National Geographic has just published the results of their prestigious 2016 Nature Photographer of the Year competition. Once you see the photographs below, you will realize just how difficult it must have been for the judges to choose the winners. After much deliberation, the jury awarded the grand prize, which included a 10-day trip for two to the Galapagos Islands, two 15-minute portfolio reviews with professional photo editors and $2,500 in cash, to Greg Lecoeur for his superb shot of various predators hunting underwater.
This esteemed competition attracts thousands of entries from across the globe. The respected judges included National Geographic's senior photo editor, Kathy Moran, as well as the magazine's photographers, Jim Brandenburg and Joe Riis. The images were split into four categories - Action, Landscapes, Animal Portraits and Environmental Issues. There were prizes for the best three photos in each category, with first place winning $2,500, the runner-up winning $750 together with a signed National Geographic book, and third place winning $500. View the winners from each category, together with some honorable mentions, below:
