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Nature possesses a unique capability to motivate, astonish, and humble us, and 2024 was no different.
From haunting underwater whale cemeteries to breathtaking visuals of predators seizing their prey, here are the most remarkable nature photographs taken in 2024.
Every autumn, millions of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) journey nearly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) from North America to southwestern Mexico to enter a state of hibernation for the winter, as per the National Museum of Scotland.
Photographer Jaime Rojo captured this photograph of the butterflies congregated over fir trees in the El Rosario sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site that shelters many overwintering monarch butterflies. This photograph was honored with the grand prize at the 11th annual Big Picture: Natural World Photography competition.
In the tropical wetlands of the Pantanal, located in South America, photographer Ian Ford documented the instant a jaguar (Panthera onca) executed a skull-crushing bite to a yacaré caiman (Caiman yacare).
The image, named “Deadly bite,” was among the highly praised images in the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organized and produced by the Natural History Museum in London.
Related: View a jaguar crushing a crocodilian’s skull and a ‘David Bowie’ spider in this preview of the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Photographer Shane Gross received first place in the Ocean Portfolio category at the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 competition.
This photograph features a group of wide-eyed young plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) resting above their golden yolk sacs still attached to their bodies.
Photographer Kathleen Borshanian obtained this snapshot of an Arctic fox cub soaking in sunlight on the brink of a cliff located on an island in the Bering Sea.
The Pribilof Islands Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus pribilofensis) is unique to the Pribilof Islands — four volcanic landmasses off the shore of Alaska. The fox featured in this photograph lurks near the entrance of one of numerous tunnels found throughout the island. These tunnels create an underground labyrinth and offer sanctuary for these cubs, according to the image’s caption.
This picture was among the contenders in the Terrestrial Wildlife category for the 2024 Big Picture: Natural World Photography contest.
Under the towering pines of a timber plantation, photographer Toby Schrapel documented a biofluorescent southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii) resting atop a luminescent ghost mushroom (Omphalotus nidiformis).
This photograph won first place in the People’s Choice division of the 2024 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize event held in Australia.
Related: ‘Absolutely magical’: Rare glowing duo of tree frog and parasitic ghost fungus captured in otherworldly photo
This image exhibits a forensic expert meticulously extracting fingerprints from the tusk of an African elephant (Loxodonta) at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom.
Photographer Britta Jaschinski illuminates the illicit ivory trade that fuels the poaching of elephants for their esteemed tusks. Fingerprints on ivory usually fade within mere hours, yet forensic experts have innovated a revolutionary technique that allows investigators to lift fingerprints from tusks even after a month has passed.
This photograph was recognized as a contender in the Human and Nature category for the 2024 Big Picture: Natural World Photography competition.
In this image, titled “The Swarm of Life,” a group of western toad tadpoles (Anaxyrus boreas) glides beneath a thick expanse of lily pads floating in a Canadian lake.
This species thrives in diverse ecosystems, ranging from southeastern coastal Alaska and British Columbia, Canada, to northern Baja California, Mexico. Female western toads are capable of laying over 12,000 eggs in a single batch, yet only 1% typically survive to adulthood.
Photographer Shane Gross documented this image while snorkeling in a mountain lake on Vancouver Island. The photo earned the grand title of winner in the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) navigate around a swimming brown bear (Ursus arctos) within Katmai National Park in Alaska as the fish return from their yearly migration.
In early June, as many as 40 million adult sockeye salmon make their way back to Bristol Bay from the open sea, having spent nearly three years there. They ascend the lakes and streams to the location of their birth to spawn and soon after perish.
The lensman, Barrett Hedges, was recognized as a finalist in the People’s Choice category in the 2024 Big Picture: Natural World Photography contest.
Utilizing a microscope, an exceptionally detailed image showcases the tiny eyes of a green crab spider (Diaea dorsata).
Crab spiders are recognized for their unique colors, which enable them to camouflage amidst the vegetation in woodlands throughout Europe.
Photographer Paweł Błachowicz achieved 13th place for this image in the Nikon Small World 2024 Photomicroscopy competition.
Whale graveyard
Under the coastal waters of East Greenland, a photographer documented the skeletal remains of minke whales nestled in an underwater burial ground.
Photographer Alex Dawson captured the image near the Tasiilaq settlement, a small community involved in an annual hunt of the common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). The whales are stripped of their flesh and dragged back into the sea. Over time, their remains are consumed by various marine creatures.
The photograph, named “Whale bones,” received the top award in the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 contest.
Related: Haunting image captures hunted whales off Greenland resting in their aquatic grave
Photographer Tracey Lund captured this image of a couple of swimming northern gannets while on a holiday in Scotland’s Shetland islands.
With a wingspan measuring 5.9 feet (1.8 meters), northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) rank as the largest seabirds in the U.K. They plunge from heights of 98 feet (30 m) into the sea to pursue fish.
“Thousands of gannets were soaring above us and then began to dive into the water after local fish,” Lund mentioned in the photo caption. “An incredible sight to behold, not to mention photograph.”
This image was awarded the grand prize at the 2024 World Nature Photography Awards and also secured the gold award in the Behavior category.
In this image, captured in the Axel Lab at Columbia University, a cluster of eggs illustrates the initial growth of the uncommon Caribbean two-spot octopus (Octopus hummelincki).
This complete cluster approximates 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) in width, based on an Instagram post from one of the photographers who took this picture. Inside each egg, there are two dark eyes; a small, white yolk sac; along with brown chromatophores, which are pigment-containing cells that enable octopuses to alter their appearance.
Photographers Thomas Barlow and Connor Gibbons secured fifth place in the Nikon Small World 2024 Photomicrography Competition.
A mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) achieves a successful catch during a feeding frenzy in this picture taken off the shore of Baja California.
“Observing them hunt was captivating — their speed and accuracy were astonishing,” photographer Manuel Castellanos Raboso shared with Oceanographic magazine. “I aimed to capture the moment one broke through the ball with its catch. It took over 16 hours in the water, finding the right light and angle, yet I finally achieved it.”
The photo was awarded first position in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year segment in the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 competition.
Related: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024: Explore breathtaking images of a hungry whale, surfing seagull, strange fish babies, land-loving eel, and charming toxic octopus
This image of a potbelly seahorse concealed behind a green coral in the murky waters off Sydney earned photographer Talia Greis first place in the Macro category at the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 competition.
The potbelly seahorse (Hippocampus bleekeri) ranks among the largest seahorse species. They inhabit the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, growing up to 11.8 inches (30 cm) in length, and as the name implies, adult potbelly seahorses possess notably large bellies.
This vibrant image depicts an emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator) perched on the head of a nudibranch (Hypselodoris apolegma) that is positioned atop its eggs.
Nudibranchs, commonly referred to as sea slugs, lay their eggs in ribbon-like or tightly coiled shapes.
Photographer Enrico Somogyi captured this photograph off the northeast coast of Bali, receiving first position in the Compact category at the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 competition.
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