Detail 

“Ocean Drifter” by Ryan Stalker. British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 and Winner of Coast & Marine
Species: Goose barnacles (Thoracica) Location: Portland, Dorset, England
“Ocean Drifter is a photo of a football that is covered in goose barnacles below the waterline. Above the water is just a football. But below the waterline is a colony of creatures. The football was washed up in Dorset after making a huge ocean journey across the Atlantic and then returned to the sea for the photo to be taken. Goose barnacles are not native to the UK but can wash up on our shores during powerful Atlantic storms. Although the ball is waste, and should not be in the sea, I do wonder about the journey the ball has been on. From initially being lost, then spending time in the tropics where the barnacles are native and perhaps years in the open ocean before arriving in Dorset. However, this waste can also bring creatures that may survive in UK waters and could become invasive species. More human waste in the sea could increase the risk of more creatures making it to our shores.”

“Running on Water” by Max Wood. RSPB Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 and Winner, 15-17 Years
Species: Coot (Fulica atra) Location: Frensham Little Pond, Surrey, England
“I woke up at 4:45 am with the hope of capturing backlit waterfowl images at Frensham Pond in Surrey. I lay down at the edge of the pond and waited for the birds to become active. As the morning progressed, rays of sunlight began to shine through trees along the edge of the pond, creating spotlights in the morning mist. This created a beautiful atmosphere, which I aimed to capture in my images. This coot was fleeing a fight, running across the water to take flight through the mist and rays of light.”

“Three’s a Crowd” by Ross Hoddinott. Winner, Hidden Britain
Species: Common blue butterflies (Polyommatus icarus) Location: Vealand Farm, Devon, England
“I think I have a slight addiction to photographing blue butterflies – I just love them! They are such beautiful little insects, and they enhance any wildflower meadow or garden they inhabit. Blues are quite social insects, and they can often be found roosting quite close together – or even on the same grass or flower. I found a dozen or so blues all resting close together one evening last summer. Using a shallow depth of field, I decided to ‘frame’ my subject with two out-of-focus butterflies to help add impact and context to my shot. The warm, evening light produced a vibrant natural background.”

“Starling at Night” by Mark Williams. Winner, Animal Portraits
Species: Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Location: Garden, Solihull, West Midlands, England
“I had been observing the birds in my garden as they fed on sunflower seeds and peanuts from the feeder for some time. I aimed to capture the sense of movement and flight patterns in my images while still preserving the fine details of the birds. To achieve this, I used flash in rear curtain sync mode. Timing was crucial, and I needed to carefully balance the flash with the ambient light to record the starling’s trail at the beginning of the exposure, while a brief burst of flash would freeze the bird in mid-flight.”

“Dancing in the Dark” by Matthew Glover. Runner-up, Animal Behaviour
Species: Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) Location: Killingworth, North Tyneside, England
“‘Dancing in the Dark’ portrays a pair of great crested grebes engaged in their courtship ritual at sunrise. This carefully choreographed dance serves to strengthen their bonds during the mating season. The photo was captured in the early hours on an urban lake in North Tyneside – once a former mining site, now thriving with wildlife, it hosts up to four separate pairs of grebes, competing for territory and displaying their flamboyant courtship style. Spending considerable time with these birds, I’ve learned to anticipate their courtship ‘dances’ and be prepared to capture these beautiful moments.”

“Three Frogs in Amplexus” by Ian Mason. Winner, Animal Behaviour
Species: Common frog (Rana temporaria) Location: Perthshire, Scotland
“Every March, our garden ponds suddenly come alive with hundreds of frogs that seem to appear overnight from nowhere. I have been photographing them for many years, and I am always fascinated and amused by their antics. Here, there has been a competition to mate with a female. For a lot of the time there is a frenzy of activity, but sometimes they freeze long enough to get a shot. The image is taken with the lens at water level, and the background is a distant larch tree.”

“Sunrise Hare” by Spencer Burrows. Runner-up, Animal Portraits
Species: Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) Location: Nottinghamshire, England
“I’m fortunate enough to have access to a private farm and have spent a lot of time with brown hares over the past couple of years. During this time, I’ve invested many hours into developing fieldcraft and gaining a good understanding of their behavior, allowing me to get close without disturbing the animal – hares are often skittish. For this image, I lay low and silent in a spot of the field they tend to follow from the hedgerow. This hare was very relaxed and allowed me to capture some portraits as the sun was starting to rise over the field.”

“Beech for the Sky” by Graham Niven. Winner, Wild Woods
Species: Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Location: East Lothian, Scotland
“Beech tree grove near Dunbar in East Lothian. When the leaves are almost gone, the branches show their ‘canopy shyness’ – a phenomenon observed in many species of trees in which the crowns of mature trees do not touch each other. In doing so, the trees form a canopy that has channel-like gaps which, when photographed from below, appear to create an intricate network of channels between the respective canopies. Besides the wondrous vision you are afforded, it’s also just a great excuse to lie down in the forest.”

“The Tightrope Walker” by Daniel Valverde Fernandez. Winner, Habitat
Species: Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Location: Sherwood Pines Forest Park, Nottinghamshire, England
“In this image, you can see a red fox walking along a tree branch at a considerable height from the ground, demonstrating that these animals are true tightrope walkers of nature. The fox is perfectly framed between the branches and its silhouette is subtly highlighted by the sun’s rays falling on it.”

“Tiny Forest Balloons” by Jason McCombe. Winner, Botanical Britain
Species: Slime mold (Comatricha nigra) Location: Essex, England
“The world of slime molds is fascinating. They’re neither plants nor fungi. I had never noticed them before, but when I set out to find some to photograph, I discovered that, if conditions are right, they’re everywhere! They’re just so small that if you are not looking for them you will simply overlook them. Each head on these fruiting bodies is approximately 1mm wide, and the depth of field when shooting at such high magnification is so shallow that focus stacking is required. This image was made using 160 images, each focused on a different area of the scene, then stacked together to create one highly detailed image.”

“Squirrel Silhouette” by Rosamund Macfarlane. Runner-up, Black & White
Species: Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Location: Cumbria, England
“Red squirrels are native and cherished in Cumbria, although they face competition and disease from grey squirrels. These charming creatures visit our garden daily for hazelnuts, and I can capture their antics without causing disturbance. During winter, when food is scarce, providing for them feels like helping our native population. This spring, young kits joined the adults for breakfast, and capturing their dynamic movements against the sky was a fascinating challenge.”

“Raven Above Arran” by Robin Dodd. Winner, Black & White
Species: Raven (Corvus corax) Location: Isle of Arran, Scotland
“This is a shot from the top of Goatfell on the Isle of Arran, which is the highest mountain on the island. It was a lovely hike to the top on a bright summer afternoon after arriving by ferry a few hours before. When we reached the summit, it was deserted except for two ravens who seemed to dominate the peak. We sat for some time, observing these birds gliding over Arran just as gracefully as any bird of prey. It’s a harsh yet beautiful world they inhabit. This image is in black and white and consists of two shots, focus stacked.”

“Spring’s Treasures” by Jamie Smart. Winner, 11 and under
Species: Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Location: Mid Wales
“We got up very, very early one cold (-5°C), misty morning in spring in an effort to try to find some boxing hares up on the moorland. On our way there, I spotted this pheasant sitting on a farm gate in the morning sunrise. I made Dad stop the car and reverse slowly, quietly opened my car window, and managed to get this photo of him in all his beauty, with the blackthorn blossom behind him and the sun rays lighting up his copper breast feathers. As it happens, we didn’t get to see any hares boxing that morning, but Mr. Pheasant making this appearance really made up for it!”

“Mother and Fawn” by Felix Walker-Nix. Winner, 12-14 years
Species: Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) Location: Sherfield on Loddon, England
“Walking through the woods, I spotted this roe doe grazing the foliage. Slowly, I crept towards her, careful not to startle her. To my delight, when she turned around, I saw a small fawn staring back at me! Keeping quiet, I raised the camera to take some photos, then swiftly left so I didn’t disturb the young fawn and mother any longer. It was an incredible experience to see a ‘humbug’ patterned fawn before it lost its spots, and it was a magical experience to get so close.”

“Rainbow at Dawn” by Martin Stevens. Runner-up, Botanical Britain
Species: Rainbow wrack (Cystoseira tamariscifolia) Location: Falmouth, Cornwall, England
“I’ve had a mild obsession with rainbow wrack seaweed for years, with its spectacular iridescent blue color. I’d taken many photos of it before, but I had long had in mind a split shot of it in a rock pool at sunrise. It required planning and luck because the seaweed only grows back in spring, being most colorful for a few weeks before the summer sun dulls its color. I needed a low tide to expose the pools, in sync with sunrise – and a sunny morning! Fortunately, on one day it all came together. Taken with strobes on low power to light the seaweed.”

“Daisy Danger” by Lucien Harris. Runner-up, Hidden Britain
Species: Flower crab spider (Misumena vatia) and Honey bee (Apis mellifera) Location: Lee Mill, Devon, England
“This photo was taken in a patch of land along the A30 in Devon that has been left untouched for a long time, making it a haven for wildflowers and the wildlife that inhabits it. Using the Laowa wide-angle macro lens, I aimed to capture this scene. While walking, I came across a flower crab spider wrestling with a bee on an ox-eye daisy. The light was behind the subject, which backlit the flower nicely. However, the spider itself was quite dark, so I used some flashes and homemade flash diffusers to illuminate it. This allowed me to capture the deadly strength of these ambush predators.“

“Day Walker” by Simon Withyman. Winner, Urban Wildlife
Species: Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Location: Bristol, England
“This vixen had taken up residence in an electricity substation after being pushed out of her parental territory. The fenced-off area provided her with a quiet place to rest away from the busy city. She would often walk along this wall, and I was able to capture this photo through the gaps in the metal fencing, while making the most of some striking lens flare.”

“Fire in the Night” by Dan Bolt. Runner-up, Coast & Marine
Species: Fireworks anemone (Pachycerianthus multiplicatus) Location: Loch Fyne, Scotland
“Fluorescence photography requires specialist filters: one ‘exciter’ filter on your white-light source to create the blue light and another ‘barrier’ filter in front of your lens to reduce the ambient light reaching your sensor. These dual filters mean that high ISOs and open apertures are very much required in order to capture the excited, or fluoresced, light. The subject requires a careful approach too; these anemones live in very still water and are sensitive to the slightest movement. If disturbed, they will retract in mere seconds.”

“What’s All the Fuss About?” by Will Palmer. Runner-up, Urban Wildlife
Species: Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England
“In this photograph, the Arctic walrus who had come ashore to rest on the harbor slipway in Scarborough has lifted its head as a car passed on Foreshore Road. The image is lit by the streetlights to the left and features the town’s fishing boats in the background. Despite being taken handheld at 1/80th of a second at f/1.6, an ISO of 6400 was still needed to properly expose Thor and the slipway at 2:28 am.”

“Into the Mist” by Philip Selby. Runner-up, Wild Woods
Species: Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Location: Badbury Hill, Oxfordshire, England
“On the remains of an Iron Age hill fort on Badbury Hill in Oxfordshire, Badbury Clump is an area of wonderful beech woodland, carpeted in bluebells each spring. Like most photographers during those precious few weeks of spring, it’s a time of anxious weather forecast watching, hoping that atmospheric weather conditions and schedules align. Luckily, the woodland was shrouded in dense fog on this particular morning, and the vibrant new beech leaves and subtle hues of the bluebells added a contrasting splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic scene.”

“Ice Bed” by Nima Sarikhani, UK. Winner, People's Choice Award. Location: Off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, Norway.
“A polar bear carves out a bed from a small iceberg before drifting off to sleep in the far north, off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. Having spent three days desperately searching for polar bears through thick fog in the far north off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the expedition vessel Nima was on decided to change course. It turned and headed to the southeast, where there was still some sea ice. Here, they encountered a younger and an older male and watched the pair over the following eight hours. Just before midnight, the young male clambered onto a small iceberg and, using his strong paws, clawed away at it to carve out a bed for himself before drifting off to sleep.”

“The Happy Turtle” by Tzahi Finkelstein, Israel. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Jezreel Valley, Israel
“A Balkan pond turtle shares a moment of peaceful coexistence with a northern banded groundling dragonfly in Israel’s Jezreel Valley.
Tzahi was positioned in his hide in Israel’s Jezreel Valley, photographing shore birds, when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow water. At first, he wasn’t interested in it and carried on watching the birds. It wasn’t until a northern banded groundling dragonfly flew past his lens in the direction of the turtle that his focus changed. The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle’s nose, but instead of snapping up the insect, the turtle appeared to be experiencing pleasure from the interaction as they shared a moment of peaceful coexistence in the midst of the swamp’s murky waters.”

“Shared Parenting” by Mark Boyd, Kenya. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya
“A pair of lionesses devotedly groom one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Early in the morning, Mark watched as these lionesses groomed one of their five cubs in their territory in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The evening before, they’d set off to hunt, leaving the cubs hidden overnight in dense bushes. Returning from their unsuccessful mission, they’d called the cubs out onto the open grassland. Females raise each other’s cubs as their own, sharing parenting duties. Here the youngster was clearly enjoying the moment of affection and attention.”

“Aurora Jellies” by Audun Rikardsen, Norway. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Tromsø, Northern Norway
“Moon jellyfish swarm in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø in northern Norway illuminated by the aurora borealis. It’s common for this species to gather in their hundreds under the aurora borealis. Sheltering his equipment in a self-made waterproof housing, Audun used a single exposure as well as his own system for adjusting the focus and aperture during the exposure. This enabled him to capture the reflection of the sky’s colors on the surface of the water and, at the same time, light up the jellyfish with flashes. Moon jellyfish are common in all oceans and are easily recognized by their four rings, which are, in fact their genitals.”

“Starling Murmuration” by Daniel Dencescu, Germany/Romania. Highly Commended, People's Choice Award. Location: Rome, Italy
“A mesmerizing mass of starlings swirl into the shape of a giant bird on their way to communal roosts above the city of Rome, Italy. Daniel was mesmerized by the movements of the starlings as they formed colossal organic shapes in the sky. Each day, as they returned from foraging, they would gather in large numbers and perform spellbinding aerial shows, known as murmurations, on their flight home to their communal roosts. In a bid to locate the best roosting sites at which to capture the spectacle, Daniel spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome. Finally, on this cloudless winter’s day, the flock didn’t disappoint, swirling into the shape of a giant bird.”

“Fingertips” by Kate Burgess. Winner, Birds in Flight.
“Being able to capture both the ‘fingertips' of the feathers in flight and the cockatoo's head and feet in the background makes this a magical image for me. Shooting in burst mode enabled me to capture just the right composition.”

“Song of the Superb” by Nikki Kenwrick. Winner, Backyard Birds.
“There are several families of Superb Blue Wrens living at my mother's place, and I often sit and watch them popping around her garden. They are such happy little birds.”

“Wings spread” by Tai M. Winner, Youth.
“During a walk along the Victoria Quay I was shooting some photos of the seagulls flying around me, I noticed there were moments where they would fly directly above me. I tried for a shot like this one a few times but failed until I eventually captured one of the birds scratching itself mid flight.”

“Where there is smoke there is fire” by Martin Anderson. Winner, Portfolio.
“The portfolio consists of a sequence of images that I was lucky to capture of a Brown Falcon trying to steal a free meal from a Spotted Harrier. The Spotted Harrier (Smoke Hawk) had just captured a Golden-headed Cisticola, and this did not go unnoticed by the Brown Falcon perched in a nearby tree. The Spotted Harrier was doing its best to hide the kill in its plumage as it flew gracefully across the field, when the Brown Falcon (one of Australia's Fire Hawks) flew in to steal the prize. An interesting battle ensued and the prize fell to the ground unclaimed, the Harrier asserted dominance and the Brown Falcon left in defeat.”

“Morning! Time to get moving” by Veronica McPhail. Winner, Birds in the Landscape.
“Early morning movement from all residents along the south Perth foreshore. The swans awake and swim across the lake, looking for food.”

“Leapfrog” by Jason Moore. Shortlight, Birds in Flight.
“The classical flight shot of the Rainbow Bee-eater is the front on, wings spread “portrait”. I thought this side on perspective offered the viewer something a little unusual. I'm fond of the lighting in this image. The subject and perch are shrouded in shadow, but the distant background is being lit by sunlight, which has created a contrast between cool and warm colors which I find quite attractive.”

“Water trails” by Rebecca Harrison. Shortlist, Special Theme.
“A Little Egret takes off gracefully, leaving a sparkle of water droplets in its wake.”

“Anguish” by Kim Wormald. Shortlist, Human Impact.
“This was such a heart-wrenching situation, not only the adult's anguish at being entangled in nylon filament but also the juvenile's desperation as it tries to free its parent. I called a specialist rescue service that was unable to save this bird.”

“Casso-unwary” by Gail Yager. Shortlist, Bird Portrait.
“We were driving in Tully Gorge NP and pulled off the road. To our surprise, this young Southern Cassowary was standing there. He was as curious about us as we were about him—whilst maintaining a safe distance! I love the tilt of his head and the way his casque looks like a cap, which I have emphasized with the way I have cropped the photo.”

“Urban sentinel” by Stephen Spence. Shortlist, Backyard Birds.
“A White-faced Heron stands on the roof gutter of a house near the beach, its presence capturing the essence of the coastal surroundings. The black and white contrast adds depth to this urban encounter with nature. The image also captures the Heron's elegant presence, symbolizing an urban sentinel amid the coastal landscape.”

“Piercing” by Colin Driscoll. Winner, Bird Portrait.
“Just on sunset a female Australasian Darter looks up from preening after her final successful fishing session for the day. These birds are so angular it is difficult to get an interesting composition. This shot captures what these birds do under water. One can imagine this is the last thing a fish sees as the long neck launches that bill piercing it like a spear fisher would.”

“Two's company” by D'Artagnan Sprengel. Shortlist, Youth.
“Walking back to the car along the Coodanup Foreshore, I came across a large flock of what I believe were Little Corellas. They were feeding on the ground around the carpark. I saw these two perched together on an open branch and thought it would make a cute photo. I composed the image in portrait orientation and chose to overexpose the image to get a nice, clean, white background.”

A leucistic Australian Pied Oystercatcher catches the last light as it retreats to the mangroves. Cairns, Queensland, Australia

“Have you heard the one about…” by Franciscus Scheelings. Shortlist, Bird Behavior.
“While doing a bit of birding at the La Trobe University wetlands I noticed a large flock of Little Corellas on one of the ovals with several pairs rolling around in the grass. I got down as low as I could to fire off some shots and managed to get this photo of what looks like a couple of old friends sharing an hilarious joke.”

“Pollen Shower” by Guy Draper. Winner, Bird Behavior.
“I had spent several weeks returning to the same area of the park, watching and photographing a wide variety of native birds feeding on the Grass Trees. After taking a lot of front-lit shots, I set myself the challenge of getting some “last light” backlit shots, capturing some behavior with warmer light. I knew the instant I checked the back of the camera with this image that I'd captured a special moment, as the Yellow-faced Honeyeater showered itself in pollen as it plucked the flower from the stem!”

“Jambalaya on the Bayou” by Jason Moore. Winner, Special Theme.
“The somewhat messy, but beautifully coloured background inspired the title of this image. For those of you that don't know, The Carpenters released a hit song in the 70's called Jambalaya on the Bayou. It was a happy song with a tuneful beat, and it spoke of life on the Bayou… my thoughts of a Bayou include water everywhere, flooded cypress trees with Spanish Moss hanging from their branches, and swampland with wading birds…”

“Curlew construction consideration” by Gregory Abbott. Winner, Human Impact.
“One night in April, I went down to pick up a passenger off the late ferry. The Macleay Island jetty (then still under major reconstruction) was deserted except for myself and this attentive Bush Stone-Curlew. Both of us waiting. The Curlew just stood there as if the construction, signs, lights, and dead machinery had stumped it. I slowly walked to within a few meters and took the shot with my phone, then retreated a little. I too was somewhat stunned at the implications for wildlife of the multi-million dollar upgrade to jetty and the extended parking areas. I stood with the Curlew for a while. Then quietly I retreated to take a fenced in, man-made detour to the jetty proper. The concrete concentrations. Mine. The curlew's… where will it go?”

“Ice Bed” by Nima Sarikhani, UK. Location: Off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, Norway.
“A polar bear carves out a bed from a small iceberg before drifting off to sleep in the far north, off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.
Having spent three days desperately searching for polar bears through thick fog in the far north off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the expedition vessel Nima was on decided to change course. It turned and headed to the southeast, where there was still some sea ice.
Here, they encountered a younger and an older male and watched the pair over the following eight hours. Just before midnight, the young male clambered onto a small iceberg and, using his strong paws, clawed away at it to carve out a bed for himself before drifting off to sleep.”

“Tough Negotiation” by Ayala Fishaimer, Israel. Location: Judean Foothills, Israel
“Standing on a rock in the Judean Foothills of Israel, a red fox cub locks eyes with the shrew it had thrown up in the air moments earlier.
After the first Covid-19 lockdown, Ayala was in need of nature, and so headed out early one spring morning to the Judean Foothills in Israel. After an hour of driving, she arrived at the red fox den and, parking a safe distance away, waited. It wasn’t long before four cubs appeared and started to play.
This cub lost interest in its siblings and started sniffing around. Moments later, it pulled a shrew out of the sand and started knocking it around like a ball. Then, standing on a rock, the cub threw the shrew in the air. As it landed, Ayala caught the moment the hapless shrew and the fox locked eyes.”

“Curiosity” by Gerald Hinde, South Africa. Location: Greater National Park, South Africa
“Under the watchful eye of its mother in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park, a curious lion cub walks towards the photographer, who was watching from a vehicle.
Lion cubs are vulnerable to other predators, such as leopards and hyenas, but often, the main threat is from invading male lions. For the first six weeks, they’re kept hidden away; after this, they’re introduced to the pride and protection provided by all the members.
Gerald had parked his vehicle in the riverbed in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park. This was the first cub to come and investigate his arrival. Holding his camera out of the vehicle, close to the ground, he managed to get a low photographic angle of the cub’s activities.”

“Snowshoes” by Deena Sveinsson, USA. Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, USA.
“A snowshoe hare pulls its feet to its head to make the next big hop across the soft, deep snow in the forests of the Rocky Mountain National Park, USA.
It was a late spring morning, and Deena was snowshoeing deep in the forests of the Rocky Mountain National Park, USA when she noticed this snowshoe hare sleeping on a small snow mound. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she positioned herself in front of it.
Hours later, the hare woke and hopped off the snow mound in Deena’s direction. Using a high frame rate, she captured the exact moment in its hop where the hare pulled its large back feet up next to its head. Its large feet prevent the hare from sinking into the deep, soft snow, acting like snowshoes, hence its name the snowshoe hare.”

“Looking At Me, Looking At You” by John E. Marriott, Canada. Location: Chilko River, British Columbia, Canada
“A grizzly bear rises up on its hind legs and glances towards the photographer before returning to fish for salmon in the Chilko River in British Columbia, Canada.
John was leading a grizzly bear photography tour on the Chilko River when the group came across this bear salmon fishing. Allowing the current to take their small boat slowly past the bear, they watched it rise up on its hind legs as if to get a better perspective on the salmon in the shallow water.
As the bear was standing there, it momentarily glanced in the boat’s direction with a quizzical expression before returning to its salmon-fishing endeavors.”

“Missed Sip of Milk” by Karim Iliya, USA/Lebanon. Location: Off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia
“A humpback whale calf misses some of its mother’s milk, which drifts and swirls in the currents off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia.
In the seven years and hundreds of hours Karim’s been documenting humpback whales, he’s only seen whale milk floating in the water twice. Both times were on a diving trip off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia, with the same whale and her calf.
Humpback whales don’t have lips, so the calves can be clumsy and, on very rare occasions, miss some of the milk. Just as Karim was preparing to go back up to the surface, he saw the calf rising in the background and captured these strands of milk drifting and swirling in the current.”

“The Grassland Geladas” by Marco Gaiotti, Italy. Location: The Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, Ethiopia.
“A gelada suckles its baby alongside a companion at the edge of a plateau in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.
Taken during the August rainy season, with looming clouds threatening a downpour, a gelada mother suckles her baby alongside a female companion. The gelada family unit, known as a harem, usually consists of one male and a small number of related females and their young.
Gelada monkeys live only in the high mountain meadows of Ethiopia, where they spend most of their time on the ground grazing. However, with the number of domestic livestock increasing, their grazing grasslands are now diminishing, pushing them into restricted areas. A gelada suckles its baby alongside a companion at the edge of a plateau in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.”

“Shared Parenting” by Mark Boyd, Kenya. Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya
“A pair of lionesses devotedly groom one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara.
Early in the morning, Mark watched as these lionesses groomed one of their five cubs in their territory in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The evening before, they’d set off to hunt, leaving the cubs hidden overnight in dense bushes. Returning from their unsuccessful mission, they’d called the cubs out onto the open grassland.
Females raise each other’s cubs as their own, sharing parenting duties. Here the youngster was clearly enjoying the moment of affection and attention.”

“Opportunity Fox” by Matt Maran, UK. Location: London, UK
“A young red fox takes advantage of a bin stacked high with rubbish before collection day on a street in London, UK.
Over a two-month period, Matt watched a young male red fox learn the best time to climb into this street bin in London. It figured out it was Monday evenings, shortly before the weekly collection, when the rubbish was piled high, and any discarded food that rested on top was easy to get at.
Contrary to what most people think, an urban fox’s diet is made up of more than 50% natural food, such as earthworms, wild birds, seeds, and fruits. As a result, these animals play an important role in the urban ecosystem.”

“Neighborhood Dispute” by Ofer Levy, Australia. Location: Roebuck Bay, Australia.
“A mudskipper fiercely defends its territory from a trespassing crab in Roebuck Bay, Australia.
Mudskippers can live both in and out of the water as long as they remain wet. They thrive along the intertidal mudflats and mangroves of Western Australia. These amphibious fish are fiercely territorial, often building mud walls around their territories where they feed and breed.
This crab is evidently trespassing, and by opening its mouth and raising its dorsal fin, the mudskipper is challenging the intruder, attempting to scare it off with a threatening display. Ofer watched the two continually confront each other out on the mud flat—the mudskipper always initiating the clash.”

“Hope” by Roberto García-Roa, Spain. Location: Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea
“A rescued chimpanzee looks on from its enclosure at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea.
While photographing rescued chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea, Roberto captured this pensive portrait. Located in the National Park of Upper Niger, the center houses orphaned chimpanzees that have been rescued from being sold as pets after their mothers were killed for bushmeat.
Once abundant in Guinea, the western chimpanzee population is declining, and the species is now classified as Critically Endangered. The center rehabilitates the chimpanzees with the aim of releasing them back into the national park. It also works with local communities to show them why it’s important to protect the rainforest and its inhabitants.”

“Troublemaker” by Stefan Christmann, Germany. Location: Atka Bay, Antarctica
“An Adélie penguin approaches an emperor penguin and its chick during feeding time in Antarctica’s Atka Bay.
Stefan watched intently to see how the interactions between these three penguins would play out. Adélie penguins only appear in Antarctica’s Atka Bay for a short period during the southern hemisphere summer.
They’re opportunists and can be a nuisance for emperor penguins and their chicks. If the chance arises, Adélie penguins will try to cause the adult or the chick to drop its food while the chick is being fed, snatching any that falls to the ground.”

“The Happy Turtle” by Tzahi Finkelstein, Israel. Location: Jezreel Valley, Israel
“A Balkan pond turtle shares a moment of peaceful coexistence with a northern banded groundling dragonfly in Israel’s Jezreel Valley.
Tzahi was positioned in his hide in Israel’s Jezreel Valley, photographing shore birds, when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow water. At first, he wasn’t interested in it and carried on watching the birds. It wasn’t until a northern banded groundling dragonfly flew past his lens in the direction of the turtle that his focus changed.
The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle’s nose, but instead of snapping up the insect, the turtle appeared to be experiencing pleasure from the interaction as they shared a moment of peaceful coexistence in the midst of the swamp’s murky waters.”

“Tender Touch” by Andy Parkinson, UK. Location: The Monadhliath Mountains, Scotland, UK.
“Two courting mountain hares come together to touch noses in the Monadhliath Mountains in Scotland, UK.
For 15 years, Andy’s been photographing the hares of Scotland’s Monadhliath Mountains, but in all that time, he’s never witnessed a moment like this. He was expecting the female to repel the male’s advances with the usual explosive boxing behavior, so included lots of space around them.
Unexpectedly, the two courting hares came together and touched noses. Acting quickly, Andy caught their special moment on camera. For him, this was yet more evidence of the highly complex social relationships that animals have with one another.”

“Starling Murmuration” by Daniel Dencescu, Germany/Romania. Location: Rome, Italy
“A mesmerizing mass of starlings swirl into the shape of a giant bird on their way to communal roosts above the city of Rome, Italy.
Daniel was mesmerized by the movements of the starlings as they formed colossal organic shapes in the sky. Each day, as they returned from foraging, they would gather in large numbers and perform spellbinding aerial shows, known as murmurations, on their flight home to their communal roosts.
In a bid to locate the best roosting sites at which to capture the spectacle, Daniel spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome. Finally, on this cloudless winter’s day, the flock didn’t disappoint, swirling into the shape of a giant bird.”

“Incoming Cuckoo Wasp” by Frank Deschandol, France. Location: Near Montpellier, France
“Near Montpellier, France, a cuckoo wasp is captured mid-air trying to enter a mason bee’s clay burrow as a smaller cuckoo wasp cleans its wings below.
Frank set up near the mason bee’s clay burrow, but it wasn’t this species he wanted to capture. Instead, he was hoping to photograph the rare cuckoo wasp that parasitizes these bees. He was in luck when not one but two cuckoo wasps appeared. The larger one tried to get into the sealed burrow containing the bee’s eggs, while the smaller one cleaned its wings below.
While Frank was taking some shots, the larger cuckoo wasp flew off, returning seconds later with a drop of water at its mouth. The wasp uses water and saliva to soften the clay so it can dig into the bee’s sealed-up burrow. Once inside it lays its own egg, then closes the burrow up again. When the cuckoo wasp’s egg hatches, it feeds on mason bee larvae inside the burrow.”

“Homecoming” by Dvir Barkay, USA/Israel. Location: The lowland forests of Costa Rica
“A pygmy round-eared bat returns to its termite-nest home as two well-camouflaged family members look out from the entrance in the lowland forests of Costa Rica.
Dvir spent more than two months attempting to get images of the rarely photographed pygmy round-eared bat in the lowland rainforests of Costa Rica. The bats exhibit a unique roosting behavior, resting in hollows that they carve out with their teeth inside the nests of termite colonies.
Using a nearby branch to support his camera, Dvir set up an infrared trigger near the entrance of the roost, together with three diffused flashes. This image shows one of the bats returning home as two well-camouflaged family members peer out from the entrance.”

“Rubbish Drinks” by Claire Waring, UK. Location: Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia
“A Celebes crested macaque investigates the contents of a plastic bottle from a pile ready for recycling on a beach at the edge of Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia.
On a beach at the edge of the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, rangers had collected piles of plastic bottles for recycling. Most of them had washed up from the sea, and despite the sizeable pile, more would soon be added.
The Celebes crested macaques have learned that these bottles contain liquid and are often seen chewing off the caps to reach the contents. They’ve also worked out that the colored bottles are more likely to contain sweet liquid and so pick these. Some even carried bottles away into the forest, frustrating the rangers’ efforts.”

“Fashion Victims by Britta Jaschinski, Germany/UK. Location: Hamburg’s Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Germany
“These coats, made from the skins of some of the most endangered big cats, were confiscated by European customs officers and held for forensic tests before being used for educational events.
A rack of coats made from the skins of some of the most endangered big cats on Earth, including snow leopard, jaguar and ocelot, is displayed. Confiscated by customs officers across Europe, the coats were held in Hamburg’s Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change for forensic tests before being used at educational events to ensure they never return to the black market.
During the photoshoot, Britta learned that, on average, the fur industry uses 12 animals to make one coat. Together with a biologist, she tried to identify how many cats were killed to produce the fashion items in this image, but they stopped counting, as it was just too shocking.”

“Aurora Jellies” by Audun Rikardsen, Norway. Location: Tromsø, Northern Norway
“Moon jellyfish swarm in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø in northern Norway illuminated by the aurora borealis.
It’s common for this species to gather in their hundreds under the aurora borealis. Sheltering his equipment in a self-made waterproof housing, Audun used a single exposure as well as his own system for adjusting the focus and aperture during the exposure. This enabled him to capture the reflection of the sky’s colors on the surface of the water and, at the same time, light up the jellyfish with flashes.
Moon jellyfish are common in all oceans and are easily recognized by their four rings, which are, in fact their genitals.”

“A Rare Sight” by Axel Gomille, Germany. Location: The Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia.
“The rarest species of wild dog in the world, the Ethiopian wolf, takes a rest among the highland vegetation of Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park.
The summer greens and blues provide the perfect backdrop for the chestnut tones of the Ethiopian wolf’s coat in this serene image. The rarest species of wild dog in the world, there are only a few hundred left, surviving in the low-growing, Afro-alpine shrubland of the highlands of Ethiopia.
The Bale Mountains National Park, where this image was taken, supports the largest population of Ethiopian wolves. They’re threatened by habitat loss and diseases, such as rabies and canine distemper, which they catch from domestic dogs.”

“Bull In A Garbage Dump” by Brent Stirton, South Africa. Location: Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka
“A bull elephant kicks over garbage as it scavenges for rotten vegetables and fruit at a dump in Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka.
A number of male elephants are attracted to this location not only by the rubbish but also by nearby crops. The scar from a gunshot wound on the upper part of this elephant’s left front leg and another wound high on its back indicate he’s an insistent crop raider.
Human-elephant conflict often escalates from shouting and fireworks to frighten the elephants away from crops and people to shooting. The shots are seldom fatal and deter the elephants for a couple of months.”

“Autumn Glow” by Uge Fuertes Sanz, Spain. Location: The Cabriel River in the Sierra de Albarracín Mountains, Spain
“A painting-like composition of bulrushes and quaking aspens is framed in a small corner of the Cabriel River in the Sierra de Albarracín Mountains, Spain.
To Uge, this small corner of the river, among the bulrushes and quaking aspens, seemed as if it had been painted. The light and the composition of the plants between the trunks, together with the shapes and colors of the autumn leaves, created texture and balance.
He took more than a hundred images while on the banks of the River Cabriel in the Sierra de Albarracin Mountains, Spain, waiting patiently for a cloud to pass overhead so a soft light would wash over everything.”

“Duckling Huddle” by Charles Davis, Australia. Location: Smiggin Holes, New South Wales, Australia
“A wood duck and its brood are caught in a late spring snowstorm in Smiggin Holes, New South Wales, Australia.
It would normally be warm and sunny when these ducklings hatch from their nest high up in a tree hollow, but thanks to the La Niña effect things were a bit different this year. Warmer waters in the western Pacific meant more precipitation, resulting in more rain than normal in eastern Australia and cooler and wetter springs and summers.
Despite the conditions, the ducklings chose to exit their nest, dropping down into a frozen world. Upon landing, they quickly became lost in a snowstorm as their mother frantically tried to lead them to open water.”