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A pair of wolffish share a den during mating season in the Berwickshire Marine Reserve, Scotland, UK
 

When thinking of premier dive destinations or spectacular marine life, the UK probably isn’t usually at the top of the list. But after checking out this Photographer of the Week portfolio from UK-based shooter, Kirsty Andrews—the entirety of which was captured in the waters of the British Isles—it might be time to reconsider!

Kirsty is a passionate and prolific underwater image-maker who first learned to dive as a teenager in Thailand. However, it wasn’t until returning home to her local waters in the UK that she really caught the diving bug. In an effort to capture and share the wonderful things she saw underwater, and to add an additional technical challenge to her diving, Kirsty picked up a camera several years after getting certified.

Based in the southwest part of England, Kirsty dives whenever and wherever she can, from the south coast in her backyard to the very northernmost reaches of Scotland. As any diver can attest, conditions can sometimes frustrate, especially in temperate or cold-water environments, but when the UK is at its best, it is a spectacular location for underwater photography, with everything from stunning reefs and wrecks to sharks and macro critters.

Kirsty runs the Bristol Underwater Photography Group, a club of active UK photographers who meet monthly. She credits the guidance and inspiration from her friends and mentors at BUPG for transforming her from a casual shooter into a focused, capable photographer who has a series of award-winning pictures in her catalog.

Kirsty says that while she has traveled extensively to many exotic locations and been wowed by incredible wildlife from the Coral Triangle in the tropical Pacific to the emerald waters of the Pacific Northwest, she gains the most satisfaction from celebrating UK underwater wildlife. Her aim is to capture it in colorful and engaging photos—a browse through her selection here and we can all agree that she has succeeded!
 

A European cuttlefish giving a mesmerizing threat display for its reflection in the port, Cornwall, UK
 

The Farne Islands are known for a friendly and rambunctious colony of gray seals, Northumberland, UK
 

A colorful male corkwing wrasse makes a face for the camera, Devon, UK
 

A photographer explores a field of plumose anemones on the SS Hispania wreck, Scotland, UK
 

Perhaps the most beautiful shark in the world, the blue shark, cruising through offshore Cornish Waters, UK
 

Two nudibranchs feast on the eggs of another mollusk, Shetland, Scotland, UK
 

A lion’s mane jelly swirling in the evening light with a gray seal lurking in the background, Farne Islands, UK
 

A diver finning over a stunning reef off remote Sula Sgeir Island, Scotland, UK
 

A gray seal hamming it up for the camera, Farne Islands, UK
 

A mighty goosefish, a type of large, cold-water anglerfish, waits for prey on the wreck of the James Eagan Layne, Cornwall, UK
 

A tiny spider crab strikes a pose, Scotland, UK
 

Divers explore the wreck of the E49 submarine in Balta Sound, Scotland, UK
 

A diminutive bobtail squid under the Paignton Pier, Devon, UK
 

A beautifully colored juvenile lumpfish perched on kelp in Lochcarron, Scotland, UK
 

To see more of Kirsty’s award-winning work, please follow her Instagram page or visit her website, www.kirstyjandrews.co.uk.