Whales Making Waves
Image by Bertie Gregory (Bertie Gregory/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
In this awe-inspiring photo, a pod of orcas (Orcinus orca) strategizes their attack on a Weddell seal in the waters around Antarctica. By charging towards ice floes, the orcas create a wave that washes their prey into the water.
Last Gasp
Image by Lennart Verheuvel (Lennart Verheuvel/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
A compelling image captured by Lennart Verheuvel showcases a sick and malnourished orca stranded on a beach in the Netherlands. Despite efforts to refloat the whale, it eventually became stranded again and sadly passed away.
Life on the Edge
Image by Amit Eshel (Amit Eshel/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
Amit Eshel’s photograph depicts a clash between two Nubian ibexes (Capra nubiana) on a clifftop in Israel’s Zin desert. During the mating season, rival males rise up on their hind legs and ram their heads together in a fierce competition.
The Ancient Mariner
Image by Laurent Ballesta (Laurent Ballesta/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
Laurent Ballesta, a past winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year title, presents us with an incredible image of a tri-spine horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus). Taken in the waters off Pangatalan Island in the Philippines, the photo also features three juvenile golden trevallies (Gnathanodon speciosus) accompanying the horseshoe crab.
Hippo Nursery
Image by Mike Korostelev (Mike Korostelev/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
Mike Korostelev captures a peaceful moment as a hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) and her two offspring rest in a shallow lake in South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park. With a calf produced every two to three years, the hippos found solace in Korostelev’s presence due to his extended time spent observing them.
Last Breath of Autumn
Image by Agorastos Papatsanis (Agorastos Papatsanis/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
Agorastos Papatsanis showcases the beauty of a fungus releasing its spores in the forests of Mount Olympus in Greece. Illuminated by the photographer’s camera flash, the shot captures the mesmerizing moment of billions of spores being dispersed in the air currents.
