A zebra’s “Last Look,” captured in a chilling moment by Slovak photographer Roman Balaz, has been awarded silver in the Amphibian and Reptile Behavior category of the 2026 World Nature Photography Awards. The image, depicting a crocodile’s approach, is among the 42 winning photographs selected from a global pool of entries, celebrating the complexities of the natural world.
The overall grand prize went to Australian photographer Jono Allen for his photograph of Mãhina, a rare white humpback calf swimming with its mother off the coast of Vava’u, Tonga. Allen likewise secured first place in the Underwater category. The image highlights the success of humpback whale conservation efforts, as the species has rebounded from near extinction due to whaling. The presence of a whale like Mãhina, born with a lack of pigmentation affecting approximately 1 in 40,000 humpbacks, is considered an indicator of a thriving population.
Chinese photographer Minghui Yuan’s geometrically striking image, “Home on the Leaves,” earned the gold prize in the Invertebrate Behavior category. The photograph features a moss moth larva suspended within a protective net constructed from its own poisonous fur. Yuan described the larvae as “nature’s architects,” emphasizing the intricate and beautiful structure of their self-made nests.
U.S. Photographer Rich Brooks’ portrait of an ermine, titled “Ernie the Ermine,” received second place in the Animal Portraits category. Fenqiang Liu, also from the U.S., won the gold prize in Bird Behavior with “Arrival,” an image of a great egret in central Florida, reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Almond Blossom” in its color scheme and composition.
British photographer Simon Biddie’s optical illusion-like image, “Ghost of the Reef,” won first place in the Nature Art category. The photograph depicts a small reef fish, highlighting the crucial role these often-overlooked creatures play in maintaining reef ecosystems, constituting 70% of fish biomass.
The Animals in Their Habitat category’s gold prize was awarded to British photographer Charlie Wemyss-Dunn for “Splash,” a dynamic image capturing a brown bear and a sockeye salmon in Alaska’s Katmai National Park during the salmon’s seasonal migration.
Alain Schroeder, a Belgian photographer, took the top prize in Nature Photojournalism with “Chimp Paradise.” The image depicts a chimpanzee receiving veterinary care at a sanctuary in Florida, where 220 rescued chimpanzees live. Schroeder’s work aims to showcase the positive impact of sanctuary life for these animals.
Deena Sveinsson, a U.S. Photographer, won first place in the People and Nature category with an image of a bull moose examining camera equipment. Sveinsson recounted how the moose, initially lurking nearby, became “bored” with the surrounding vegetation and investigated the unattended gear.
U.S. Photographer Bill Klipp received the silver prize in the People and Nature category for “Pool party at our tent,” a photograph showing an elephant seemingly enjoying a swim in a human pool. Robert Gloeckner, also from the U.S., won first place in the Urban Wildlife category with “Trash trail temptations,” an image of a polar bear investigating a pile of human trash in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The photograph underscores the impact of climate change and waste on polar bear habitats, particularly following the 2024 destruction of the town’s trash facility, which has led bears to explore discarded electronics as potential food sources.
