The 2023 Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners have been announced. This year’s winning shots aim to focus on our impact on nature, both positively and negatively. The competition will feature a number of pictures that judges hope will serve as a catalyse for change on human treatment of the environment. In the waters surrounding Pangatalan Island in the Philippines, French marine biologist Laurent Ballesta captured an image of a tri-spine horseshoe crab in action, which has earned him the top prize. It is not the first time that Ballesta has won the award.
Carmel Bechler of Israel won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for his image of barn owls in an abandoned roadside building. The image has so many elements in terms of content and composition that it begs the question of why we cannot respect the environment and adapt to it as wildlife does.
Whilst announcing the winners, Jury Chair Kathy Moran emphasized the importance of winning shots, stating that the image by Ballesta was particularly luminescent. By offering a glimpse of the crab in its natural habitat, it showed how its survival is being threatened by over-fishing and habitat loss. The impressive winning images give compelling evidence of our adverse impact on nature.
The exhibition displaying the winning photographs will be available at the Natural History Museum from today until the 30th June 2024. The competition aims at promoting the importance of protecting and conserving nature. Dr. Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, noted that the winning photos inspire awe and curiosity while also depicting tangible evidence of our impact on nature. However, the positive feedbacks have also highlighted the need for global transformational change
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