What almost looks like an open hand is an aerial of an iceberg, the 'palm of the hand,' upon which a lone Weddell seal sits while trying to avoid a group of orcas surrounding the iceberg, the 'fingers' of the hand.

13 stunning photos from this year’s best wildlife photographers

From a delicate sack of salamander eggs to a forest illuminated by fireflies, these winning images from an annual competition emphasize the importance of conservation.

National Geographic explorer Bertie Gregory captured a group of orcas that specialize in hunting seals by charging towards the ice, creating a wave that washes the seal into the water. With rising temperatures melting ice sheets and seals are spending more time on land, this behavior of ‘wave washing’ may disappear.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BERTIE GREGORY, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 11, 2023 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

From highlighting a quiet moment of peace between mother and child, to a battle between predators and prey in frigid waters, images from some of the best photographers around the world are showcased in the U.K.’s Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.Whether it’s capturing wildlife that needs our help or opening our eyes to the impact of human development, photography in this competition aims to help nurture respect for the planet, advance scientific research, and spread awareness of environmental destruction.

Several National Geographic photographers were honored this year for their work showcasing the tenuous position of animals in a world altered by humans. Below, see our favorite pictures from this year’s contest and check out the full list of winners here.

Darkness is essential for fireflies to find a mate, making them especially vulnerable to light pollution. An estimated 83 percent of humans live under light-polluted skies. Sriram Murali showcases a forest illuminated with fireflies at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in India.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SRIRAM MURALI, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

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A man touches the last living White Rhino.

These photos were among the favorites of our 200 million Instagram followers

We’ve posted more than 26,000 photos in 10 years. Here are the stories you connected with.

Wildlife ranger Joseph Wachira comforts Sudan, the last living male northern white rhino, as he laid dying at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya in March 2018. “He died surrounded by people who loved him,” wrote Ami Vitale, who was there to capture his last goodbyes. She added that she hoped that Sudan’s legacy “will awaken us to protect this magnificent and fragile planet.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY AMI VITALE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2022 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Instagram account—which just became the first brand to surpass the incredible milestone of 200 million followers—National Geographic is looking back at some of the photographs that have been reader favorites through the years.

Over the last decade, the @natgeo Instagram account has given readers an intimate glimpse into the lives and work of our photographers—where they travel, who they meet, and how they got the stories that they tell within the pages of our magazine. Overall, we’ve posted more than 26,000 stunning images taken by more than a hundred photographers. They’ve gotten nearly 82 billion impressions, eight billion likes, and more than 43 million comments since we first started recording audience data in 2016.

These images capture the beauty and wonder of the world we live in and the creatures that inhabit it. Our followers have joined Ami Vitale as she said goodbye to Sudan, the last living male rhinoceros. They’ve watched synchronous fireflies flicker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Kiliii Yuyan. And they’ve taken a moment just to breathe in the crisp air at Grand Teton National Park with Jimmy Chin.

Our photographers have also illuminated our struggles—from Joshua Irwandi’s chilling image of the body of a suspected COVID-19 victim in an Indonesian hospital to the child bride that Stephanie Sinclair photographed in Afghanistan in 2005. And Nichole Sobecki’s photographs of a rescued cheetah cub reminded us that everyone can help combat the illegal wildlife trade by refusing to like, share, or comment when they see a social media post of a pet cheetah, which is likely a victim of trafficking. It’s a testament not just to the power of social media, but the power of photography.

An 11-year-old girl in Afghanistan sits beside her fiancé, estimated to be in his 40s, at their engagement ceremony in 2005. After decades of progress for women and girls, the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan in August 2021—bringing what photographer Stephanie Sinclair described as “one of the most dramatic rollbacks of women’s and girls’ rights in recent history.” Reports emerged detailing war crimes and targeted violence against women and girls, including kidnappings, beatings, and forced marriages of young girls to Taliban fighters. “My heart is tearing into pieces,” Jamila, an Afghan journalist, told Sinclair. “For centuries we were the victims of wars—as children, as teenagers, as mothers. Always as women. We don’t want to be slaves to be beaten and abused. We don’t want these 20 years of progress to just go, wash away.”

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY

13 stunning photos from this year’s best wildlife photographers

These photos were among the favorites of our 200 million Instagram followers

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