2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest – June Selects

The 27th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest is accepting entries. Harness the power of photography and share your stunning travel experiences from around the globe. Gather your best travel photos and join the competition. Official categories include: Travel Portraits; Outdoor Scenes; Sense of Place; and Spontaneous Moments. Visit weekly to see photo galleries of the top entries.

Camel Ardah. As it called in Oman, it’s one of the traditional styles of camel racing between two camels controlled by expert men, the faster camel is the loser one, so they must be running by the same speed level in the same track. (Photo and caption by Ahmed Al Toqi / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Freediver Carlos Correa ascending towards the light on a break during the 2015 Caribbean Cup of Freediving in Roatán, Honduras. Every time I look at this photo it relaxes me and makes me wonder about how these athletes can reach depths of 300ft. and hold their breath for upwards of 4 minutes. (Photo and caption by Alex St. Jean / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

On a summer night, in the colonial town of Santa Clara, Cuba, people hurry to get home before the storm. (Photo and caption by Frédéric Elhorga / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

A 6-year-old boy imitates the elder shepherds of a small Romanian village. (Photo and caption by Felicia Simion / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

I was working at my family farm some 150 km from the Calbuco Volcano when a friend called me and told me what was happening, I took my camera and tripod and drove to Puerto Varas where a quiet chaos was ensuing and decided to keep on driving to darker area. Upon arrival the volcano was quiet again, not even vapour coming out so a little disapointed I went to rest. Two hours later hell broke loose and I could take some of the pictures I was dreaming about ever since Chaiten eruption in 2008. (Photo and caption by Eduardo Minte Hess / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The island of Borneo, which is split between the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, was once covered with a lush tropical rainforest, but in the wake of ongoing deforestation and the expansion of plantation farming, the habitats of the islandÕs endemic and endangered species are being destroyed rapidly. Relentless deforestation has precipitated the loss of 90% of the orangutan population in 100 years. At this rate, some expect this species to become extinct within the next 20 years. (Photo and caption by Yosuke Kashiwakura / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach. These boulders are grey-colored septarian concretions, which have been exhumed from the mudstone enclosing them and concentrated on the beach by coastal erosion. (Photo and caption by Davide Simiele / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

While foraging for food, sometimes Greater Flamingos get into mild altercation with their neighbours. This is one such moment when these two big guys bumped into each other. And when this happens, they both stand tall and bite each other’s beak and continue to do what they were doing. While this is clearly a fight, the way they do this appears to be a romantic moment. (Photo and caption by Poorna Kedar / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The herd bull watches over his small harem as they cross the river while the Tetons catch the day’s first rays. (Photo and caption by Alan Bartels / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The little tarsier, nicely nestled in a leaf, suddenly opens its eyes! They are nocturnal so what a surprise. These tiny primates (3 to 6 inches) are found only in the Philippines and most of them are in sanctuaries. This one was in a sanctuary in Bohol Island. (Photo and caption by Bonnie Stewart / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

I visited Deadvlei in 2008. The personal emotional and spiritual connection I felt with “The Beginning” I know I had to return someday. That time came in May of 2015. I knew I had to make a photograph that reflected how I felt during my first visit and on this visit. I did capture it. I fell it was not just a sense of place but a sense of time. (Photo and caption by Christopher R Gray / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

This disorienting photo was taken from a cliff overlooking Lake Louise in Banff national park. The two people are enjoying a canoe ride on Lake Louise’s turquoise waters. (Photo and caption by Ben Leshchinsky / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Every year, humpback whales come to Kingdom of Tonga during July to September. The mothers raise their babies and when they are enough strong they go far away to the cold water. During whale watching activity, you can live some incredible experiences by interaction with this fabulous mammal. This young calf played with me during 30 minutes under the control of his mother, a great memory! (Photo and caption by Marc Henauer / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

This is taken at the volcanic beach at Stokksnes in south-eastern Iceland in February 2015. I used a 2-second exposure to capture the water trails as the waves receded over rocks at the edge of the beach, just as the sun was setting behind me, illuminating the mighty Vesturhorn mountain and some peaks in the far distance. (Photo and caption by Sophie Carr / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

There’s nothing quite like being able to stand at the base of Niagara Falls as you feel and hear the thundering roar of the water as it falls over the edge and plunges 170′ down to the Niagara River. (Photo and caption by Christine Hess / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Celebrating African ingenuity, resourcefulness and curiosity…. The moon’s shadow swept across the Earth creating a total eclipse of the sun. One of the best place to observe the total solar eclipse was in Uganda. This image is part of a series of 9 images taken on the streets of Uganda, on Sunday, November 3, 2013. (Photo and caption by Tariq Zaidi / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The people of the Omo Valley in Ethiopia have lived their lives virtually undisturbed by outsiders for centuries. What’s more, the region in which they live is even more ancient. The site is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and according to UNESCO, the area is “unlike any other place on Earth in that so many different types of people have inhabited such a small area of land over many millennia.” This image is part of a series focusing specifically on Women of the Omo Valley. (Photo and caption by Tariq Zaidi / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Volcan Villarrica, ubicado a mas de 700 Kilometros al sur de Santiago de Chile, este Volcan desde el 03 de Marzo se encuentra en proceso eruptivo. esta fotografia fue tomada el pasado 11 de Mayo en la ciudad de Pucón. (Photo and caption by Cristobal Escobar / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Captured in Kruger National Park in South Africa, this lion was one of four coalition males that had made an elephant kill during the night. For four days they fed on their prey, and this beautiful male was ready for a nap after filling his belly. (Photo and caption by Hamish Mitchell / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Lion cub jumping on mother’s head, Naboisho Conservancy, Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa. (Photo and caption by Marja Schwartz / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

While touring the waterways along the Antarctic Peninsula, we saw two Adelie Penguins watching their surroundings from the top of an Iceberg. (Photo and caption by David Menaker / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

A silhouetted figure moves through a steam filled intersection, against the backdrop of the Chrysler Building in NYC. February 27, 2015. (Photo and caption by Steve Wadden / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

It was minutes before sunset in Masai Mara reservation and moments before we arrive at the camp where I saw hundreds of wild beast heading toward the river. one of the wild beasts was still and staring at me . A shot with a slow shutter produced this photo. (Photo and caption by Mohammed Yousef / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Beautiful tornado tracks in open farm land narrowly missing a home near Simla, Colorado. (Photo and caption by James Smart / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The late afternoon sun shines down on the Gorner Glacier above the Swiss town of Zermatt. The radiant heat offers enough warmth to let algae grow in the snow and cast a pink hue with their growth. The seasonal weather also causes the ice to crack and melt, which causes rivers and waterfalls to form from the runoff and cascade down the giant rock face of Monte Rosa Massif. (Photo and caption by Derek Gerstmann / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The Rock restaurant just off shore in Zanzibar. As the sun set, I was taking photos of The Rock before going out there to have dinner. As the light levels dropped, the light came on in the restaurant and I knew I had my shot. (Photo and caption by Dale Johnson / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The famous hall “Halle der Circe” is located at the end of the highest-lying touristic cave in the world (2100 m alt.), which can be reached only by experienced cavers. With proper lighting the permanent ice in the hall shines in beautiful blue tones, which add enchantment atmosphere to the frozen hall. (Photo and caption by Peter Gedei / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Sunrise at Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Aerial Image. If you look carefully, you might notice the person enjoying this natural beauty. (Photo and caption by Jassen T. / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)