11 award-winning nature photos show the beauty and catastrophe of the world's wildest places

Melissa WileyJun 5, 2021, 19:23 IST

The California Academy of Sciences held its 8th annual BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition.Nick Kanakis; Sarang Naik

The California Academy of Sciences has announced the winning images of its 2021 BigPicture contest.
The images show both destruction and beauty in nature, from surreal landscapes to bushfires.
Judges selected 49 winning images from 8,400 entries submitted by photographers in 68 countries.

Jo-Anne McArthur captured this Grand Prize-winning image of a kangaroo standing amid ashes with a joey in her pouch after a bushfire ravaged a eucalyptus plantation in Mallacoota, Australia.

"Hope Amidst the Ashes," Grand Prize winner. Mallacoota, Australia. Jo-Anne McArthur

Jo-Anne McArthur captured this Grand Prize-winning image of a kangaroo standing amid ashes with a joey in her pouch after a bushfire ravaged a eucalyptus plantation in Mallacoota, Australia.

Amos Nachoum was diving off the coast of Antarctica when he captured the moment a leopard seal closed in on its prey: a Gentoo penguin.

"Facing Reality," Aquatic Life category winner. Pleneau Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Amos Nachoum

Crouching low in a remote rainforest in British Columbia, Michelle Valberg waited for this Kermode bear to surface from the water and shake water off of its coat, sending droplets hurdling through the air.

"Boss," Terrestrial Life category winner. Great Bear Rainforest, Canada. Michelle Valberg

Crouching low in a remote rainforest in British Columbia, Michelle Valberg waited for this Kermode bear to surface from the water and shake water off of its coat, sending droplets hurdling through the air.

Fran Rubia was taken aback when he saw otherworldly volcanoes streaked with deposits of iron oxide from his drone in Fjallabak Nature Reserve in Iceland.

"Another Planet," Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora category winner. Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland. Fran Rubia

Peter Mather's winning photo story shows a grizzly bear fishing for salmon in Canada's Yukon with a coat covered in icicles.

"Ice Bears," Photo Story category winner (one of six images). Yukon Territory, Canada. Peter Mather

Shane Kalyn captured the moment when, after preening each other's feathers, two ravens intersected beaks.

"Beak to Beak," Winged Life category winner. Mount Seymour Provincial Park, Canada. Shane Kalyn

This photo by Angel Fitor looks like a work of art but is actually a photo of barrel jellyfish tentacles, seen from below the surface and backlit by the sun.

"Down the Hatch," Art of Nature category winner. Angel Fitor

Ralph Pace won the competition's Human/Nature category with his photo of a seal curiously approaching a face mask floating in California waters near Monterey.

"Sign of the Tides," Monterey, California. Human/Nature category winner. Ralph Pace

Yung-Sen Wu spent five days swimming with a school of barracuda in Palau's Blue Corner before capturing this perspective from inside their ranks.

"New Kid in School," Aquatic Life winner. Koror, Palau. Yung Sen Wu

In this photo by Nick Kanakis, an unsuspecting hoverfly is rendered immobile by a Venus flytrap.

"Nutritional Supplement," Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora category finalist. Brunswick County, North Carolina. Nick Kanakis

A surreal shot by Sarang Naik shows a mushroom releasing spores during monsoon season in Toplepada, India.

"Rain Dance," Art of Nature category winner. Toplepada, India. Sarang Naik

9 times Meghan Markle took style cues from Princess Diana

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

11 award-winning nature photos show the beauty and catastrophe of the world's wildest places

Jo-Anne McArthur captured this Grand Prize-winning image of a kangaroo standing amid ashes with a joey in her pouch after a bushfire ravaged a eucalyptus plantation in Mallacoota, Australia.

Amos Nachoum was diving off the coast of Antarctica when he captured the moment a leopard seal closed in on its prey: a Gentoo penguin.

Crouching low in a remote rainforest in British Columbia, Michelle Valberg waited for this Kermode bear to surface from the water and shake water off of its coat, sending droplets hurdling through the air.

Fran Rubia was taken aback when he saw otherworldly volcanoes streaked with deposits of iron oxide from his drone in Fjallabak Nature Reserve in Iceland.

Peter Mather's winning photo story shows a grizzly bear fishing for salmon in Canada's Yukon with a coat covered in icicles.

Shane Kalyn captured the moment when, after preening each other's feathers, two ravens intersected beaks.

This photo by Angel Fitor looks like a work of art but is actually a photo of barrel jellyfish tentacles, seen from below the surface and backlit by the sun.

Ralph Pace won the competition's Human/Nature category with his photo of a seal curiously approaching a face mask floating in California waters near Monterey.

Yung-Sen Wu spent five days swimming with a school of barracuda in Palau's Blue Corner before capturing this perspective from inside their ranks.

In this photo by Nick Kanakis, an unsuspecting hoverfly is rendered immobile by a Venus flytrap.

A surreal shot by Sarang Naik shows a mushroom releasing spores during monsoon season in Toplepada, India.