Gazing grizzly bear among 9 extraordinary images by wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen

Paul Nicklen reveals a selection of his favourite wildlife images, due to exhibit at the Iconic Images Gallery in London from the 9th November 2026.

Calm bear looking at camera. — Kodiak bear. Photo by Paul Nicklen

James Cutmore

Published: August 12, 2026 at 4:10 am

Wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen has spent more than three decades capturing images of the natural world. After years of painstakingly revisiting millions of shots from his archive, Nicklen has compiled a set of images that mean the most to him.

These photos of US wildlife are absolutely astonishing

The photo selection is presented in a stunning new book – Reverence – now available to preorder exclusively through Hemeria. Nicklen will be exhibiting his work at the Iconic Images Gallery in London, United Kingdom, from the 9th November 2026.

Here are some of our favourite shots from the book, from hunting grizzly bears and marching penguins to diving whales and curious narwhals.

Grizzly bear

Bear splashing through water. — An adult male grizzly bear makes his way across a river in Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA. This bear was searching for salmon during the feeding season. Photo by Paul Nicklen

King penguins

Crowds on penguins with icy mountains behind. — Thousands of king penguins gather on the shoreline of South Georgia to breed and rear chicks, forming one of the largest colonies on Earth. Photo by Paul Nicklen

Lion cub

Lion cub close up. — A young lion cub from one of the Namiri Plains prides stares at its reflection in Nicklen's camera lens in Tanzania’s Serengeti ecosystem. Photo by Paul Nicklen

Humpback whale

Humpback whale fin poking out of water. — A humpback whale fluke rises through dense fog in Monterey Bay, California, USA. This area is a rich feeding groundwhere whales hunt krill and small schooling fish. Photo by Paul Nicklen

African elephant

Elephant viewed from below. — Craig, the famous super tusker who passed at the age of 54, stands tall on Maasai community lands, adjacent to Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Photo by Paul Nicklen

Narwhals

Aerial view of narwhals in icy water. — Narwhal gather en masse at the Arctic Bay floe edge to eat cod in the spring. Photo by Paul Nicklen

Grizzly bear

Close up of bear's face with eye contact. — A large male grizzly bear stands on the Fishing Branch River in Yukon, Canada, a key salmon run area for bears. Photo by Paul Nicklen

Lion

Male Lion stood on rock with dramatic sky. — A male lion silhouetted atop kopjes overlooking the Namiri Plains under an overcast sky in Tanzania, a region known for high densities of big cats. Photo by Paul Nicklen

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Group visual editor for BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile and BBC Science Focus

James Cutmore is the Group Visual Editor from BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile and BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked as a picture editor for over two decades, telling compelling science and nature stories through the use of striking imagery.