There are just days left to enter the National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest. The winner will receive a 10-day trip for two to the Galápagos Islands with National Geographic Expeditions, along with two 15-minute portfolio reviews with the photo editors at National Geographic.
The categories for this year are Landscape, Environmental Issues, Action and Animal Portraits. IBTimes UK presents one last look at some of the amazing entries received so far. You can see more – and enter your own photos – at the competition website. But be quick – the deadline for entries is Friday 4 November 2016.
I Am Angry by NingYu Pao: "We arrived at one of the watering holes in Etosha National Park in the late evening. Four lions were devouring a large kudu that they killed. A pack of hyenas appeared from the bush nearby attracted by the smell of blood. What ensued was a fight for the dead kudu between four female lions and 16 hyenas. In the end the hyenas won and got the prized kudu."NingYu Pao/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Night Time Panorama over a Glacier near Chamonix by Cmoon ViewCmoon View/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Orphan Orangutan by Yosuke Kashiwakura: "The island of Borneo, which is split between the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, was once covered with a lush tropical rainforest, but in the wake of ongoing deforestation and the expansion of plantation farming, the habitats of the island's endemic and endangered species are being destroyed rapidly. Relentless deforestation has precipitated the loss of 90% of the orangutan population in 100 years. At this rate, some expect this species to become extinct within the next 20 years."Yosuke Kashiwakura/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Rush Hour by Eileen Johnson: "Thousands of snow geese take flight during a snowy morning at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico."Eileen Johnson/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Fire Dancer by Brina Bunt: "Sunrise over the Erta Ale lava lake, with a contrast between the power of the angry volcano and the childlike innocence of a dancing stick-figure."Brina Bunt/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Towards the Mist by Meril D: "A herd of frosty buffalos walking in the snow towards thick fog produced by Yellowstone geothermal activity."Meril D/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Before Sunrise by Tianyuan Xiao: "Quiet morning after raining for the whole night in Xingping, Yangshuo County, China."Tianyuan Xiao/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Wet! Wet! Wet! by Gillian Lloyd: "These cheetah cubs didn't seem to be enjoying the afternoon downpour. They ran close together as they tried to keep up with mum. I'd like to say that I kept dry taking this image but in order to capture the moment I had to lean out of the window, allowing the stair-rods of water into the vehicle and got drenched by doing so. Worth it though."Gillian Lloyd/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Diving by Felipe Foncueva: "Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic. They fish by diving into the sea, they can do it from a height of 30 metres with a speed of 80 km/hour, and pursuing their prey underwater. The island of Noss, in Shetland Islands, is one of the most important nesting point, with over 7,000 breeding pairs. I took this picture in front of the high cliffs, from a small boat using an underwater housing, and surrounded by thousands of gannets flying, diving, shouting around me."Felipe Foncueva/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Fairy Glen, Isle of Skye by Fabrice Petruzzi: "This is a Celtic spiral, representing travel from the inner life to the higher spirit form."/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Breaking Through by Kyon J: "Shot in Inner Mongolia, China. Hundreds of horses rushing down across the Mongolia grassland."Kyon J/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Aladdin's Cave by Denis Budkov: "Snow cave on the slopes of the volcano Mutnovsky, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Due to global warming, glaciers have begun to decline. As a result, the ceiling of the cave has become thin and the sunlight creates a wonderful picture with different colours."Denis Budkov/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Early Morning Rays at Mt Bromo by Rifky SetyaRifky Setya/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Oil Infinity by Stas Bartnikas: "Aerial shot taken over Oil Sands area, Fort McMurray, Canada. Oil sands are one of the biggest sources of harmful air pollutants."Stas Bartnikas/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016Larger Than Life by Alex Wiles: "While photographing flowers at eye level, this grasshopper surprised me by crawling overhead and pausing to watch. To get the effect of a wide-angle macro image, I used an inexpensive lens with an extension tube attached. This allowed me to focus at a very close range to capture minor details, yet still allowed for a wide composition. I was so close that the front element of the lens nearly touched the subject."Alex Wiles/National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2016
