A beautiful photograph of a tri-spine horseshoe crab (above) by French underwater photographer and marine biologist Laurent Ballesta has taken the top spot in Natural History Museum's prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
It was chosen by the judges from 49,957 entries across 95 countries.
Chair of the judging jury Kathy Moran said: ‘To see a horseshoe crab so vibrantly alive in its natural habitat, in such a hauntingly beautiful way, was astonishing. We are looking at an ancient species, highly endangered, and also critical to human health. This photo is luminescent.’
- Did you know horseshoe crabs are one of the oldest species on Earth?
Laurent is only the second photographer in the competition’s 59-year history to be awarded the Grand Title award twice. He was first awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2021 for his intriguing image of camouflage groupers exiting a milky cloud of eggs and sperm in Fakarava, French Polynesia.
The winning images were revealed at an awards ceremony in South Kensington, London, on 10 October 2023.
Wildlife photographer of the Year 2023 category winners
Animals in their environment winner
Life on the edge by Amit Eshel
Amit Eshel witnesses a dramatic cliffside clash between two Nubian ibex. After hiking to a vantage point on the clifftop, Amit slowly crept closer, using a wide-angle lens to set the action of two clashing Nubian ibex against the dramatic backdrop.
The battle lasted for about 15 minutes before one male surrendered, and the pair parted without serious injury. In the run-up to the mating season, part of the males’ coat darkens, and their neck muscles thicken. Rivals will raise up on their hind legs and ram their heads together. Their horns sometimes break as they collide.
Location: Zin Desert, Israel
Technical details: Canon EOS R5 24–70mm f2.8 lens at 45mm; 1/800 at f8; ISO 500
Animal portraits winner
Face of the forest by Vishnu Gopal
Vishnu Gopal records the moment a lowland tapir steps cautiously out of the swampy Brazilian rainforest. Finding hoofprints on a forest track near his campsite, Vishnu waited nearby.
An hour later, the tapir appeared. Using a long exposure and torchlight to capture texture and movement, Vishnu framed the tapir’s side-turned head as it emerged from the forest. Lowland tapirs rely on the forest for their diet of fruit and other vegetation and in turn the tapirs act as seed dispersers. This important relationship is threatened by habitat loss, illegal hunting and traffic collisions.
Location: Tapiraí, São Paulo, Brazil
Technical details: Nikon D850 14–24mm f2.8 lens at 14mm; 1/30 at f6.3; ISO 1600; torch
Behaviour: birds winner
Silence for the snake show by Hadrien Lalagüe
Hadrien Lalagüe is rewarded for his patience with a perfect alignment of grey-winged trumpeters watching a boa slither past. Hadrien set up his camera trap by a track in the rainforest surrounding Guiana Space Center. He spent the next six months maintaining the camera kit against high humidity, plastic-munching ants and damage by poachers.
This image was his reward. Trumpeters – named for their loud calls – spend most of their time foraging on the forest floor, eating ripe fruits, insects and the occasional small snake. The boa constrictor, more than three metres (9.8 feet) long, could have made a meal of them.
Location: Guiana Space Center, between Kourou and Sinnamary, French Guiana
Technical details: Canon EOS 100D 10–20mm f4.5–5.6 lens at 11mm; 1/60 at f10; ISO 1600; 2x Nikon flashes; Panasonic PIR motion sensor; custom housing
Behaviour: mammals winner
Whales making waves by Bertie Gregory
Bertie Gregory tracks a pod of orcas as they prepare to ‘wave wash’ a Weddell seal. Bertie took two month-long expeditions searching for orcas. ‘We spent every waking minute on the roof of the boat, scanning,’ he says. After battling high winds and freezing conditions, he captured this remarkable behaviour with his drone.
These orcas belong to a group that specialises in hunting seals by charging towards the ice, creating a wave that washes the seal into the water. With rising temperatures melting ice floes, seals are spending more time on land, and the behaviour of ‘wave washing’ may disappear.
Location: Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
Technical details: DJI Mavic 2 Pro Hasselblad L1D-20c 28mm f2.8 lens; 1/120 at f4; ISO 100
Behaviour: amphibians and reptiles winner
The tadpole banquet by Juan Jesús Gonzalez Ahumada
Juan Jesús Gonzalez Ahumada watches as toad tadpoles feast on a dead fledgling sparrow. The drama unfolded near Juan’s home when a newly fledged sparrow launched itself from a nest on his neighbour’s roof and fell into a nearby pond, where it drowned. Juan had to pick his moment to show the tadpole formation and the sparrow’s eye. Common toad tadpoles have varied diets consisting of algae, vegetation, and tiny swimming invertebrates. As they grow larger, they become more carnivorous so when a banquet like this arrives, they take full advantage.
Location: Ojén, Málaga, Spain
Technical details: Canon EOS R6 100mm f2.8 lens; 1/80 at f5.6; ISO 320; ring flash
Behaviour: invertebrates winner
Lights fantastic by Sriram Murali
Sriram Murali showcases a night sky and a forest illuminated with fireflies. Sriram combined fifty 19-second exposures to show the firefly flashes produced over 16 minutes in the forests near his hometown. The firefly flashes start at twilight, with just a few, before the frequency increases and they pulse in unison like a wave across the forest. Fireflies, which are in fact beetles, are famous for attracting mates using bioluminescence. Darkness is a necessary ingredient in the success of this process. Light pollution affects many nocturnal creatures, but fireflies are especially susceptible.
Location: Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India
Technical details: Canon 6D 24mm f1.4 lens; 19 sec at f2; multiple exposures; ISO 6400; cable release; Manfrotto tripod
Natural artistry winner
The art of courtship by Rachel Bigsby
Rachel Bigsby frames a gannet pair against the guano-painted curves of sandstone cliffs. From her boat in turbulent sea swell, Rachel realised that achieving her vision of showcasing gannets set against the towering cliffs would be tricky. But as the boat aligned with the rocks, she spotted this pair ‘isolated on a lower ledge, intertwining their necks and framed by streaks of guano’. Each summer the Isle of Noss hosts more than 22,000 northern gannets, which return to breed on the ledges carved by the elements. This species was hardest hit by the 2022 avian flu outbreak.
Location: Noss National Nature Reserve, Shetland, Scotland, UK
Technical details: Nikon D850 Sigma 60–600mm f4.5–6.3 lens; 1/1600 at f11; ISO 5000
Oceans: bigger picture winner
Last gasp by Lennart Verheuvel
Lennart Verheuvel shows the final moments of a beached orca. Lying on its side in the surf, this orca had only a short time left to live. Initially rescued, it soon was stranded again on the beach and died. A study later revealed that not only was it severely malnourished, it was also extremely sick. Research shows that orcas in European waters have the world’s highest concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls. These banned chemicals can persist for many years in marine food webs, weakening immune systems and reducing breeding success in whales, porpoises and dolphins.
Location: Cadzand-Bad, Zeeland, the Netherlands
Technical details: Canon EOS
Plants and fungi winner
Last breath of autumn by Agorastos Papatsanis
Agorastos Papatsanis reveals the magic of a fungus releasing its spores in the forest. Long fascinated by fungi, Agorastos used his silver photographic umbrella to stop his camera getting wet, and covered his carefully positioned flash with a plastic bag.
The colourful touches come from refraction of the light passing through the spore-laden air currents and rain. Parasol mushrooms release spores from the gills under their cap. Billions of tiny spores travel – usually unseen – in the air currents. Some will land where there is moisture and food, enabling them to grow networks under the forest floor.
Location: Mount Olympus, Pieria, Greece
Technical details: Nikon D810 105mm f2.8 lens; 1/40 at f36; ISO 500; Godox flash trigger; Leofoto mini tripod
Underwater winner
Hippo nursery by Mike Korostelev
Mike Korostelev reveals a hippopotamus and her two offspring resting in the shallow clear-water lake. For over two years Mike has been visiting the hippos in this lake and knew they were accustomed to his boat. He spent just 20 seconds underwater with them – enough time to get this image from a safe distance and to avoid alarming the mother.
Hippos produce one calf every two to three years. Their slow-growing population is particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation, drought, and illegal hunting for meat and ivory from their teeth.
Location: Kosi Bay, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III 17–40mm f4 lens; 1/320 at f7.1; ISO 640; Seacam housing
Urban wildlife winner
Birds of the midnight sun by Knut-Sverre Horn
Knut-Sverre Horn offers a glimpse of kittiwake chicks illuminated in an abandoned factory. From his vantage point inside an abandoned fish-processing factory, Knut-Sverre kept watch on the black-legged kittiwakes tending to their chicks on the windowsill. As midnight approached, the low summer sun struck the north-facing window, sharpening the birds’ silhouettes and giving him the image that he wanted. Kittiwakes naturally nest on the narrow ledges of high, steep coastal cliffs. Recently numbers have plummeted, and some have headed for urban areas due to shortages of food caused by warming oceans and pollution.
Location: Vardø, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
Technical details: Canon EOS R5 24–70mm lens at 42mm; 1/5000 at f8; ISO 100
Wetlands: The Bigger Picture winner
The dead river by Joan de la Malla
Joan de la Malla provides a bird’s-eye view of the polluted Ciliwung river winding through Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. To find a time when lower air pollution allowed a clear view, Joan returned to the scene over several days.
His image documents one of the most polluted rivers in the world and illustrates the growing global issue of river pollution. Plastic rubbish, human waste, agricultural fertilisers and factory waste are suffocating the Ciliwung river. As a result, Jakarta’s residents are having to use groundwater for drinking water. This has resulted in widespread subsidence and the city is now sinking.
Location: Ciliwung river, Jakarta, Indonesia
Technical details: DJI Mavic 2 Pro Hasselblad L1D-20c 28mm f2.8 lens; 1/25 at f6.3; ISO 100
Photojournalism winner
The tourism bulldozer by Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar
Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar (Mexico) shows the devastating path of a new cross-country tourist railway line. To reach a point from where he could launch his drone, Fernando was guided through four kilometres (2.5 miles) of an underground cave system. The result of his challenging trek was this image. The government-funded railway line connecting tourist destinations brings economic benefits to Mexico’s southeast, but it also fragments ecosystems, threatens protected reserves and archaeological sites, and impacts Indigenous peoples. While trains are a more environmentally friendly form of transport, conservationists warn of devastating consequences.
Location: Paamul, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Technical details: DJI Mavic Mini 2 24mm f2.8 lens; 1/320 at f2.8; ISO 100
Photojournalist story award winner
The unprotected by Karine Aigner
Contestants line up to have their bobcats weighed in the March 2022 West Texas Big Bobcat Contest, the highest-paying predator-hunting contest in the USA. There are a number of prizes, one of which is for the heaviest bobcat. In 2022 the winner of that category took home US$35,530 (around £28,000).
Portfolio Story
Karine Aigner documents the annual hunting competitions in Texas, USA. For some people in the USA, hunting wildlife is a pastime. In Texas, while there are strict regulations covering ‘game’ species, certain predators such as bobcats, mountain lions and coyotes have no protection and can be killed at any time and by any means. In this portfolio, Karine delves deep into the contests and festivals that celebrate the killing of these unprotected and maligned species, exploring their relationship with humans.
Location: Texas, USA
Technical details: Sony RX1R II 35mm f2 lens; 1/40 at f8; ISO 1600
Rising star portfolio award winner
Alpine exposure by Luca Melcarne
To enable an early ascent into ibex territory, Luca had spent a bitterly cold night in a temporary shelter in the French Alps, having skied for six hours across the natural park. Luca thawed his camera with his breath and took the ibex’s portrait.
Portfolio Story
Luca Melcarne makes the most of his mountain-guide skills to reveal the fascinating lives of Alpine animals. Born at the foot of the Vercors mountains in France, Luca is a professional mountain guide and nature photographer. He is addicted to the cold, constantly watching the weather to make his plans. This portfolio highlights the animals that live in the Vercors Regional Natural Park, where Luca lives and works. His remarkable images demonstrate how patience, perseverance and passion are essential ingredients for dramatic wildlife photography.
Location: Vercors Regional Natural Park, Rhône-Alpes, France
Technical details: Nikon D850 600mm f4 lens; 1/5000 at f4.5 ( 1 e/v); ISO 640
Portfolio award winner
The ancient mariner by Laurent Ballesta
A tri-spine horseshoe crab moves slowly over the mud. Its golden protective carapace hides 12 appendages. Above the horseshoe crab, a trio of juvenile golden trevallies are poised to dart down for edible morsels ploughed up by its passage.
Portfolio Story
Laurent Ballesta went looking for horseshoe crabs in the protected waters of Pangatalan Island in the Philippines. Marine biologist and photographer Laurent Ballesta has dedicated his life to exploring the oceans and revealing their wonder through art. He has led a series of major expeditions, all involving scientific mysteries and diving challenges, and all resulting in unprecedented images.
The tri-spine horseshoe crab has survived for more than 100 million years but now faces habitat destruction and overfishing for food and forits blood, used in the development of vaccines. But, in the protected waters off Pangatalan Island, there is hope for its survival.
Location: Pangatalan Island, Palawan, the Philippines
Technical details: Nikon D5 13mm f2.8 lens; 1/25 at f22; ISO 800; Seacam housing; 2x Seacam strobes
Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners
10 years and under winner
The wall of wonder by Vihaan Talya Vikas
Vihaan Talya Vikas watches as an ornamental tree trunk spider prevents its prey from escaping. This was Vihaan’s first visit to the tamarind grove. Fascinated by stories of the Hindu god Krishna, it seemed to Vihaan as if the spider had positioned its web after being entranced by the sound of Krishna’s flute. This spider is an orb weaver, which creates a wheel-shaped web of sticky threads to catch flying insects. As the spider grows, it elongates its web, which entangles anything that lands on it.
Location: Nallur Heritage Tamarind Grove, Karnataka, India
Technical details: Canon EOS 7D Mark II Laowa 15mm f4 lens; 1/200 at f5.6; ISO 100; Vanguard tripod
11-14 years winner
Out of the blue by Ekaterina Bee
Ekaterina Bee shares her intimate encounter with some common bottlenose dolphins. Ekaterina’s trip to the west coast of Scotland was filled with wildlife encounters, but bottlenose dolphins were an unexpected surprise. From the boat she composed this image, which highlights the surface patterns on the water created by the dolphins’ movements. Common bottlenose dolphins can be found throughout the world’s oceans except in polar regions. Living in small groups, they are highly social animals, and are one of the top marine predators living in Scottish waters.
Location: Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
Technical details: Nikon D5600 18–55mm f3.5–5.6 lens; 1/1600 at f4.8; ISO 320
15-17 years winner
Owls’ road house by Carmel Bechler
Carmel Bechler discovered several barn owls in an abandoned concrete building near a busy road. Returning to where he had spotted a barn owl the previous year, Carmel and his father used the family car as a hide. He made the most of the natural light and used long exposure times to capture the light trails of passing traffic. Israel has the densest barn-owl population in the world.
A national project has provided nesting boxes near agricultural fields, encouraging owls to nest near farmland. Because the owls hunt rodents that eat seeds and crops, this arrangement has reduced the use of pesticides on farms.
Location: Hof HaSharon, Israel
Technical details: Nikon D7500 + Tamron 18–200mm f3.5–6.3 lens; 1.3 sec at f4.8; ISO 4000
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, featuring the award-winning images, will open on Friday 13 October 2023 at the Natural History Museum in London.
The 60th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition will open for entries from photographers of all ages, nationalities, and experience levels on Monday 16 October 2023.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London
Want to improve your wildlife photography? Check out these expert tips.