World Nature Photography Awards 2024: Check out the spectacular winning images
The winners of the World Nature Photography awards have been revealed!
From a thrilling action shot of two zebras falling victim to a cheetah's chase, to a playful oxpecker making itself at home on a wild buffalo, the photographs span the globe, showcasing both the beauty and the rawness of nature.
Tracey Lund from the UK clinched the top prize, receiving a cash reward of $1,000, for her stunning photograph of two gannets hunting a fish beneath the waves off the shores of the Shetland Islands.
Below are the winning images of the competition, along with a selection of our favourite runnerup snapshots:
Behaviour - Birds
Winner: Tracey Lund - 'Underwater gannets'
Taken whilst on holiday in Shetland, sat on the side of a RIB. The hired DSLR camera in the waterproof housing was attached to polecam system and lowered into the water. Thousands of gannets were in the sky above us and then started to dive into the sea after local fish. An unbelievable spectacle to witness, let alone photograph. I took 1800 images on that day but only had 2 that I could use. Tracey Lund
Animal portraits
Winner: Nicolas Remy - 'Anger fish'
I was aware of this black anglerfish living in a reef that I regularly dive and had in mind a portrait that would emphasise the character of this ambushed predator. Nicolas Remy
Behaviour - Mammals
Winner: Alex Brackx - 'Those last seconds'
That morning, we decided to follow four cheetahs on the hunt. We followed them for hours. We knew something was going to happen. When, five hours later, our Maasai guide whispered, ‘they are going for the zebras.'
Seconds later, the cheetahs burst into a small group of zebras. In those seconds, I took this picture of the mother zebra launching a last attempt to push her foal away from the attacking cheetah. She failed. I will remember those last seconds for the rest of my life. Alex Brackx
Underwater
Winner: Andy Schmid - 'Crowd control'
Every winter, enormous schools of herring migrate from the open ocean into the fjords of Northern Norway and attract large numbers of big predators such as orcas and humpback whales. Witnessing orcas feeding on herring using the so-called carousel feeding technique is very exciting but not easy to capture due to various factors: limited light and visibility, fast-paced action plus cold surface and water temperature. Andy Schmid
People and nature
Winner: Pavlos Evangelidis -
'Catch of the day'
Traditional stilt fishermen try their luck with the changing tide at sunset in Koggala, Sri Lanka. It showcases the water movement in contrast to the stillness of the fishermen. Traditional, artisanal fishing methods like these, used for subsistence do not pose significant threats to the ocean’s natural resources and on the contrary makes local communities stakeholders to the ocean’s health. Pavlos Evangelidis
Behaviour - Amphibians and reptiles
Winner: John Seager - 'Head massage'
I took this image during a trip to the Galápagos Islands. The Islands are full of iconic marine iguanas and lava lizards. This was the only time I saw a lizard basking on the head of an iguana, both obviously enjoying the occasion with beatific smiles! John Seager
Nature art
Winner: Miki Spitzer - 'Earth's treasure'
Icy blue watery veins, shimmering glacial braids and glistening golden sediment come together to provide a delightful mirage for the human eye. Is it a beautiful elephant with a flowing lion's mane? Or a lion's head with
luxurious flowing braids? It's up to you and your imagination.
This is the gift of Iceland's magical topography. Miki Spitzer
Urban wildlife
Winner: Roy Wiesner - 'Dragon's nest'
A nest built on a half-broken dragon mobile hanging in the porch of a residential home, constantly moving in all directions by the wind. I watched for hours as the male and female flew in turns to add a twig, feather, hair and even clothes tags that they collected nearby to build this perfectly shaped nest that can hold several eggs.
Finally, the female was content and agreed to pose at the entrance to her new home. Even the dragon couldn’t but smile. Roy Wiesner
Black and white
Winner: Richard Li - 'Graceful turn'
In a hidden shelter in Kenya, I patiently waited until late into the night to capture the graceful moment when a leopard approached the pond, elegantly turning around. Richard Li
Planet Earth’s landscapes and environments
Winner: Ivan Pedretti - 'Winter in
Stokksnes'
Winter in Stokksnes, Iceland. The beach with its black sand and the majestic mountain called Vestrahorn, I love the contrast in colours between the white mountains and the black dunes with yellow grass. Ivan Pedretti
Nature photojournalism
Winner: Celia Kujala - 'The Dangerous Toy'
Play is very important in the development of California sea lion pups and everything in their environment is a potential toy. On this day, in the span of two dives, I was able to collect six pieces of garbage that they were playing with, including the one pictured, and take them out of the ocean. It is extremely sad to see what our waste is doing to them and even though it is hard to make changes, we must do better. Celia Kujala
Behaviour - Invertebrates
Second place: Panagiotis Dalagiorgos - 'Not so silent hill'
Black and white
Second place: Tom Way - 'Under a mother's guidance'
Behaviour - Birds
Second place: Laskshitha Karunarathhna: Oxpecker and water buffalo