunday Times, Der Spiegel, The Economist, BBC Wildlife Magazine, and The Guardian.

MORE IMAGES BY Henley Spiers