Seal hunting a penguin under water wins 2021 World Nature Photography Awards

The World Nature Photography Awards (WNPA) is one of those contests that remind you how versatile, beautiful, unique, but also dangerous and merciless the natural world can be. The competition has just announced its 2021 winners, and it’s a selection of absolutely stunning images.

This year’s overall winner is Amos Nachoum from the USA with his image of a leopard sea moments from capturing a Gentoo penguin. But have no doubts that there are many more awesome photos among the contest’s 13 categories that I’m sure you’ll love!

Amos Nachoum waited patiently for hours on the remote island of Plano, off the Antarctic Peninsula, to capture his winning image. When the tide is low, the seals stealthily enter a lagoon and search for their prey. The photographer captured the right moment, and it brought him overall first place in the contest and a cash prize of $1000. What’s more, his image also won first place in the Behaviour Mammals category.

As I mentioned, there are also category winners and runners-up in each of the 13 categories:

1. Animal Portraits
2. Animals in their habitat
3. Behaviour amphibians and reptiles
4. Behaviour birds
5. Behaviour Invertebrates
6. Behaviour Mammals
7. Black and white
8. Nature art
9. Nature photojournalism
10. People and nature
11. Planet Earth’s landscape and environments
12. Plants and fungi
13. Urban wildlife

In other words, the jury has selected the 39 best photos of the contest and kindly shared them with us. You can admire them below and find out more on the WNPA’s website. And if you’d like your photos to be in the selection next year, now’s the time to submit them! Finally, if you can’t get enough of these beautiful images, make sure to check out the last year’s selection, too.

More from the World Nature Photography Awards

• Beautiful and trippy orangutan photo wins World Nature Photography Awards
• Seal hunting a penguin under water wins 2021 World Nature Photography Awards
• Action-packed underwater gannet photo wins World Nature Photography Awards 2024
• Magical Vineyard Wildlife Scene Wins World Nature Photography Awards 2025

Animal Portraits

Animals in their habitat

Behaviour amphibians and reptiles

Behaviour birds

Behaviour Invertebrates

Behaviour Mammals

Black and white

Nature art

Nature photojournalism

People and nature

Planet Earth’s landscape and environments

Plants and fungi

Urban wildlife

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