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

In January 2020, McArthur was helping a group of conservationists search a burned eucalyptus plantation for koalas that had been injured or deprived of food when she came across this kangaroo, according to the photography competition's media sponsor, bioGraphic.

"For McArthur, it was a powerful moment: two of Australia's most iconic species—the kangaroo and the eucalyptus tree—standing at a worrisome crossroads in their history. But the individuals in her frame were also symbols of hope, that life can persist against all odds," bioGraphic wrote.

"With their silky coats, big, dark eyes, and perpetual grins, leopard seals can look downright cuddly lounging on Antarctic ice floes," bioGraphic wrote of Nachoum's photo. "It's safe to say, though, that penguins have a different perspective of these powerful apex predators."

Valberg told bioGraphic that after shaking its coat free of water, the bear briefly made eye contact with her. "I felt a catch in my throat," she said.

"It seemed to me a primal place without any human alteration, which made it even more special," Rubia told bioGraphic of the nature reserve in Iceland.

Grizzly bears in the Yukon will postpone their hibernation in order to feast on the season's final salmon runs, according to bioGraphic.

"As temperatures drop below -20 degrees Celsius, the grizzlies' water-soaked fur freezes into a chandelier of icicles that jingle with each step," the outlet wrote.

Kalyn's photo showed common ravens sharing an "intimate, open-beaked moment," according to bioGraphic.

The moment "is likely an example of allopreening—reciprocal grooming that serves both to solidify social bonds and to keep plumage clean," according to the photo's description on the bioGraphic website.

According to bioGraphic, barrel jellyfish use "eight frilly arms" to catch prey.

"By backlighting his shot, photographer Angel Fitor was able to capture those arms here in intimate and ominous detail," bioGraphic wrote of the photo.

When Pace shot this image in November 2020, "it was the first time the photographer saw a mask underwater, but unfortunately, he has seen many since," BigPicture wrote on its winner announcement page.

"Over the course of five days, Wu braved the Blue Corner's currents daily in an effort to gain their trust, finally being allowed into the school on his last day there to capture this striking image," bioGraphic wrote.

"The detailed structure of the Venus flytrap is beautifully apparent, as is its technique—with a captured hoverfly. This plant species is endemic to a small stretch of wet longleaf pine habitat in the sandhills and coastal plains of the Carolinas," BigPicture wrote.

Naik used a flashlight to illuminate the phenomenon, making the spores look like "magical pixie dust," bioGraphic wrote.

These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences' BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition.