A rare pink river dolphin pops out of the Amazon River, sticking its snout high into the last light at dusk.
It's a scene captured by American creative Kat Zhou, who went on to win the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 award.
Scroll through the gallery above to see all the award winners from this year
Entitled Boto Encantado, it was one of 6,000 pictures submitted by underwater photographers from 72 countries.
“There’s a legend among locals in the Amazon that river dolphins, or 'botos', can transform into handsome men known as 'boto encantado' at night to seduce women. Though I did not witness this elusive boto transformation, at dusk I was enchanted by these beautiful mammals in a different way,” said Zhou, about her winning snap.
“After seeing how botos would sometimes bring their beaks above water, I knew I wanted a split shot at sunset. Though the water was so dark that I was shooting blind, this dolphin gave me a perfect pose and smile.”
Judge Peter Rowlands, publisher of the Underwater Photography online magazine, praised the composition of the image shot in South America's greatest river.
“This is a perfectly timed and composed image of a distinct but rarely well-photographed subject so it stood out from the crowd very early on. Like a chef reducing his sauce, this powerful image improved with each viewing and saw off the incredibly high-quality images that this competition attracts. A pleasure to behold.”
Other celebrated images in the contest feature whale sharks on the Ningaloo coast in Western Australia; light play in a conservation area on the Isle of Wight; and a haunting visual of a dying humpback whale with its tail entangled in ropes and buoys.
In the portrait category, photographer Suliman Alatiqi from Kuwait took the top prize for his close-up of a curious elephant's trunk, shot in Phuket, Thailand.
"The elephant's trunk is one of the most distinctive anatomical features in the natural world and this photo aims to emphasise it," said Alatiqi. "Luckily, he was curious about my camera and was happy to feel it out, which gave me the opportunity to capture this perspective."
The Underwater Photographer of the Year awards are an annual competition in the UK, but open to photographers worldwide. It has 12 main categories including Wide Angle, Wrecks, Portrait and more.
Now in its ninth year, it highlights some of the strongest sets of underwater photos in any contest. This year, a record number of entries were received, said Alex Mustard, head of the judging panel.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
