An image of a swarm of toad tadpoles captured by a photographer while snorkelling for hours through a lake in Canada has won this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The photograph by Canadian marine conservation photojournalist Shane Gross beat a record-breaking 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories to scoop the top award in the 60th year of the contest run by the Natural History Museum.
He captured the image of western toad tadpoles, which are classed as near threatened due to habitat destruction and predators, while snorkelling for several hours through carpets of lily pads in Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, making sure he did not disturb the lakebed silt and algae.
Kathy Moran, chairwoman of the jury and editor, said: “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.”
The winner of the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition was 17-year-old Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, from Germany, for a close-up shot of “life under dead wood”, with the fruiting bodies of slime mould and a tiny springtail.
He moved fast to take the image as springtails can jump many times their body length in a split second, and used a technique called focus stacking, which combines 36 images each with a different area in focus.
Ms Moran said: “A photographer attempting to capture this moment not only brings great skill, but incredible attention to detail, patience and perseverance.
“To see a macro image of two species photographed on the forest floor, with such skill, is exceptional.”
Category winners were also awarded for a range of subjects, such as animal portraits, animals in their environment, behaviour of mammals, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and invertebrates, underwater and urban wildlife, as well as three age categories for the young wildlife photographer competition.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the competition introduced an “impact award” for both the adult and young photographer categories, for pictures recognising a conservation success that shows hope and/or positive change.
The Young Impact Award was given to Liwia Pawłowska from Poland, for her shot of a common whitethroat as part of a bird ringing project to aid conservation.
The Adult Impact Award was won by Australian photographer Jannico Kelk for a picture of a greater bilby, or ninu, a species brought close to extinction through predation by introduced foxes and cats, in a fenced reserve that eradicates the threat of predators.
Of the competition, Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said: “Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s longevity is a testament to the vital importance and growing appreciation of our natural world.
“We are delighted to feature such inspiring images in this year’s portfolio – these are photographs that not only encourage further wildlife conservation efforts, but that spark the creation of real advocates for our planet on a global scale.”
This year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, opens on Friday and for tickets and more information, people can visit: www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year