These Award-Winning Photos Zoom In on Intimate Animal Moments

In the deep trenches of the underwater world, a mighty leopard seal roars at a defenceless Gentoo penguin, almost as if playfully taunting its prey. It’s this raw moment that wildlife photographer Amos Nachoum froze in time to win the top spot at the 2021 edition of the World Nature Photography Awards (WNPA). 

“For hours, I waited for the low tide to arrive along a shallow lagoon on a remote island off the Antarctic Peninsula,” Nachoum said in a press statement, detailing the moments leading up to his winning shot. “Like clockwork, the leopard seal arrived in the lagoon just before low tide. It put its head in the water and looked just like a rock sitting in the receding water. The young Gentoo penguins only dare to enter the water when it is shallow, and when they got close enough to the seal, it turned its head at lightning speed, catching one of the penguins by its feet and taking it to deep water.” 

Nachoum then swam parallel to the seal, carefully observing its actions as it swam to open water. “To my surprise, it let go of the penguin twice. Each time, the seal chased after the penguin again, as if it was enjoying the game.” 

A contest focusing on photography that inspires positive perspectives on the planet, the WNPA enshrines intimate moments in the animal and plant kingdoms. This year’s edition received entries from over 20 countries in six continents, with the winner, Nachoum, taking home a $1,000 cash prize. 

“Seeing these images cannot fail to motivate one to do everything to protect this fragile planet of ours,” Adrian Dinsdale, co-founder of the WNPA, said in a press release. Spanning 14 categories like animals in their habitats, behaviour of mammals, landscape photography and nature photojournalism, these award-winning shots give the world a profound peek into the shifting realities of nature and wildlife. 

In the category of animal portraits, Fiji-based photographer Tom Vierus won by capturing a tender moment shared between long-tailed macaques.

“These animals show very similar behaviour to us humans, including enjoying each other’s trusting company,” he said, describing his shot. 

In the category of bird behaviours, Indian photographer Ashok Behera witnessed an African vulture gouging out a wildebeest’s eyes as an African fox watched keenly, hoping for an opportunity to scavenge. 

To capture the winning shot in the people and nature category, Switzerland-based photographer Sabrina Inderbitzi crawled into an ice cave on the frozen Lake Baikal in Russia.

“First, I didn't like the fact that the car and the people were in the middle of my picture, but then on a second view, I found it just perfect,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Indian photographer Gautam Kamat, who won the gold in the plant and fungi category, showcased an abandoned home overrun by nature.

“It is fascinating how mother nature takes over from where man has left,” he said. 

One of the most evocative images in the contest is in the nature photojournalism category. Here, Belgium-based photographer Alan Schroeder shot a baby orangutan named Brenda, rescued from a village on the west coast of Aceh, being prepped for surgery.

“A sedative is administered, the arm is shaved, her temperature is taken, while others hold her head or her hand out of compassion for the baby,” he said. 

Yet another impactful image is the painstaking effort of photographer Thomas Vijayan, last year’s overall winner who now took gold in the category of animals in their habitat.

“Mature male orangutans have large flappy cheek-pads, known as flanges, a throat sac used to make loud verbalisations called long calls,” he said. “Once they reach maturity, they spend most of their time alone, about 90 percent of it. I was lucky enough to get this fully-grown, matured orangutan giving me the best pose possible.” 

Check out more photos of winners and runner-ups of the WNPA below. 

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