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The 10 most incredible wildlife photos of the year

Julia Calderone
2015-10-15T21:31:45Z
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Don Gutoski_ Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A red fox pauses with a smaller fox in its mouth on the snow-covered tundra in Wapusk National Park on Hudson Bay, Canada in early winter. Photographer Don Gutoski was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year after snapping this award-winning image. Shot on Canon EOS-1D X + 200-400mm f4 lens + 1.4x extender at 784mm; 1/1000 sec at f8; ISO 640. Don Gutoski/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015

Every year, photographers across the globe submit tens of thousands of groundbreaking nature photographs to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition — a prestigious event developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London.

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The winners of this year's competition, which attracted more than 42,000 entries from 96 countries, were announced Oct. 13.

Don Gutoski, a Canadian photographer, was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015​ after snapping a haunting image of a red fox capturing another fox in the subarctic climes of Cape Churchill, Canada.

Check out all 10 of the winning photographs below. They're absolutely stunning.

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Still life

Edwin Giesbers_ Amphibians & Reptiles
A great crested newt hangs motionless near the surface of a stream in Gelderland in the Netherlands. Shot on Canon G15 + 28-140mm f1.8-2.8 lens at 28mm; 1/500 sec at f6.3; ISO 200; Canon housing. Edwin Giesbers/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015

Flight of the scarlet ibis

Jonathan Jagot_ 15 17 Years
A flock of scarlet ibis framed against dunes on the island of Lençóis on the coast of northeast Brazil. Shot on Nikon D5100 + 55-300mm f4.5-5.6 lens at 300mm; 1/1000 sec at f6.3; ISO 360. Jonathan Jagot/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015
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Shadow walker

Richard Peters_ Urban
An urban fox walks through a beam of light in photographer Richard Peters' backyard in Surrey, England. Shot on Nikon D810 + 18-35mm lens at 32mm; 30 sec at f8; ISO 1250; Nikon SB-800 flash; Gitzo tripod + RRS BH-55 ballhead; Camtraptions PIRsensor. Richard Peters/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015

The company of three

Amir Ben Dov_ Birds
A slate-grey male and two female red-footed falcons perching together on agricultural land near Beit Shemesh, Israel. Shot on Canon EOS-1D X + 500mm f4 lens; 1/1600 sec at f8 (+0.33 e/v); ISO 500. Amir Ben Dov/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015
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Broken cats

Britta Jaschinski_ Photojournalism, Single Image Award
Locked into obedience by their trainers’ gaze, big cats perform at the Seven Star Park in Guilin, China. They have had their teeth and claws pulled out, and when not in the arena, they live in the tiny cages visible behind the stage. Shot on Nikon F4 + 24mm lens; 1/125 sec at f5.6; Kodak Tri-X-Pan 400 black-and-white film. Britta Jaschinski/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015
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Life comes to art

Juan Tapia_ Impressions
A barn swallow flies through a hole in an oil painting on a farm in Almeria in southern Spain. Shot on Canon 7D + 70-200mm f2.8 lens at 150mm; 1/250 sec at f14; ISO 400; Canon 580EX II and Metz 58 flashes; x2 Metz photocells;Manfrotto tripod + Rótula RC2; Godox remote. Juan Tapia/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015

 


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A whale of a mouthful

Michael AW_ Underwater
A Bryde’s whale rips through a swirling ball of sardines, gulping a huge mouthful in a single pass offshore of South Africa’s Transkei (Eastern Cape). Shot on Nikon D3S +14-24mm f2.8 lens at 14mm; 1/250sec at f9 (-1 e/v); ISO 800; Ikelite DS‐200 strobe; Seacam housing. Michael AW/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015

Ruffs on display

Ondrej Pelánek_ Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Territorial male ruffs in full breeding plumage show off their colorful neck feathers in the tundra on Norway’s Varanger Peninsula. Those with dark plumage perform on territories. Those with white ruffs, known as satellite males (far left and far right), don’t hold territories but display on the outside of the lek or form uneasy alliances with territory-holding males. A third type of ‘sneaky male’ disguises itself as a female. Shot on Nikon D800 + 300mm f2.8 VR II lens + TC-20E III; 1/500 sec at f7.1 (-1 e/v); ISO 4000. Ondrej Pelánek/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015
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The art of algae

Pere Soler_ From the Skies
A mosaic of marshes, reed beds, sand dunes, and beaches seen by plane over the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park on the coast of Andalucia, Spain. As the temperature warms and the salinity changes in the spring, the intertidal wetlands change color as bright green seaweed intermingles with multicolored micro algal blooms. White salt deposits and brown and orange sediments are colored by sulfurous bacteria and iron oxide. Shot on Canon EOS 5D Mark III + 70-200mm f4 lens at 70mm; 1/1000 sec at f5.6; ISO 200. Pere Soler/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015

A tale of two foxes

Don Gutoski_ Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A red fox pauses with a smaller fox in its mouth on the snow-covered tundra in Wapusk National Park on Hudson Bay, Canada in early winter. Photographer Don Gutoski was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year after snapping this award-winning image. Shot on Canon EOS-1D X + 200-400mm f4 lens + 1.4x extender at 784mm; 1/1000 sec at f8; ISO 640. Don Gutoski/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015

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