Come Face to Face With the Best Nature Photography of the Year

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A zebra looks down in dismay as a large crocodile slithers in its direction—presumably to deliver a brutal, killing bite, as implied in the award-winning image’s title, “Last Look.”

This photograph, captured by Slovak photographer Roman Balaz, won the silver prize in the category for Amphibian and Reptile Behavior in the World Nature Photographer of the Year competition. The global contest, now entering its seventh year, celebrates the intricate connections between wildlife and their diverse environments.

As you’ll see, the winning photographs capture nature in all its forms—beautiful, messy, and sometimes brutal—which, of course, includes us humans. Below, we’ve picked out some of our favorites from the competition’s finalists, but you can see all the winning photographs here.

Mãhina

Gold And World Nature Photographer Of The Year©jono Allen Mãhina

First up, the overall grand prize for this year’s competition went to this lovely photograph of Mãhina, a rare white humpback calf in Vava’u, Tonga. Jono Allen, an Australian photographer, also won first place for the Underwater category for his work.

According to Allen’s winning comments, Mãhina swimming happily with her mother represents conservation at its best. Humpback whales were once brought near extinction by whaling, but the population has since bounced back thanks to targeted conservation efforts. The presence of rare individuals like Mãhina—only 1 in 40,000 humpbacks are born with this lack of pigmentation—is a telltale sign that the whales are thriving.

Home on the leaves

This entry from Chinese photographer Minghui Yuan is geometrically pleasing. A moss moth larva appears suspended midair as it waits to undergo metamorphosis inside a protective net made from its own poisonous fur. The photograph won the gold prize in the category for Invertebrate Behavior. In his winning comment, Yuan called the larvae nature’s architects and said that the “intricate structure of the net nest is full of geometric beauty, astonishing the extraordinary creativity of small creatures.”

Ernie the Ermine

Forget Punxsutawney Phil—I want Ernie the ermine to tell me how long winter will last! This adorable snapshot of a white ermine peeking out of the snow, by U.S. photographer Rich Brooks, won second place in the Animal Portraits category.

Arrival

The distinct color scheme of the white bird against a clear, greenish-blue sky is reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Almond Blossom.” Awarded the gold prize in bird behavior, this image of a great egret in central Florida, taken by U.S. photographer Fenqiang Liu, showcases the elegant structure of the bird’s feathers, illuminated by the morning Sun.

Ghost of the reef

British photographer Simon Biddie won first place in the Nature Art category for this optical illusion-like image of a small reef fish. Fish like these contribute to 70% of the fish biomass, but their tiny size and unassuming disguise belie their enormous importance to reef food chains—hence the title, “ghost” of the reef.

Splash

It’s tricky to tell which side is under siege—the brown bear or the sockeye salmon. According to British photographer Charlie Wemyss-Dunn, it’s the latter. Wemyss-Dunn, who won the gold prize in the Animals in Their Habitat category, spotted brown bears gathering along the rivers in Alaska’s Katmai National Park—just in time for the salmon’s seasonal migration.

Chimp paradise

The title of this image, “Chimp Paradise,” which took the top prize in nature photojournalism, might seem contrary to the somewhat unnerving array of medical equipment surrounding the chimpanzee. But there’s no cause for alarm—this chimpanzee is being treated by veterinarians at a sanctuary in Florida. Here, 220 rescued chimpanzees live their best possible lives among peers, according to Belgian photographer Alain Schroeder.

The wildlife photographer

This entry by U.S. photographer Deena Sveinsson won first place in the People and Nature category. Sveinsson’s encounter with the bull moose delivers on the sort of harmless interactions the category seeks to celebrate. At first, the moose lurked around the human photographers, who failed to collect their tripod as they moved away to give the moose some space. But the moose was “bored” by the bitter brush and “decided to check out the camera gear,” Sveinsson said in her winning comment.

Pool party at our tent

Elephants, Mokete Camp, Wilderness Destinations, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Photos By Bill Klipp

Elephants are well-known for their intelligence. But did you know they were smart enough to join a pool party? U.S. photographer Bill Klipp won the silver prize in the People and Nature category for this photograph, which shows an amusing scene of an elephant seemingly enjoying a cooldown at a human pool.

Trash trail temptations

Nature can be unintentionally satirical, and this image by U.S. photographer Robert Gloeckner is a prime example. The photograph, which won first place in the Urban Wildlife category, depicts a polar bear in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, investigating a heap of human trash—trailing behind a sign that reads, “NO SCRAP METAL.” In 2024, the town’s only trash facility burned down, leaving behind loads of discarded electronics that polar bears—driven from their homes by climate change—are reportedly exploring as alternative food sources.

“This photo captures more than a curious bear,” Gloeckner said in his winning comment. “It symbolizes the ongoing struggle between wilderness and waste.”

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