Every year, National Geographic announces the winners for ‘Nature Photographer of the Year,’ and each year, the photos are unbelievably gorgeous. This year is no exception.
After receiving over 11,000 submissions, the world-renowned magazine narrowed it down to a few dozen winners. The competition was stiff and the photos submitted fell into one of four categories: wildlife, landscapes, aerials, and water.
The winning shots below are so epically timed, they almost seem fake.
These photos show just how much breath-taking beauty is on our remarkable and powerful planet.
1. The Grand Prize Winner – “Face to Face in a River in Borneo,” Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan
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Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan via National Geographic
2. A young male lion shakes his head in the breeze. Photo by Ge Xiao.
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Ge Xiao via National Geographic
3. A crocodile uses its natural camouflage. Photo by Cole Frechou.
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Cole Frechou via National Geographic
4. A fish eye’s view of a bear in Russia. Photo by Mike Korostelev.
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Mike Korostelev via National Geographic
5. A tornado of fish in the sea. Photo by Anuar Patjane Floriuk.
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Anuar Patjane Floriuk via National Geographic
6. First place winner of ‘Landscapes.’ “Firefall” by Karim Iliya.
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Karim Iliya via National Geographic
7. A Marine Iguana sneezes to expel sea water. Photo by M. Engelmann.
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M. Engelmann via National Geographic
8. A star-shaped snack. Photo by Pedro Carrillo.
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Pedro Carrillo via National Geographic
9. Swimming amongst a pod of sleeping sperm whales. Photo by Franco Banfi.
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Franco Banfi via National Geographic
10. Showing off. Photo by Ernie Black.
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Ernie Black via National Geographic
11. Dwarfing waves crash against a lighthouse. Photo by Paul Kingston.
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Paul Kingston via National Geographic
12. A perfectly lit water show. Photo by Bence Mate.
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Bence Mate via National Geographic
13. Peeking out from safety. Photo by Marc Hornig.
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Marc Hornig via National Geographic
14. A nice stretch beneath stormy skies. Photo by Joel Fischer.
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Joel Fischer via National Geographic
15. Stealing a sweet treat. Photo by Wanling Tang.
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Wanling Tang via National Geographic
16. Predators amongst their prey. Photo by Jennifer Oneil.
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Jennifer Oneill via National Geographic
17. Nature’s food chain in action. Photo by Amy Gulick.
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Amy Gulick via National Geographic
18. Colors dancing on the night sky. Photo by Johns Tsai.
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John Tsai via National Geographic
19. First place winner for ‘Aerials.’ “Rock Pool” by Todd Kennedy.
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Todd Kennedy via National Geographic
20. A picture-perfect sunset silhouette. Photo by Holly-Lynn Latimour.
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Holly-Lynn Latimour via National Geographic
21. Peaking out from the sand. Photo by Sylvie Ayer.
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Sylvie Ayer via National Geographic
22. Where nature meets concrete. Photo by Antonio Lopez.
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Antonio Lopez via National Geographic
23. Angry earth. Photo by Vladimir Voychuk.
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Vladimir Voychuk via National Geographic
24. Showing off their pearly whites. Photo by Gary Peart.
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Gary Peart via National Geographic
25. A powerful summer storm. Photo by Mike Olbinski.
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Mike Olbinski via National Geographic
26. Fire meeting water. Photo by Greg C.
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Greg C. via National Geographic
27. Floating on a pink sea. Photo by Wellington Rodrigues.
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Wellington Rodrigues via National Geographic
28. Enjoying the fruits of their labor. Photo by Erik Joosten.
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Erik Joosten via National Geographic
29. Two sea lions sneak a kiss. Photo by Truc Allen.
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Truc Allen via National Geographic
30. Tiny little hitch-hikers. Photo by Michael Smith.
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Michael Smith via National Geographic
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By Ashley Fike
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Ashley Fike is a contributor at SBLY Media.