FROM SUNRISES IN Georgia to a seal only too happy to be photographed, these images capture scenes of amazing beauty.
There are just some of the entries to the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest
The contest is still accepting entries until 17 November.
The captions below were provided by each individual photographer. Some have been edited for clarity.
I Can See The Sky From Here
“My daughter and her best friend on their backs in a clearing, just between a planted fir forest and a natural beech forest.”
Flowers Last Light
“This image was captured in lower Ice Lake Basin outside of Silverton, Colorado. The rain had come and gone a number of times throughout the trip. This was the scene that unfolded on the last evening. It was such a sight to behold and a great way to end the trip.”
Liquid Bear
“Bear from the water [in] Kamchatka, Russia.”
Teardrop of Seals
“Like most seals the Australian fur seals are very inquisitive and playful. I was lucky to spend a couple of hours playing with this small colony of female seals until the bull male got tired of the lack of attention and made it clear I wasn’t welcome anymore.”
Above the Polar Bear
“Dear future generation, I hope we will still be able to see the Arctic wildlife as we do now. It is threatened as the environment is changing. I was able to witness many scenes of wildlife and I can guarantee you this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Here the polar bear might be interpreted as holding back the sea ice melting. Incredible and unique shot six meters above a polar bear in Nunavut near Baffin Island during wildlife reportage in Nunavut and Greenland during summer 2017.”
Thousands of Belugas
“Every summer, thousands of belugas come back in the shallow water of Nunavut [in northern Canada]. They spend summer in estuaries, scratching their skins on the bottom. We can see them really close to the shore, in a turquoise water that makes you feel you are not in the Arctic. The photo was taken during wildlife reportage in Nunavut and Greenland during summer 2017.”
A Beautiful Morning in Hallstat
“The image was taken from Hallstat Village in Austria right after sunrise. I had to walk some distance to reach this village view point. It was worth every step that I took as the scene turned out to be magical with the fog movement. Luckily the fog did not cover up the mountains.”
Great White Shark
“Great White Shark at Guadalupe Island, Mexico”
Family Reunion
“We found them early one morning feasting on a freshly-killed springbok. It was an intense sight to watch them feed – our close proximity to them gave us an opportunity to observe their relationship with one another. It was fascinating to watch the brothers intermittently embrace each other and lick the blood off each other’s faces while the mother kept guard. This photograph captures the harshness of the wild and yet softens us to witness the strong bond between the brothers.”
Kalsoy
“Kalsoy island and Kallur lighthouse in sunset light, Faroe Islands.”
Sea and Salt
“Spain has many impressive landscapes and fascinating destinations, but one of the most amazing natural resorts are the salty pink lakes in Torrevieja. In this beautiful coastal resort you can find two beautiful salt lakes: a blue-green one called La Mata lagoon and the other, of an impressive pink colour, known as Torrevieja lagoon. Both are connected to the sea by canals.”
Great Gray Owl Taking Off
“Great Gray Owl Taking Off in winter.”
One Happy Seal Model
“Went to Skagan in the very north of Denmark at sunrise and found this willing model.”
Sunrise
“Morning at Koruldi Lakes in Georgia (the country).”
Skye
“A spectacular sunrise at the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say