Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023, HS

Finalist Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Henley Spiers Baja California Sur, Mexico

24°35'54.9"N 110°24'18.0"W

"In early autumn, vast sardine shoals surround the rocks at Los Islotes," says Spiers. "This bounty attracts seabird predators. As we dived amidst the shoal, the peace was occasionally shattered by the loud crashes of pelicans, cormorants, and boobies hurtling underwater in pursuit of a meal. Most of the time, the action is so swift that by the time you turn to see it the bird is already back at the surface. Predicting exactly where an attack will happen is impossible, and yet I dreamed of capturing this spectacular natural act. Picking a single spot amidst the sardines, I waited patiently as the sunset approached, hoping to get lucky. After a long wait, a crash came down close to my right hand side, spinning around and clicking the camera instinctively, I finally captured the elusive shot of a blue-footed booby rising up with a sardine in its beak."

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BEHIND THE LENS

Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023, HS

Henley Spiers United Kingdom (UK)

ABOUT THE IMAGE

Sunny conditions
Sunset shoot
20-metre visibility
Site accessed by boat

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.