Wildlife

Photo © Simon Heather

1st classified

Ocean Clean Up
by Toby Nicol


Over the span of approximately four days, a massive sperm whale remained stranded on the shores of Perth until it perished around 4:30 am on a Tuesday morning. This photo was taken the day after when a tiger showed up to do nature's work.

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Runner up

Sea of pink
by Paul Mckenzie


Lesser flamingos, with their flight capability, and occasionally assemble in immense numbers to take advantage of ideal feeding conditions at certain soda lakes. This image captures just a fraction of the over one million birds that flocked to Lake Logipi for several weeks.

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Highly commended

pelicanos blancos
by Guillermo Soberón


White pelicans gather in the wetland "Estero el Soldado," located in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. This wetland is a natural protected area that hosts numerous migrating birds, with the white pelicans standing out prominently against the dark-sedimented waters.

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Highly commended

Fuji mountain
by Mohammad Alqattan


During the migration season, a flock of flamingos passed through the state of Kuwait. The movement of these elegant birds was monitored over the course of a week, during which several pictures were captured showcasing the majestic formations of the flying swarms.

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Highly commended

A Polar Romance
by Florian Ledoux


As the sun set over the mountain slope, a male and female polar bear lay together, having just completed their courtship ritual. In this tender and intimate moment, they soon fell asleep, exhausted but content in each other's company.

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Commended

Resting in the safe arms of Mother Nature
by Pravin Shanmughanandam


A herd of elephants, including a young calf, peacefully sleeping on a lush green meadow in the middle of the day after feeding since morning. Undisturbed habitats like these grasslands and shola forest patches are vital sanctuaries for Asian elephants in the wild.

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Commended

Jackal in the Field
by Md Imrul Kayes


Golden jackals usually hide in woodlands during the day. Being an adaptive creature this one has made a wheat field its home. I had to take the picture from a drone camera to show how this creature adapts to survive in our ever-changing planet.

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Commended

The Gateway
by Joanna Steidle


This spinner shark is diving into a school of menhaden fish. The fish quickly react in unison to evade the approaching shark. Thanks to conservation efforts, these schools can now contain tens of thousands of fish, providing a bountiful feast for nearby sharks. Captured just 200...

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Commended

Angel Wings
by Tim Burgess


While watching this juvenile humpback during its migration south to Antarctica, it breached, creating a surreal splash resembling angel wings within the spray. A lasting reminder of the incredible beauty of nature.

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Commended

Fly Flamingo
by Maurizio Tentorio


Flying over Lake Magadi, you can witness the flights of thousands of flamingos. Capturing unique moments is not easy; this photo depicts a group of flamingos in flight, with the characteristic salt crystal formations of this lake in the arid region of Kenya in the background.

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Commended

Down Under
by Joanna Steidle


This is an aerial photograph of a humpback whale diving back beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, taken approximately 60 meters off the coast of Southampton, NY, USA. It is a direct result of the greatest conservation success I will witness in my lifetime.

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Commended

A Dangerous Addiction
by Lakshitha Karunarathna


A solitary elephant feeds on a vast, multicolored rubbish pile. I intentionally lowered the drone to a level where the elephant could hear the fans, expecting it to move away from the trash. However, the elephant's attraction to garbage was too strong, and it continued to feed in...

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