Barats has documented dozens of sperm whales, but this time, while guiding a tour in Dominica, she came across an individual that left an “unforgettable” impression on her brain and also on the judges who shortlisted her as the winner of the wide-angle category. While its mom dived away in search of food, this playful calf took the moment to interact with the humans that were spying on it with weird black equipment. Rolling upside-down, the calf approached the crew, opening its mouth wide open to expose its growing teeth. This image won the Wide Angle category.
For some organisms, reproduction is a grand event. Corals, for instance. "Like clockwork, thousands of corals across hundreds of kilometers synchronize to release egg-and-sperm bundles into the open sea," Shlesinger explained. The bundles sweep upward and start zipping through the sea. Shlesinger used a slow shutter speed to capture the rare spectacle that compelled judges to select it as the winner of the Coral Reefs category.
In what looks like a playful version of the movie Jaws, Blount records a precious moment that left his heart pulsing with an unforgettable thrill. Somewhere in the Antarctic, a leopard seal launched with full force towards him, its mouth shooting from the water like a gaping portal, conical teeth exposed, and eye justifying its predator status. "Watching that massive mouth lined with sharp teeth charge straight toward me is a thrill I'll never forget," he said. The picture got listed as the winner of the Up & Coming category.
20 Winning Images From the 2026 World Nature Photography Awards That Turn Wildlife Into Art
15 Stunning Wildlife Finalists from Sony Photography Awards 2026 Capture Rare Moments in the Wild
The 24 Stunning Finalists for Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award 2026
