Spectacular Winning Images of The World Nature Photography Awards 2021

Celebrating the world’s best nature photographers, as they highlight the wonders of our planet. When great science and great art combine, amazing things can be achieved. That’s the philosophy behind the World Nature Photography Awards, a global nature and wildlife photography contest for planet Earth.

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A scuba diver with a school of mackerel in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico, wins the silver prize in the people and nature category of the 2021 World Nature Photography awards. (Photo by Mike Eyett/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Leopard seal chasing a Gentoo penguin in Antarctica. This image wins the gold prize in the behaviour – mammals category, and the grand prize of World Nature Photographer of the Year. (Photo by Amos Nachoum/World Nature Photography Awards)

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A female orangutan is prepared for surgery at the SOCP quarantine centre, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The gold winner in the nature photojournalism category. (Photo by Alain Schroeder/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Bronze medal, Behaviour – Invertebrates, green huntsman spider (Micrommata virescens) and a vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster), Magnitogorsk, Russia, by Irina Petrova Adamatzky, UK. (Photo by Irina Petrova Adamatzky/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Nature Photojournalism: hotel sewage pipe, Maldives, by Alexej Sachov, Ukraine. (Photo by Alexej Sachov/World Nature Photography Awards)

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A landscape with trees in San Quirico d’orcia, Tuscany, Italy. The gold winner in the nature art category. (Photo by Federico Testicia/World Nature Photography Awards)

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An ice cave in Lake Baikal, Russia. The gold winner in the people and nature category. (Photo by Sabrina Inderbitzi/World Nature Photography Awards)

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A Pacific tree frog on a flower at Outerbridge Park in Victoria, Canada. The gold winner in the behaviour – Amphibians and Reptiles category. (Photo by Shayne Kaye/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Snow-capped mountains on the South Island of New Zealand. The gold winner in the planet Earth’s landscapes and environments category. (Photo by Sam Wilson/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Animal Portraits: brown bear mother and her cubs, South Kamchatka Sanctuary, Russia, by Neelutpaul Barua, India. (Photo by Neelutpaul Barua/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Red ants crossing in Indonesia. The gold winner in the behaviour – invertebrates category. (Photo by Chin Leong Teo/World Nature Photography Awards)

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An Arctic fox walking through a snowstorm in Iceland. The gold winner in the black and white category. (Photo by Vince Burton/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Three long-tailed macaques in Bali, Indonesia. The gold winner in the animal portraits category. (Photo by Tom Vierus/World Nature Photography Awards)

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The abandoned house in Goa, India. The gold winner in the plants and fungi category. (Photo by Gautam Kamat Bambolkar/World Nature Photography Awards)

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A orangutan in Borneo. The gold winner in the animals in their habitat category. (Photo by Thomas Vijayan/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Humpback whale off New York City, the US. The gold winner in the urban wildlife category. (Photo by Matthijs Noome/World Nature Photography Awards)

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A vulture and fox feasting on wildebeest, Masai Mara, Kenya. The gold winner in behaviour – birds category. (Photo by Ashok Behera/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Bronze medal, Animal Portraits: female puma and her cubs, Patagonia, Chile, by Amit Eshel, Israel. (Photo by Amit Eshel/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Behaviour – Invertebrates: hawk moth, Kangaroo Valley Region, New South Wales, Australia, by Lincoln Macgregor, Australia. (Photo by Lincoln Macgregor/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Bronze medal, Behaviour – Amphibians and Reptiles: green iguana, Costa Rica, by Patrick Nowotny Hang, US. (Photo by Patrick Nowotny Hang/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Urban Wildlife: Arabian red foxes, Kuwait City, by Mohammad Murad, Kuwait. (Photo by Mohammad Murad/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Behaviour – Birds: red billed queleas, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, by Robert Ross, US. (Photo by Robert J. Ross/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Behaviour – Mammals: two bull elephants sparring with one another, Amboseli National Park, Kenya, by William Fortescue, UK. (Photo by William Fortescue/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Bronze medal, People and Nature: a discarded beer bottle as the home of a blenny nest, Chowder Bay, New South Wales, Australia, by Gaetano Gargiulo, Australia. (Photo by Gaetano Gargiulo/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Behaviour – Amphibians and Reptiles: American crocodile, Gardens of the Queen, Cuba, by Massimo Giorgetta, Italy. (Photo by Massimo Giorgetta/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Bronze medal, Plants and Fungi: Panaeolus papilionaceus fungi, Allgaeuer region, Bavaria, Germany, by Jan Czeczotka, Germany. (Photo by Jan Czeczotka/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Nature – Art: dandelions, Germany, by Monika Schneider, Germany. (Photo by Monika Schneider/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Silver medal, Animals in their Habitat: juvenile California sea lion, Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico, by Celia Kujala, US. (Photo by Celia Kujala/World Nature Photography Awards)

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Bronze medal, Nature Photojournalism: frogs and toads with legs removed for human consumption, Carpathian Mountains, Romania, by Bence Mate, Hungary. (Photo by Bence Mate/World Nature Photography Awards)

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