A shocking picture of a uncommon white humpback whale has gained the grand prize of World Nature Photographer of the Year 2026.
Jono Allen’s picture of a calf and its mom was taken in Vava’u, Tonga. Humpback whales migrate to Tonga’s heat waters to provide start, however a white whale is exceptionally uncommon. The calf, who was named Mãhina by locals, was first filmed in 2024.
Jono mentioned: “Sharing this moment with Mãhina and her protective mother is a memory that will live with me forever. It was undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary days I have ever experienced in the ocean – and perhaps ever will.”
World Nature Photographer of the Year 2026 obtained 1000’s of entries from photographers throughout 51 international locations, in classes starting from city wildlife to picture journalism.
World Nature Photographer of the Year 2026 winners
Mãhina by Jono Allen – Underwater class, Gold and Grand prize
Jono Allen took this unbelievable picture of a uncommon white humpback calf in Vava’u, Tonga. Sharing the picture on their Facebook web page, Jono wrote: “Only approximately 1 in 40,000 humpbacks have this rare all white skin condition and never before has one been witnessed yet alone photographed in Tonga.” – Credit – Jono Allen / World Nature Photography Awards
Determination by Elizabeth Yicheng Shen – Animal portraits class, Bronze
A lioness gently strikes her cub. Elizabeth captured this picture on a recreation drive in Mara North Conservancy, Kenya – Credit: Elizabeth Yicheng Shen / World Nature Photography Awards
Splash by Charlie Wemyss-Dunn – Animals of their habitat class, Gold
Charlie Wemyss-Dunn captures the dramatic second a brown bear makes an attempt to catch sockeye salmon in Katmai National Park, Alaska – Credit: Charlie Wemyss-Dunn / World Nature Photography Awards
A fragile steadiness by Henning Olsen – Behaviour – Amphibians and reptiles class, Bronze
Henning Olsen pictures the second two damselflies perch on the pinnacle of a grass snake in Denmark’s Boserup Lake – Credit: Henning Olsen / World Nature Photography Awards
Eye on the prize by Vince Burton – Behaviour – Birds class, Silver
Vince Burton captures the final view of a barn owl’s prey on this shot in Norfolk, England – Credit: Vince Burton / World Nature Photography Awards
Home on the leaves by Minghui Yuan – Behaviour – Invertebrates class, Gold
“In the tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna [China], I found a moss moth larva creating a protective net nest on newly grown tender leaves of plants. Moss moth larvae bite off their toxic hair like structures and use their sticky saliva to build their own houses. It uses its own poisonous fur as building material, which can resist attacks from parasitic wasps and ants.” – Credit: Minghui Yuan / World Nature Photography Awards
Bear hug by Michael Stavrakakis – Behaviour – Mammals class, Silver
Michael took this picture of a mom polar bear and her 6-month-old cub in Svalbard, Norway. Cubs stick with their moms for simply over two years – Credit: Michael Stavrakakis / World Nature Photography Awards
The rugby gamers by Preeti and Prashant Chacko – Black and white class, Bronze
Preeti and Prashant Chacko specialize in black and white images. Here, rhinos seem to cost egrets within the Solio Game Reserve, Kenya – Credit: Preeti and Prashant Chacko / World Nature Photography Awards
Ghost of the reef by Simon Biddie – Nature class, Gold
The ghost goby is native to the Red Sea and western Indo-Pacific. Here, one blends right into a reef at Marsa Alam, in Egypt – Credit: Simon Biddie / World Nature Photography Awards
Chimp paradise 30 by Alain Schroeder – Nature photojournalism, Gold
This picture exhibits Kayla, a 37-year-old feminine chimpanzee, in preparation for an ultrasound. This picture was taken on the chimpanzee sanctuary Save the Chimps, in Fort Pierce, Florida – Credit: Alain Schroeder / World Nature Photography Awards
The wildlife photographer by Deena Sveinsson – People and nature class, Gold
Deena Sveinsson’s picture captures the second a bull moose seems to look down the lens of a digital camera in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – Deena Sveinsson / World Nature Photography Awards
The eye of the dragon by Miki Spitzer – Planet Earth’s landscapes and environments, Gold
The swirling colors of a geothermal pool are captured in Miki Spitzer’s drone picture, taken at Hveravellir in central Iceland – Credit: Miki Spitzer / World Nature Photography Awards
Explosion of life by Giovanni Vicari – Plants and fungi class, Silver
Xylaria hypoxylon fungus (also referred to as candlesnuff fungus) is usually discovered rising on useless wooden and incorporates anti-viral properties. Giovanni took this picture in in Piana di Segni, Italy – Credit: Giovanni Vicari / World Nature Photography Awards
I’m the boss by Arghya Adhikary – Urban wildlife class, Silver
The capital of India’s West Bengal state, Kolkata, has a inhabitants of Indian jackals (Canis aureus indicus, a subspecies of the golden jackal) – however they’re threatened by rising urbanisation – Credit: Arghya Adhikary / World Nature Photography Awards
