The World Nature Photography Awardshave announced their winners from a pool of entries that were received from all corners of the globe.
The top award went to Amos Nachoum from the United States for his image of a leopard seal about to capture a defenceless Gentoo penguin. Nachoum waited patiently for hours on the remote island of Plano, off the Antarctic Peninsula, for the right moment at low tide, when the seals stealthily enter a lagoon and search for their prey.
Adrian Dinsdale, co-founder of the WNPAs, said: “As always, it’s such a thrill to see the amazing calibre of entries into the awards. Seeing these images cannot fail to motivate one to do everything to protect this fragile planet of ours. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners.”
The World Nature Photography Awards were founded in the belief that we can all make small efforts to shape the future of our planet in a positive way and that photography can influence people to see the world from a different perspective and change their own habits for the good of the planet.
Grand prize winner - Leopard seal and gentoo penguin
Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) chasing a Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) in Antartica. Photo by Amos Nachoum
Amphibians and reptiles category winner - Pacific tree frog
Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla) at Outerbridge Park in Victoria, Canada. Photo by Shayne Kaye
Nature art bronze winner - Lettuce Coral
A lettuce coral (Turbinaria mesenterina) photographed at Raja Ampat, Indonesia. This species of coralis native to the waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Photo by Gabriel Barathieu
Three long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) enjoy the warmth of each other during a hot day in Bali, Indonesia. These animals show very similar behavior to humans including enjoying each others company. The macaques are used to humans and are commonly found around temples where they tend to feed on food sacrifices donated by the temple visitors. Photo by Tom Vierus
Black and white category winner - Arctic fox in Iceland
Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) walking through a snowstorm in Iceland. Thankfully for this fox, it is well adapted to living in extremely cold environments, and is equipped with thick fur to keep it warm. Photo by Vince Burton
Animals in their habitat category winner - Bornean Orangutan
A Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) takes a rest on branches in the waters of Borneo, Indonesia. As its name suggests, the Bornean Orangutan is endemic to the island. They are highly intelligent, and are adept at using tools. Photo by Thomas Vijayan
Behaviour Invertebrates category winner - Ants crossing
Red ants (Myrmica rubra) form a bridge to cross the water in Indonesia. Photo by Chin Leong Teo
An ice cave at Lake Baikal, Russia. The lake is the largest of its kind in the world, and also thought to be the oldest. Photo by Sabrina Inderbitzi
Amphibians and reptilessilver prize - American crocodile
An American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) photographed at 'Gardens of the Queen', an archipelago in the southern part of Cuba. Photo by Max Giorgetta
Plants and fungi category winner - The abandoned
An abandoned house photographed in Goa, India. Photo by Gautam Kamat Bambolkar
Urban wildlife category winner - NYC humpback
A humpback's fluke photographed with the New York City, downtown skyline in the distance. As water quality measures and conservation efforts start to show real results over the last years, humpback whales are becoming more and more a common sight in the waters around New York, USA. Photo by Matthijs Noome
Landscape and environments category winner - South Island New Zealand
The striking landscape of the South Island of New Zealand is captured in this atmospheric image. Photo by Sam Wilson
Nature art category winner - Tuscan landscape
The beautiful landscape of San Quirico d'Orcia, in Tuscany, Italy. Photo by Federico Testi
Invertebrates category bronze winner - Green huntsman spider
Green huntsman spider (Micrommata virescens) captures a vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster) in Magnitogorsk, Russia. Photo by Irina Petrova Adamatzky
This final image is not for the squeamish
Bird behaviour category winner - Wildebeest feast
Vulture and fox feasting on wildebeest, Masai Mara nature reserve in Kenya. Photo by Ashok Behera
James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked on the magazine and website for over a decade, telling compelling science stories through the use of striking imagery. He holds a degree in Fine Art, and has been nominated for the British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards, being highly commended in 2020. His main areas of interest include photography that highlights positive technology and the natural world. For many years he was a judge for the Wellcome Trust's image competition, as well as judging for the Royal Photographic Society.
