Noses & jellies showcase WPY 61 for divers

The topflight annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitors presents a sneak peek of its 61st occasion this week, though for divers solely two of the 15 extremely recommended photographs launched mirror the underwater world.

However, for 3 of the previous 4 years the Grand Title winner has been an underwater photographer – Shane Gross from Canada in 2024 and Frenchman Laurent Ballesta in 2021 and 2023.

The 2025 contest and subsequent exhibition will highlight 100 profitable wildlife photographs, chosen from what organiser London’s Natural History Museum (NHM) says was a record-breaking 60,636 entries.

The pictures are judged anonymously for creativity, originality and technical excellence by a world panel of professional judges working in wildlife images, film-making, science and conservation.

Hanging from a tree

The previewed underwater photographs had been each captured by US photographers: Isaac Szabo and Ralph Pace.

Szabo’s Fragile River of Life, extremely recommended within the Wetlands: The Bigger Picture class, depicts longnose gars throughout mating season in a Florida river. Wrapping his toes round a sunken tree, Isaac photographed the distinguished feminine with a number of males, whereas the turtle he stated provided the “icing on the cake” by offering “a sense of the whole ecosystem”.

The river is certainly one of greater than 1,000 waterways fed by clear freshwater springs, very important not just for wildlife resembling gars and manatees however for offering consuming water for almost half of Florida.

Pace’s Jelly Smack Summer, extremely recommended within the Underwater class, was taken from the center of a mass – generally known as a ‘smack’ – of Pacific sea nettles in Monterey Bay, California.

In an effort to guard himself from the painful bee-like stings from the jellyfishes’ trailing tentacles, Pace had smeared petroleum jelly on any flesh not lined by his wetsuit. 

Highly adaptable to warming seas, jellyfish are turning up in bigger numbers, he says, with some biologists arguing that extra frequent smacks are an indication of rising ocean temperatures – although the removing of predators and rivals by overfishing is one other issue.

Powerful platform

“Now in its 61st year, we are thrilled to continue Wildlife Photographer of the Year as a powerful platform for visual storytelling, showing the diversity, beauty and complexity of the natural world and humanity’s relationship to it,” says NHM director Dr Doug Gurr.

“With the inclusion of our Biodiversity Intactness Index [BII], this year’s exhibition will be our best combination of great artistry and groundbreaking science yet, helping visitors to become inspired to be advocates for our planet.”

The BII, which measures how a lot of a area’s pure biodiversity stays on a scale of 0 to 100%, has been adopted as an official Global Framework Biodiversity indicator for decision-making.

Photo competitors winners and the Grand and Young Grand title awards shall be introduced on 14 October, at a ceremony hosted on the museum by wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin. It will be watched stay on the NHM YouTube channel. 

Tickets are already on sale for the 61st exhibition of winning images, which runs on the museum from 17 October till 12 July, 2026. The present may also go on a UK and worldwide tour.