Tadpoles take top prize in wildlife photography contest
Following 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories, the winners of the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year have been announced.
An image of swarming tadpoles took the top prize in the prestigious wildlife photography contest. Canadian marine conservation photojournalist Shane Gross was selected as the overall winner for capturing the "magical underwater world of western toad tadpoles" while snorkeling through lily pads on Vancouver Island.
The tadpoles start becoming toads between four and 12 weeks after hatching, but an estimated 99% don't survive to adulthood.
Kathy Moran, chair of this year’s jury, said of Gross’ shot: "The jury was captivated by the mix of light, energy and connectivity between the environment and the tadpoles. We were equally excited by the addition of a new species to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year archive.
"Over the last few years, the competition has highlighted environments and species that are often overlooked yet provoke the same wonder and delight when shared as the more typically photographed wildlife and wild places."
Other category winners include a sleepy lynx, a freshwater dolphin in the Amazon, and a power struggle between an anaconda and a caiman.
This year the annual photo competition marks its 60th birthday and, as always, the images will be on display in the London museum from Friday October 11 until next year. The 2024 exhibition will also feature a timeline of key moments in the competition’s history.
Below are some of this year’s striking winning images. Also, don't forget to check out the finalists for the Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024 too.
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