From a swirling dance of mating mayflies to a lone clownfish swimming amongst a field of bone-white sea anemones, the top photos chosen for the Royal Society Publishing’s second annual nature photography contest showcase small but significant moments in a rapidly-changing world. While these images might not seem earth-shattering, their subtle subjects inspire new ways of looking at the natural world.

Special commendation. “Butterflies and caiman” by Mark Cowan.

Colourful butterflies gather on the head of this caiman to collect salt – an important mineral for their survival. This photo was taken while on a scientific expedition to the Amazon to study reptile and amphibian diversity. The expedition was led by researchers from the Herpetology Division at the University of Michigan and included participants from Peru and Australia. A number of minerals are a scarce resource throughout Amazonia and so this behaviour allows these invertebrates access to salt, much like the clay licks that are used by a variety of vertebrates. This particular phenomenon where butterflies and bees congregate on the heads and around the eyes of caimans and turtles has been documented before but what is unique here is the simultaneous number of butterfly species and the way in which each species is associated with its own kind. Continue reading »