People’s Choice: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023

9 February 2024

A stunning image of a young polar bear drifting to sleep on an iceberg by British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award.

Photo: Supplied / Nima Sarikhani / Wildlife Photographer of the Year, via BBC

"Sarikhani's breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet," Natural History Museum director Dr Douglas Gurr said.

"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."

Sarikhani captured the image after three days searching for polar bears through thick fog off Norway's Svalbard archipelago.

Four other outstanding finalists were highly commended in the competition which also saw two Australian photographers shortlisted, Cooma, NSW photographer Charles Davis, for his image Duckling Huddle, and Sydney photographer Ofer Levy, for his image Neighbourhood dispute.

The four images highly commended were:

The Happy Turtle, by Tzahi Finkelstein

A dragonfly lands on the nose of a Balkan pond turtle walking in shallow water. Photo: Supplied / Tzahi Finkelstein / Wildlife Photographer of the Year, via BBC

Tzahi Finkelstein was in his hide, photographing shore birds, when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow water. The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle's nose.

Starling Murmuration, by Daniel Dencescu

A starling murmuration swirls into the shape of a giant bird around the city and suburbs of Rome, Italy. Photo: Supplied / Daniel Dencescu / Wildlife Photographer of the Year, via BBC

Daniel Dencescu spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome, Italy.

Finally, on the cloudless winter's day, the murmuration, swirled into the shape of a giant bird.

Shared Parenting, by Mark Boyd

Two lionesses groom a cub following an unsuccessful hunting mission in Kenya's Maasai Mara. Photo: Supplied / Mark Boyd / Wildlife Photographer of the Year, via BBC

Two lionesses had gone hunting, leaving the pride's five cubs hidden overnight in dense bushes, in Kenya's Maasai Mara Mara.

Returning from their unsuccessful mission, they called the cubs out on to the open grassland and began grooming.

Aurora Jellies, by Audun Rikardsen

Moon jellyfish swarm in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø, in northern Norway, illuminated by the aurora borealis. Photo: Supplied / Audun Rikardsen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year, via BBC

Sheltering his equipment in a self-made waterproof housing, Audun Rikardsen used his own system for adjusting the focus and aperture during a single exposure, as moon jellyfish swarmed in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø, in northern Norway, illuminated by the aurora borealis.

You can see the winners of the fifty-ninth Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition announced earlier this year here.