Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 Winners Announced

The organizers of the international competition Wildlife Photographer of the Year have announced the winners of 2022. In total, the jury considered more than 38,000 photographs from 93 countries of the world, from which they chose the best works.

Photographer of the Year

In the photo - male "cactus" bees (Diadasia), fighting for a female. The picture was taken by American Karin Aigner, who in the 58-year history of the competition became the fifth woman to take the main prize. The shot turned out by accident: she just noticed bee balls on the ground and lay in the dust for several minutes until she caught a dynamic composition with a couple of bees flying up from the side.

Junior Photographer of the Year

The winner was an author from Thailand, who participated in the competition of photographers aged 15-17. He managed to photograph the whiskers of Bryde's minke whale, one of the common species of whales. The gray "hair" in the photo is actually whiskers, of which such whales can have up to 370 pairs. They are used to filter small fish and crustaceans that the animal feeds on.

Young photographers (11-14 years old)

Making his way through the foggy forest, the author saw an osprey sitting on a dead tree - waiting for the fog to disappear and it would be possible to hunt.

Young photographers (up to 10 years old)

At the end of a day trip with her family, the girl noticed an unusual fight. The two mountain goats clashed with their horns and continued to exchange blows while standing on their hind legs, like boxers in a ring.

nature art

The picture was taken on the Salar de Uyuni, a dry salt lake in Bolivia - also called the "mirror in the sky."

Wildlife in the city

The picture was taken by Russian photographer Dmitry Kokh, traveling along the Kolyuchinskaya Bay by boat. On the shore, he saw polar bears who have chosen a house in an abandoned settlement. With the help of a drone, Dmitry managed to take several pictures - including this one, which won in its category.

animal portraits

Pictured is the Canarian bustard, a rare non-migratory bird that is threatened with extinction. To capture the mating dance of a bird, the photographer hid from the night near the site of the annual bird dances.

Animals in the habitat

A snapshot of a spectacled bear, standing on the border of nature and civilization, was managed not far from Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Habits: amphibians and reptiles

The photo was taken in the Cave of Hanging Snakes in Mexico. The name of the place describes it well: many rat snakes live here, which in the evenings protrude from the cracks between the stones, catching bats right in the air.

Oceans: the big picture

Using a camera on a camera crane, the photographer filmed the whales as they gradually approached his boat. He was lucky: in the dark water, he managed to capture the moment of copulation.

Reservoirs: the global picture

The photographer used a drone to show the contrast between the living forest and Amatitlán Lake, which is overgrown with algae. The reason for this is 75,000 tons of waste that is annually poured here from the city of Guatemala.

Plants and mushrooms

The author used a wide-angle lens and flashes to create a dreamlike atmosphere. In the center of the image are morels that bloom only a few days a year.

Photojournalism

In the picture of the famous photojournalist Brent Stirton - the last moments of the life of Ndakasi, a mountain gorilla. She was rescued at the age of two months after her group was destroyed by the coal mafia in the Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Ndakasi is in the arms of her savior and guardian, André Bauma.

To view shortlisted entries and learn more about the winners, visit competition website.