The best photos from the Big Picture Natural World 2023 competition (21 photos)

Each year, The Big Picture, a photography competition hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, showcases the work of the world's best nature photographers. The winners and finalists of the next, 10th competition were recently selected. Let's see!





1. Little Winged Warrior by Robert Dodson, finalist in the Winged Life category. British Columbia, Canada



“What they lack in size, they make up for in sass! Buffy hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) are known for their merciless attacks on both flowers and their conspecifics.”

2. "Wet" by Benjamin Olson, finalist in the Terrestrial Wildlife category. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, USA

“The majestic European moose (Alces alces) enjoys the water near which it spends most of its time during the summer months. The moose population in the area has increased dramatically over the past few years due to the decline of gray wolves, their only predator."

3. "Struggle for Survival" by Donglin Zhou, winner in the Terrestrial Wildlife category. Shiqiu, Sichuan Province, China



“A snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and a Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul) went hunting, but one became the prey of the other. It's surprising to see them together, especially in daylight, since they are usually not active during the daytime. Unfortunately for this female Pallas's cat, she chose the wrong time to hunt pikas for her cubs and they were orphaned."

4. Cloud Walker by Tori Hilley, finalist in the Terrestrial Wildlife category. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, USA



“Brown bear from the Alaska Peninsula (Ursus arctos gyas). The photographer had to wait a long time until the sky began to change color.”

5. "Crowd Control" by Andy Schmid, finalist in the Aquatic Life category. Skverøy, Norway



“This photograph is a perfect demonstration of evolution and ecology: the carousel feeding of Norwegian killer whales. Carousel feeding is a hunting tactic in which a school of marine mammals works together to gather prey into a tight ball (in this case, like a doughnut).”

6. "Safely Wrapped" by Marcus Vestberg, finalist in the category "Man and Nature." Lwiro Primate Sanctuary, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Congo, Africa



“An employee of the reserve takes care of two rescued chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as if they were her own children. More than 100 chimpanzees have been given a second chance at life at the Lwiro Primate Sanctuary.”

7. “Cities Wild,” Corey Arnold, finalist in the “A Matter of Time” category. San Francisco, California, USA



“Raccoons' eyes brighten when a car passes them in Golden Gate Park, where at least twenty of these animals can be found at night. This is an unusually high number for the city. This is no doubt the result of too much unguarded waste in urban areas.”

8. Snapper Sunset, Rene Capozzola, finalist in the Aquatic Life category. Rangiroa, French Polynesia



“Humpback snappers (Lutjanus gibbus) swim serenely in the largest atoll in the Tuamotu Islands. The many layers of a healthy, thriving ecosystem—above and below the surface—are presented in one frame.”

9. "Strength in Numbers" by René Capozzola, finalist in the Aquatic Life category. Maui, Hawaii, USA



“Amazing image of four green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) swimming through the waters of Maui. Although they are often seen in Hawaiian waters, where they thrive thanks to a strict protection program, it is extremely rare to see more than two side by side. They are mostly loners. Adults form breeding pairs only briefly.”

10. “A Gift for the Puffin,” by Shane Kalin, finalist in the Winged Life category. Borgarfjordur Eystri, Iceland



“Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) are one of the most photogenic birds on the planet. They are also very sociable and mate for life, and although their main mating ritual is a behavior called 'billing', where they rub their beaks against each other, puffins also give gifts to their mates, such as choice feathers."

11. “Back Roll,” Karim Ilia, finalist in the “Aquatic Life” category. Moreai Rurutu, French Polynesia



“A baby humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) rolls playfully over its back while its mother sleeps further out of frame. This is an extremely rare sight—and an even more remarkable photograph.”

12. "Blanket Octopus" by Heng Kai, finalist in the Aquatic Life category. Anilao, Philippines



“The webbed octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus), so named because of its large transparent membrane, is a very curious cephalopod. It demonstrates one of the most extreme cases of sexual size dimorphism in nature: females like the one pictured here reach almost 2 meters in length, while males have no “cloak” and are mere mere centimeters in length.”

13. “The Secret Life of Underwater Hippos,” Mikhail Korostelev, finalist in the “Aquatic Life” category. Lake Kosi Bay, South Africa



Seemingly shy hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) sit below the surface of the water, keeping their eyes on the camera. After carefully studying this particular family, including filming their behavior underwater with a drone, the photographer eventually chose the right moment to jump in and take this photo. Why such a long preparation? These hefty creatures kill more people a year than sharks, making their underwater images as fascinating as they are dangerous.”

14. “Waiting for Love,” Audun Rikardsen, finalist in the “Winged Life” category. Tromso, Norway



“The Arctic butterfly lands on a leaf at night, theoretically looking for a mate. Due to the cold temperatures and surrounded by the ethereal tendrils of the northern lights, she moved very slowly, allowing the photographer to capture her. If only we could all afford this look for a first date!”

15. Life on the Edge by Amit Eshel, finalist in the Terrestrial Wildlife category. Desert Zin, Israel



“With fewer than 5,000 of them left in the world, finding any Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) is no easy task, let alone seeing adult males fight. The photographer witnessed teenagers banging their heads as practice."

16. “In Passing,” Lin Xiaoping, winner in the “Winged Life” category. Xiamen, China



“Xiamen City is home to thousands of herons, earning it the nickname “Heron Island.” At first glance, this is a simple image of a hunting heron. But there is a nuance: its prey is in pursuit of its own food!”

17. “Nose to Nose”, Douglas Gimesi, winner in the category “Man and Nature”. Joey and Bat Sanctuary, Beveridge, Victoria, Australia



“A veterinary student cradles and strokes a recently rescued four-month-old common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) named Maud. Baby wombats, with their very sensitive noses, especially appreciate this close contact."

18. “Brotherly Hug,” Daniel Valverde, finalist in the Terrestrial Wildlife category. Sabah, Malaysia



“In a very human-like display, a proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) hugs its fellow bird after stopping it from falling out of a tree. These highly social animals, endemic to the jungles of Borneo, are on the verge of extinction."

19. “Field of Dreams”, J. Fritz Rumpf, winner in the category “Art of Nature”. White Mountains, Arizona, USA



“This year's Art of Nature winner serves as a photographic Rorschach test! What do you think this isbehind the lines? We won't keep you in suspense: this is the underside of a mushroom, probably a mushroom of the Lactarius family."

20. “Friend in the Backyard,” Corey Arnold, “Cities Wild” series. The main prize of the competition. Asheville, North Carolina, USA



“Because a wildlife corridor runs through their property, a retired couple living on the outskirts of Asheville often finds four-legged visitors on their back porch. Including this beautiful American black bear (Ursus americanus).”