In Pictures: 10 Winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2021

Discover the stories behind a selection of incredible images from the world-renowned photography competition

The Natural History Museum in London is behind the prestigious annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards. Now in its 57th year, the photography competition has positioned itself as a platform to reflect on our relationship with animals.

Leaving a lasting impact, the winning photos evoke feelings of wonder and - especially when we learn the stories behind them - make us think about our impact on the natural world.

Here’s a selection of ten winning photographs from this year’s edition and an explainer of the unseen story behind each of them.

Creation, by Laurent Ballesta

This year's Adult Grand Title winner emerges from the depths of the underwater world. It was captured by French photographer and biologist Laurent Ballesta, who worked for five years to catch this moment of a school of grouper fish spawning. Occurring annually around the full moon in July, roughly 20,000 fish gather in the Fakarava lagoon in French Polynesia. The photo was taken in a reserve that allows us to observe the species threatened by overfishing.

The jury described the image as, “surprising, energetic and intriguing,” explaining it has “a beauty from another world.” They also emphasized the “magic” and symbolism of the moment, highlighting how the explosive creation of life seems to form a question mark.

The spider room, by Gil Wizen

After spotting loads of small spiders around his bedroom, Gil Wizen looked under his bed where he saw a Brazilian wandering spider - one of the most poisonous spiders in the world - protecting her young.

The winner of the Urban Wildlife award, he shot this picture of the spider (which is roughly the size of a human hand) using a forced perspective to make it look even bigger. Wizen then safely relocated the spider outside.

Usually, at night, Brazilian wandering spiders search the forests for prey like frogs and cockroaches. While its venom can be deadly to mammals, it does also have some medicinal uses.

Face-off, by Ángel Fitor

In this image, you can see two male cichlid fish fighting over a snail shell, inside which a female is ready to lay eggs.

During a three-week period, Spanish photographer Ángel Fitor surveyed a lake bed in East Africa looking for these jaw-to-jaw disputes which last until one fish retreats. Although this fight only lasted for seconds, it was enough for Fitor to capture his shot.

Elephant in the room, by Adam Oswell

One of the photographs that really seeks to raise public awareness this year is Australian Adam Oswell’s Elephant in the Room. Oswell infiltrated zoos to capture shows that are touted as educational, but in fact, present a troubling reality of our relationship with the animal kingdom. As the photo description explains, training for this type of show generally begins by separating the young calf from their mother and the use of pain-based punishment.

In Thailand, where this photo was taken, there are now more elephants living in captivity (3,800) than in the wild (less than 3,600), in part due to poaching that will continue while tourists consume these types of shows.

When choosing the photo, one jury member emphasized that “It could have been any one of us there in the audience, from anywhere in the world, at pretty much any zoo.”

Road to ruin, by Javier Lafuente

Spanish photographer Javier Lafuente’s striking photo was selected by the jury as an image that illustrates the “disregard” we have for the natural world.

The aerial shot captures a ruler-straight asphalt passage that cuts right through the winding heart of the Odiel Marshes in Andalusia. One of the most important tidal wetlands in Spain and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Odiel is home to over a hundred species of birds.

Built in the ’80s to offer easy access to a tourist beach, the road’s construction represents our lack of respect for the environment. Wetlands are important carbon sink ecosystems; by breaking up and destroying these landscapes around the world, we’re greatly reducing our ability to combat the climate crisis.

Grizzly leftovers, by Zack Clothier

Brown bears spend up to seven months hibernating, and when they awake in the spring - very hungry - eat a wide variety of foods, including mammals.

Hoping to catch a picture of a grizzly, American photographer Zack Clothier felt overlooking these moose remains would be an ideal spot to set up his camera. To do so, he crossed meltwater with fallen trees, facing all kinds of obstacles. When he returned, the camera trap had been destroyed and this was the last shot it caught.

Reflection, by Majed Ali

Endangered due to habitat loss, poaching, disease, and climate change, mountain gorillas (a subspecies of the eastern gorilla) are only found at altitudes above 1,400 meters in either the Virunga volcanoes or Bwindi.

After hours of searching, Kuwaiti photographer Majed Ali finally came across Kibande, a well-known mountain gorilla who has lived there for almost 40 years. As it started to rain, far from running for cover, Kibande stayed outdoors seemingly relishing in a cooling shower - as captured in this serene expression.

Nursery meltdown, by Jennifer Hayes

Harp seals migrate south from the Arctic to their breeding grounds every fall to begin their mating and calving season once the sea ice forms. As the seals are dependent on the formation of ice for their birthing platform, their birthrates are hugely impacted by the climate and the effects of climate change.

In this image from American photographer Jennifer Hayes, you can see the scenes of birth on a bed of ice that - instead of being solid and strong - is cracked, negatively impacting their reproduction and endangering the pups.

Cool time, by Martin Gregus

The Rising Star Portfolio Award is given to up-and-coming photographers between the ages of 18 and 26 to recognize their skill and early vision. Here, Canadian-Slovakian photographer Martin Gregus’ compositions impressed the judges thanks to the wide range of techniques he used to catch this picture of polar bears.

Taken on a hot summer’s day using a drone, the protagonists of this heart-shaped shot are two female polar bears taking a moment to cool down and play in the intertidal shallows.

The intimate touch, by Shane Kalyn

A snapshot of an intimate moment between two ravens, this photo is part of a series that captures a theme rarely explored: the monogamy of ravens.

Taken during mid-winter, at the beginning of the crows’ mating season, Canadian photographer Shane Kalyn caught this winning photo as the couple exchanged gifts as well as grooming and serenading each other. They are believed to adopt these behaviors to strengthen their lifelong relationship.

Want to see more? Take a look at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winning image gallery and more on the Natural History Museum website.

The natural world can also be a great source of inspiration for your own photography. If you want to find out more, check out Alvaro Valiente's Domestika course Landscape and Nature Photography, in which he prepares you with the tools to start capturing scenes from the great outdoors.

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