A leopard seal catches her lunch: The World Nature Photography Award winners

The World Nature Photography Awards have announced their winners from a pool of entries that were received from all corners of the globe.

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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 coral is native to the waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Photo by Gabriel Barathieu

Animal portrait category winner – Long-tailed macaques

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

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People and nature category winner – Ice cave

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 reptiles silver 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

Authors

James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine, researching striking images for the magazine and on the website. He is also has a passion for taking his own photographs

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