PICTURES: Wildlife Photographer of the Year

‘Ice Bed,” Nima Sarikhani’s dreamy image of a young polar bear drifting to sleep on a bed carved into an iceberg, has been voted as the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

Ice Bed by Nima Sarikhani claimed top spot in the People’s Choice category. Picture: Nima Sarikhani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The 25 images in the running for this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award received a record number of votes with over 75 000 wildlife photography and nature fans from around the world casting their votes to name British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani this year’s winner.

Director of the Natural History Museum Dr Douglas Gurr says: “Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet. His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss.”

FOR MORE INFO: The People’s Choice Award

After three days searching for polar bears through thick fog off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the expedition vessel Sarikhani was on, decided to change course and headed towards where there was still some sea ice.

There they encountered two polar bears. Just before midnight, the young male clambered onto a small iceberg and, using his strong paws, clawed away at it to carve out a bed.

48 hours in pictures, 28 April 2024

Sarikhani captured the dreamlike moment the young bear drifted off to sleep.

Sarikhani says: “This photograph has stirred strong emotions in many of those who have seen it. While climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope; there is still time to fix the mess we have caused.”

The four Highly Commended finalists who also captivated wildlife lovers across the globe include “The Happy Turtle” by Tzahi Finkelstein, a fascinating interaction between a Balkan pond turtle and a northern banded groundling dragonfly, and “Starling Murmuration” by Daniel Dencescu, which frames the moment a starling murmuration formed the shape of a bird.

Two lionesses groom one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara in Mark Boyd’s “Shared Parenting”, and Audun Rikardsen’s stunning capture “Aurora Jellies” shows two moon jellyfish illuminated by the aurora borealis in a fjord in Norway.

Sarikhani’s image and the four Highly Commended images were selected from a shortlist of 25 images chosen by the Natural History Museum, London, and an international judging panel from almost 50 000 images submitted.

The five images will be displayed both online and in the accompanying exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, until 30 June.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year shines a light on inspiring stories from the natural world to create advocates for the planet.

The annual competition for amateur and professional photographers of all ages from around the world uses photography’s unique emotive power to connect people with nature. Images entered are judged by an international panel of experts.