A selection of the winning entries f rom 2023’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
OVERALL WINNER & WINNER, PORTFOLIO AWARD
Atri-spine horseshoe crab moves slowly over the seabed, its golden protective carapace hiding the 12 appendages of its body. Above the horseshoe crab, a trio of juvenile golden trevallies are poised to dart down for any edible morsels ploughed up by its passage. The tri-spine horseshoe crab has survived for more than 300 million years but now faces habitat destruction and overfishing for food –and for its blood, which is used in the development of vaccines.
However, in the protected waters off Pangatalan Island in The Philippines, there is hope for its survival. Marine biologist and photographer Laurent Ballesta has dedicated his life to exploring the oceans and revealing their wonder through art, leading a series of major expeditions that resulted in many unprecedented images.
Location: Pangatalan Island, Palawan, The Philippines Technical details: Nikon D5 with 13mm f/2.8 lens; 1/25 sec at f/22, ISO 800; Seacam housing and strobes
WINNER, BEHAVIOUR: MAMMALS
Bertie Gregory tracks a pod of orcas as they prepare to ‘wave wash’ a Weddell seal. 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 so the behaviour of ‘wave washing’ may soon disappear.
Gregory 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.
Location: Antarctic Peninsula Technical details: DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Hasselblad L1D-20c with 28mm f/2.8 lens; 1/120 sec at f/4, ISO 100
WINNER, BEHAVIOUR: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES
Toad tadpoles feast on a dead fledgling sparrow. 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 of it. The drama unfolded near Gonzalez Ahumada’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. The photographer had to pick his moment to show the tadpole formation and the sparrow’s eye.
Location: Ojén, Málaga, Spain Technical details: Canon EOS R6 with 100mm f/2.8 lens; 1/80 sec at f/5.6, ISO 320; ring flash
