The most incredible nature photos of 2016

Kevin LoriaDec 9, 2016, 22:47 IST

The first cold days of winter have frozen the surface of a pond, and the first snowfall has revealed its delicate beauty. In low-pressure conditions, southwest winds push the clouds against the vertical peaks of the Pale di San Martino. At dusk, a long shutter speed enhances the movement of the clouds around Cimon della Pala, one of the highest peaks in the Dolomites.Alessandro Gruzza/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

When we take a moment to step back and look, the world is stunningly beautiful.

There's beauty in the flashing movements of animals diving and dodging in a dance for survival, there's beauty in the sky above a nighttime city, and beauty in the creatures that creep through the edge of a dark wood.

There's sadness too, and power, and destruction. All these moments and more are represented in the winning photos from the 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year photo contest, which we've re-published here.

The photos are split into Action, Landscape, Animal, and Environmental categories, with one grand prize winner overall. The photographers' captions explain the photo and often the search that went into capturing it.

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The most incredible nature photos of 2016