The annual World Nature Photography Awards (WNPA) have just announced their 2021 winners, and the pictures are stunning.
The top award and cash prize of $1,000 went to Amos Nachoum from the United States for his image of a leopard seal about to capture a defenseless Gentoo penguin.
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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.
However, all 14 categories have seen images that capture the beauty of our planet.
As humanity’s relationship with Earth slowly shifts to be one of protection rather than plunder, the organizers of the contest believe that photography can put a spotlight on the majesty and wonder of the natural world, reminding us to take action now in order to secure a better tomorrow for everyone.
And when you scroll through the judges’ favorites, it’s impossible to disagree.
More info: worldnaturephotographyawards.com
#1 Urban Wildlife, Silver: Mohammad Murad, Kuwait
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#2 Behaviour Mammals, Gold Winner And Grand Prize: Amos Nachoum, USA
“For hours, I waited for the low tide to arrive along a shallow lagoon on a remote island off the Antarctic Peninsula. Like clockwork, the leopard seal arrived in the lagoon just before low tide. It put its head in the water and looked just like a rock sitting in the receding water. The young Gentoo penguins only dare to enter the water when it is shallow and when they got close enough to the seal, it turned its head at lightning speed, catching one of the penguins by its feet and taking it to deep water. Once the seal reached open water, I followed it and swam parallel to it, observing its actions. To my surprise, it let go of the penguin twice. Each time, the seal chased after the penguin again, as if it was enjoying the game. The terrified penguin tried to escape as the game continued. But soon, the end came. “
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#3 Black And White, Gold: Vince Burton, UK
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#4 Behaviour Amphibians And Reptiles, Silver: Massimo Giorgetta, Italy
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#5 Plants And Fungi, Bronze: Jan Czeczotka, Germany
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#6 Behaviour Birds, Silver: Robert J. Ross, USA
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#7 Behaviour Invertebrates, Gold: Chin Leong Teo, Singapore
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#8 Behaviour Amphibians And Reptiles, Gold: Shayne Kaye, Canada
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#9 Animals In Their Habitat, Silver: Celia Kujala, USA
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#10 Nature Photojournalism, Gold: Alain Schroeder, Belgium
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#11 Animal Portraits, Bronze: Amit Eshel, Israel
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#12 Behaviour Mammals, Bronze: Buddhilini De Soyza, Australia
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#13 Nature Art, Bronze: Gabriel Barathieu, Mayotte
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#14 Animal Portraits, Gold: Tom Vierus, Fiji
“Long-tailed macaques enjoy the warmth of each other during a hot day in Bali, Indonesia. These animals show very similar behaviour to us humans including enjoying each other trusting company. The macaques are used to humans and are commonly found around temples where they tend to feed on food sacrifices by the locals.”
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#15 Animal Portraits, Silver: Neelutpaul Barua, India
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#16 Animals In Their Habitat, Gold: Thomas Vijayan, Canada
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#17 Behaviour Birds, Bronze: Robert Maynard, UK
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#18 Urban Wildlife, Bronze: Alex Pansier, Netherlands
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#19 Black And White, Bronze: Michael Stavrakakis, Australia
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#20 Planet Earth’s Landscape And Environments, Gold: Sam Wilson, Australia
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#21 Animals In Their Habitat, Bronze: Christian Tuckwell Smith, UK
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#22 Nature Art, Silver: Monika Schneider, Germany
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#23 Nature Photojournalism, Bronze: Bence Mate, Hungary
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#24 People And Nature, Bronze: Dr Gaetano Gargiulo, Australia
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#25 People And Nature, Silver: Mike Eyett, Switzerland
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#26 Black And White, Silver: Avanka Fernando, Sri Lanka
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#27 Behaviour Birds, Gold: Ashok Behera, India
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#28 Behaviour Mammals, Silver: William Fortescue, UK
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#29 Nature Art, Gold: Federico Testi, Italy
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#30 Nature Photojournalism, Silver: Alexej Sachov, Ukraine
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#31 People And Nature, Gold: Sabrina Inderbitzi, Switzerland
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#32 Planet Earth’s Landscape And Environments, Bronze: Rie Asada, Japan
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#33 Planet Earth’s Landscape And Environments, Silver: Alessandro Gruzza, Italy
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#34 Behaviour Amphibians And Reptiles, Bronze: Patrick Nowotny, USA
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#35 Plants And Fungi, Gold: Gautam Kamat Bambolkar, India
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#36 Plants And Fungi, Silver: Vladislav Tasev, UK
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#37 Urban Wildlife, Gold: Matthijs Noome, USA
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#38 Behaviour Invertebrates, Bronze: Irina Petrova Adamatzky, UK
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#39 Behaviour Invertebrates, Silver: Clincoln Macgregor, Australia
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Source: boredpanda.com