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Winner – landscape: The Beast
‘I love the raw power and beauty of storms. Watching this severe storm making its way to me, I was filled with excitement and anticipation. To capture the only CG (cloud-to-ground) bolt to come from this amazing shelf cloud was absolute bliss. Once again, thank you Mother Nature!’ Kabi Kabi country, Kings Beach, Queensland.
Photograph: Darren Wassell
Winner – macro: Liftoff
‘Vertical migrations are some of the most remarkable in the world. Billions of animals hide in deep waters and then travel to the surface at night to feed under the cover of darkness. This paper nautilus hitched a ride on a passing jellyfish – a truly unique and magical encounter on one of the world’s greatest vertical currents.’ Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Photograph: Talia Greis
Finalist – aerial: The Chase
‘I’m fascinated by interspecies interactions. I question: is it just social interaction or are these encounters driven by deeper connections, communication, or even cooperation? These two bottlenose dolphins were riding the humpback’s wake then swimming to its eye and pausing. It was like a reunion of old friends in a fleeting moment.’ Nyangbul country, Lennox Head, New South Wales.
Photograph: Craig Parry
Winner – monochrome: Party Streamer
‘Orca WA007 joyfully leaps out of the Bremer Canyon after devouring a Cuvier’s beaked whale, her prey’s intestines subtly hanging from her mouth like a festive decoration. Around 300 of these mammal-hunting orcas have been recorded in this remote Southern Ocean hotspot, with unfolding research suggesting they may be their own ecotype.’ Noongar country, Southern Ocean, off Bremer Bay, Western Australia.
Photograph: Rachelle Mackintosh
Winner – landscape: The Beast
‘I love the raw power and beauty of storms. Watching this severe storm making its way to me, I was filled with excitement and anticipation. To capture the only CG (cloud-to-ground) bolt to come from this amazing shelf cloud was absolute bliss. Once again, thank you Mother Nature!’ Kabi Kabi country, Kings Beach, Queensland.
Photograph: Darren Wassell
Winner – astrophotography: Oberon Kenobi
‘An amphitheatre of pandani watch on as the galactic core, swathed in airglow, rises over an alpine lake, nestled in a rugged Tassie mountain range. Lady Aurora dances under the Magellanic Clouds. This image was captured on a crisp night in one of Tasmania’s more rugged and majestic multi-day walks.’ Loinnekumme country, South-west national park, Tasmania.
Photograph: Marley Butler
Winner – aerial: Jabiru Leaf
‘This is not a dead leaf; it is a result of massive tides retreating over mudflats. I thought of a dead tree and a bird as we flew over the flats in the chopper. As this blacknecked stork flew towards the drainage, we banked hard just in time to capture them together.’ Balanggarra land, Wyndham, Western Australia.
Photograph: Charles Davis
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