The winners of the 2018 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year have been crowned. The competition is designed to celebrate the natural beauty of Australia and surrounding regions, such as New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea, and includes some stunning shots of animals going about their business as though we aren't there – as well as some stark reminders of the impact humans are having on the world.
The winning photograph, named "Hide and Seek," was snapped by Tracey Jennings during a dive under Arborek Jetty in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. The monochrome image captures the moment a huge school of fish, startled by a predator, began to flee in a silvery swarm.
"I love how the light plays through the fish, and how it really describes the essence of the feeling I experienced when below the jetty where life and death plays around you," says Jennings.
The photo was selected from among 2,288 submissions, along with winners and runners-up in 10 categories such as Animal Behavior, Landscape, Junior – for budding photographers under the age of 18 – and Our Impact, which highlights human presence on the natural world.
The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition is owned by the South Australian Museum. All of the finalists will be on show at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide until November 11, and at the Australian Museum in Sydney until January 28, 2019.
Explore the rest of this gorgeous collection in the gallery.
Source: Australian Geographic