14 Remarkable Winners from the National Wildlife Photo Contest

Written by : 121clicks Team

The National Wildlife Photo Contest has showcased some of the most best wildlife photos from talented photographers over the years, capturing breathtaking moments of nature’s beauty and raw power. These award-winning photos feature everything from majestic predators in action to rare glimpses of elusive species, highlighting both the artistry and technical skill of wildlife photography.

Past winners have included stunning images of soaring eagles, playful foxes, and bioluminescent creatures glowing in the dark. Each year, the contest not only celebrates these remarkable shots but also raises awareness about conservation and the importance of protecting our planet’s diverse ecosystems.

National Wildlife Photo Contest accepting entries for 2025, Click here to Submit.

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#1. 2024 Grand Prize: Winner by Bo Pardau

"Despite the challenges of focusing a camera lens underwater—at night, no less—“on a transparent piece of jelly,” Pardau photographed this Cystisoma, a 2-inch-long amphipod, in March 2024 about 3 miles off the Big Island. There, at what he calls “the home of blackwater diving,” he and others hover at depths of 10 to 80 feet to view nocturnal creatures that remain as much as 3,000 feet deeper during the day. The ocean at night makes for a discombobulating environment, “where your only ability to orient yourself is knowing your bubbles go up,” Pardau says."

#2. 2024 Baby Animals: Winner by Glenn Nelson

#3. 2024 Birds: Winner by Joshua Galicki

#4. 2024 Mammals: Winner by Rachael Innes

#5. 2024 Mobile: Winner by Steffen Foerster

#6. 2023 Grand Prize: Winner by Anup Shah

"It is powerful and decisive, the pace compact yet energetic,” says Anup Shah of this year’s spectacular top photo, catching zebras at the edge of a river crossing in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. “I wanted the viewer to feel the energy in the path of a galloping herd.” We do, and it’s exhilarating."

#7. 2023 Baby Animals: Winner by Torie Hilley

#8. 2023 Birds: Winner by Suliman Alatiqi

#9. 2023 Mammals: Winner by Saleel Tambe

#10. 2022 Grand Prize: Winner by Dave Welling

As Dave Welling hid in a blind near an artificial pond on a ranch in the arid Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, he began photographing a pair of green jays that had stopped for a drink. When one jay moved away, Welling continued to photograph the other until he heard loud avian shrieking. Swinging to his left, Welling was stunned to see a that a large western diamondback rattlesnake had struck the missing jay and held it in a death grip as the bird struggled for life. Shooting with film in his camera, Welling documented the scene for more than five minutes as the bird moved from struggle to resignation, eventually to be swallowed whole. “This really shows what it’s like for creatures living in the wild,” says Welling. “There are risks for both predators and prey.” He hopes humans will come to value the entire range of wildlife that need protection. “Let’s give them some space, a place to live, a chance.”