Every year, National Geographic announces the winners for ‘Nature Photographer of the Year,’ and each year, the photos are unbelievably gorgeous. This year is no exception.
After receiving over 11,000 submissions, the world-renowned magazine narrowed it down to a few dozen winners. The competition was stiff and the photos submitted fell into one of four categories: wildlife, landscapes, aerials, and water.
The winning shots below are so epically timed, they almost seem fake.
These photos show just how much breath-taking beauty is on our remarkable and powerful planet.
1. The Grand Prize Winner – “Face to Face in a River in Borneo,” Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan
2. A young male lion shakes his head in the breeze. Photo by Ge Xiao.
3. A crocodile uses its natural camouflage. Photo by Cole Frechou.
4. A fish eye’s view of a bear in Russia. Photo by Mike Korostelev.
5. A tornado of fish in the sea. Photo by Anuar Patjane Floriuk.
6. First place winner of ‘Landscapes.’ “Firefall” by Karim Iliya.
7. A Marine Iguana sneezes to expel sea water. Photo by M. Engelmann.
8. A star-shaped snack. Photo by Pedro Carrillo.
9. Swimming amongst a pod of sleeping sperm whales. Photo by Franco Banfi.
10. Showing off. Photo by Ernie Black.
11. Dwarfing waves crash against a lighthouse. Photo by Paul Kingston.
12. A perfectly lit water show. Photo by Bence Mate.
13. Peeking out from safety. Photo by Marc Hornig.
14. A nice stretch beneath stormy skies. Photo by Joel Fischer.
15. Stealing a sweet treat. Photo by Wanling Tang.
16. Predators amongst their prey. Photo by Jennifer Oneil.
17. Nature’s food chain in action. Photo by Amy Gulick.
18. Colors dancing on the night sky. Photo by Johns Tsai.
19. First place winner for ‘Aerials.’ “Rock Pool” by Todd Kennedy.
20. A picture-perfect sunset silhouette. Photo by Holly-Lynn Latimour.
21. Peaking out from the sand. Photo by Sylvie Ayer.
22. Where nature meets concrete. Photo by Antonio Lopez.
23. Angry earth. Photo by Vladimir Voychuk.
24. Showing off their pearly whites. Photo by Gary Peart.
25. A powerful summer storm. Photo by Mike Olbinski.
26. Fire meeting water. Photo by Greg C.
27. Floating on a pink sea. Photo by Wellington Rodrigues.
28. Enjoying the fruits of their labor. Photo by Erik Joosten.
29. Two sea lions sneak a kiss. Photo by Truc Allen.
30. Tiny little hitch-hikers. Photo by Michael Smith.
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