![Just some of the images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition now on show in Sydney. Pictures by Caitlin Henderson, Alex Mustard and Jasper Doest. Just some of the images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition now on show in Sydney. Pictures by Caitlin Henderson, Alex Mustard and Jasper Doest.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/1479f142-fd9e-49cf-9abb-f1ad51ca3c93.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
From a possum snacking on a large cicada to a massive horseshoe crab and rarely-seen animals from faraway continents, it's all here.
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You can check out the dozens of magnificent images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in Sydney.
Now in its 59th year, the exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, is on show at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
![The Grand Title winner from the 2024 exhibition. Picture by Laurent Ballesta, Wildlife Photographer of the Year The Grand Title winner from the 2024 exhibition. Picture by Laurent Ballesta, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/73164a11-777f-4750-a969-e346d1b9c5b2.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
This year the exhibition highlights a myriad of plant and animal species from the lens of wildlife photographers worldwide.
These breathtaking images capture both the beauty and the traumas faced by our natural environment and invite audiences to see the world from a unique perspective and understand the importance of protecting and advocating for wildlife conservation.
The exhibition features more than 100 award-winning images, including the Grand Title winner, French photographer Laurent Ballesta whose ethereal image of a golden horseshoe crab taken near Pangatalan Island in the Philippines has earned him the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year for the second time.
![Picture by Alex Mustard, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Alex Mustard, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/06dd71b3-3152-4e61-a6aa-650b4d6dcfc7.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Judges of the Natural History Museum's 59th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition had the challenging task of reviewing nearly 50,000 entries from 95 countries, which were assessed and judged anonymously by an international panel of experts, on criteria including originality, narrative, technical excellence, and ethical practice.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is one of the world's most prestigious photography competitions, which tours the world each year.
![Picture by Max Waugh, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Max Waugh, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/6227a8b3-ac17-4561-934e-df8099c4a2ea.jpg/r0_0_1280_964_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Each year we welcome the finest wildlife images from the world's finest wildlife photographers," Australian National Maritime Museum CEO and director Daryl Karp said.
"Wildlife Photographer of the Year is a perennial favourite with audiences here.
![A possum snacks on a large cicada. Picture by Caitlin Henderson, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A possum snacks on a large cicada. Picture by Caitlin Henderson, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/8c966213-d66e-4aa5-973a-1c661e15251b.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"These are powerful, beautiful and perfectly timed images that surprise, inspire and amaze. There is no better space to lose and immerse yourself in this planet's natural world."
The exhibition is open now and runs until November.
Keep scrolling for more amazing images
![Picture by Bertie Gregory, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Bertie Gregory, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/eb34d4de-6351-4fb7-8d6f-e638ce10d559.jpg/r0_0_1280_785_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Whales making waves: a pod of orcas prepare to 'wave wash' a Weddell seal at Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.
![Picture by Mike Korostelev, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Mike Korostelev, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/615c637d-db72-4211-97ab-efd60aea214a.jpg/r0_0_1280_842_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Hippo nursery: a hippopotamus and her two offspring rest in the shallow clear-water lake, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa.
![Picture by Bruno DAmicis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Bruno DAmicis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/38eafa6b-af72-4152-b74f-ec8eec998fa2.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A mosaic-like image of a Mediterranean monk seal.
![Picture by Agorastos Papatsanis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Agorastos Papatsanis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/e5bc20f4-e252-46d4-95fe-7f5103d7929a.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The parasol mushroom spreads its spores on air currents in search of new places to grow.
![Picture by Pietro Formis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Pietro Formis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/1ba555a0-39d8-4c63-9471-36d865fa15f4.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A Mediterranean stargazer peers through the sandy coastal waters.
![Picture by Carmel Bechler, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Carmel Bechler, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/addff206-6619-4c5d-98d8-de3d71d2394d.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Barn owls resting in a roadside block were caught on camera by Carmel Bechler as he used his family car as a hide.
![Picture by Joan de la Malla, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Joan de la Malla, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/d841ac93-57bd-4385-81dc-fb9c3d85e063.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A bird's-eye view of the polluted Ciliwung River winding through Indonesia's capital Jakarta.
![Picture by Shashwat Harish, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Shashwat Harish, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/d5a7affe-d5a1-49b7-9708-f3c1f25bb097.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Kenyan photographer Shashwat Harish is rewarded for his patience with a moment of eye contact and the curl of a leopard's tail.
![Picture by Karine Aigner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Karine Aigner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/2ea9d4e4-a4dc-4754-ace9-8c353d68d91b.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
An annual hunting competition in Texas, USA.
![Picture by Agorastos Papatsanis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Agorastos Papatsanis, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/d90a07cd-4dee-46b6-b085-94514de3ca2b.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Swirls of spores appearing to dance beneath the gills of a deer shield mushroom.
![Picture by Jef Pattyn, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Jef Pattyn, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/a5a2f197-35cb-4771-a10f-512b2e7b1a30.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
An artisan fisher drags a sailfish across the beach.
![Picture by Ekaterina Bee, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Ekaterina Bee, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/e0a67e1d-237e-4336-8527-55ed71eeca31.jpg/r0_3_1280_723_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
An intimate encounter with a pair of common bottlenose dolphins recorded.
![Picture by Hadrien Lalage, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Hadrien Lalage, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/26a0c5d9-c745-44c9-ad11-522c58450d8d.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
KExamine tis closely and spot the boa slithering past a perfect alignment of grey-winged trumpeters.
![Picture by Knut Sverre Horn, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Knut Sverre Horn, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/159ea4ce-04c6-4899-9131-966fcafa124f.jpg/r0_0_1280_989_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Kttiwake chicks illuminated in an abandoned factory.
![Picture by Elza Friedlnder, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Elza Friedlnder, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/19456e10-2dbd-4d91-bc46-b690678eecae.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A pair of white storks in shimmering heat against the burnt ground resulting from a controlled fire.
![Picture by Neil Aldridge, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Neil Aldridge, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/879b0772-4f01-4b10-8d47-c76ba2bb3b4b.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The injuries sustained by a fox - most likely caused by dogs - in South Africa.
![Picture by Atsuyuki Ohshima, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Atsuyuki Ohshima, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/8a8552f0-62e4-46d0-804e-41cc93c16e89.jpg/r0_0_1280_855_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Can you spot the unusual interaction? A macaque has hitched a ride on the back of a deer.
![Picture by Fernando Constantino Martnez Belmar, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Fernando Constantino Martnez Belmar, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/2d7238e9-dad5-4914-8350-4d0751a5dbbe.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The devastating path of a new cross-country, tourist railway in Mexico.
![Picture by Juan Jess Gonzalez Ahumada, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Juan Jess Gonzalez Ahumada, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/deddc16d-1023-483e-b15f-e297806d78b1.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The tadpole banquet: toad tadpoles feast on a dead fledgling sparrow at Ojen, Malaga, Spain.
![Picture by Amit Eshel, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Amit Eshel, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/d26e50a5-e597-4376-b5d9-129f85fdad01.jpg/r0_0_1280_720_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Male Nubian ibex fight during the mating season with their long horns.
![Picture by Rachel Bigsby, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Rachel Bigsby, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/3e91ced4-dd65-4bb2-bc2e-ec9f73f1058f.jpg/r0_0_1280_799_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A gannet pair pictured against the guano-painted curves of sandstone cliffs.
![Picture by Lennart Verheuvel, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Lennart Verheuvel, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/654b6b6e-bc8c-46b6-b5cd-20743f3f82e4.jpg/r0_0_1280_799_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A beached orca whale's final moments.
![Picture by Donglin Zhou, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Donglin Zhou, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/6b5d712a-d96a-4823-955f-bc5f890b5ced.jpg/r0_0_1280_815_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A snow leopard hunts a Pallas's cat.
![Picture by Vihaan Talya Vikas, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Vihaan Talya Vikas, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/15d1a572-818c-4844-8884-bcff02b6f2f4.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Spot the ornamental tree trunk spider preventing its prey from escaping.
![Picture by Michal Siarek, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Michal Siarek, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/55316a82-fa62-40d9-a27c-59339c7f639e.jpg/r0_0_1280_960_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The moment a team from Pozna Zoo opens a crate to check on an evacuated tiger cub.
![Picture by Solvin Zankl, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Solvin Zankl, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/49f4aca6-1c0c-4e02-95b8-96d5e0d31589.jpg/r0_0_1280_852_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A two-coloured mason bee build the roof of its nest.
![Picture by Jasper Doest, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Jasper Doest, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/165b079f-d98e-49f5-9976-5fd9b2118332.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The final moments of extreme distress felt by an elephant hit by a train.
![Picture by Sriram Murali, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Picture by Sriram Murali, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/0454b5eb-39cd-473c-a8a0-3b0acae146fb.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The bioluminescence of fireflies was captured with long exposure camera shots.
![Picture by Luca Melcarne, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Picture by Luca Melcarne, Wildlife Photographer of the Year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/2b829499-6975-460f-9e18-d29f4dcf6871.jpg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Luca Melcarne made the most of his mountain guide skills to reveal the fascinating lives of Alpine animals.
![Picture by Vishnu Gopal, Wildlife Photographer of the year Picture by Vishnu Gopal, Wildlife Photographer of the year](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/1de7f0a1-a69e-40dd-adeb-714167a3d9d6.jpg/r0_0_1280_916_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The moment a lowland tapir steps cautiously out of the swampy Brazilian rainforest.