Enchanted moments
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023
SCUBA presents some of the winning entries from this year ’ s UPY awards , which attracted more than 6,000 entries from 72 countries
An eye-catching photo of a pink river dolphin breaching the surface of the Amazon river sees Kat Zhou from the United States named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 . Here , SCUBA showcases this and some of the section winners ( plus one notable runner-up ), who each share the stories behind the images . UPY is decided by a panel of judges led by Alex Mustard MBE . This year ’ s co-Judges were veteran British photographer Peter Rowlands and a previous winner , Germany ’ s Tobias Friedrich . To see more and download a free yearbook , visit the competition website underwaterphotographeroftheyear . com
Title : Boto Encantado
Photographer : Kat Zhou , United States Award : Underwater Photographer of the Year
“ 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 transformation , at dusk I was enchanted by these beautiful mammals in a different way . After seeing how botos would sometimes bring their beaks above water , I knew I want 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 !
As indigenous communities settled by rivers in the Amazon , river dolphins began living in closer proximity to human populations , even making use of food scraps . Frequent dolphin sightings led to tales like boto encantado , but there ’ s a darker side to the legend , as it was often used to excuse pregnancies after women were assaulted or forced into prostitution .
While botos are generally revered as mythical creatures , many scorned husbands have killed dolphins because of these stories . Furthermore , many river dolphins have also been killed for use as fish bait . Though there have been bans on this practice , it has not been eradicated . With this , alongside even bigger impacts like mercury poisoning due to the gold mining industry and large development projects that have disrupted the river ecosystems , I fear that one day botos will truly become no more than mythical creatures .” © Kat Zhou / UPY2023
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