Nature Photographer of the Year: Manatee mother and calf

A manatee and her calf float underwater in Hunter Springs, Florida.

An algal bloom had led to a decline in the seagrass beds that the manatees feed on in the area, but the local community restored the habitat, resulting in more manatees being recorded than ever before.

The photo by Dr. Jason Gulley, who is also a geologist, is one of several that received top honors in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

The winning photos of the competition will be announced on October 8, followed by an exhibition at the Natural History Museum showing 100 photos.

Scroll down to learn more from Jason and see some of the other highly acclaimed photos.

Jason told the BBC in an interview that he doesn’t usually take photos for competitions.

Manatees are large aquatic mammals commonly known as sea cows.

All three manatee species are considered critically endangered due to various threats such as boat collisions, hunting and habitat destruction.

“The first time I went into the water with manatees, I saw how incredibly playful they were with each other. They were curious and inquisitive,” he said.

“There was a manatee that was really curious about me. She left the other group of manatees, walked around on her flippers and came about halfway to me and then walked back to the group on her flippers.

“A few minutes later, he came a little closer and then went back, and it just reminded me of experiences like at a dog park.”

“I’ve never seen photos of this behavior before,” Jason said. “I wanted to take some pictures for a project on environmental impact and conservation, but I became obsessed with it.”

Sasha had been watching these young tawny owls for several days in a park near his house. He had seen tawny owls in the neighborhood before, but was surprised to see them so close to the city center.

Particularly recommended, 10 years and younger

Location: Maximiliansanlagen, Munich, Germany

Jose considered the stoat’s leap into the air to be an “expression of exuberance” as the small mammal twirled around in the fresh snowfall.

Particularly recommended, Behavior: Mammals

Location: Athose, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

Ian received radio notification that a jaguar was roaming in a tributary of the Rio São Lourenço. Kneeling in the boat, he was in the perfect position when the cat crushed the unsuspecting king caiman’s skull.

Particularly recommended, Behavior: Mammals

Location: Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil

During the Chinese New Year, Xingchao was tracking a group of Manul cats on the frozen plateau of Inner Mongolia. Before dawn, Xingchao made eye contact with this cat just as it was catching a bird.

Category – Highly recommended, Behavior: Mammals

Location: Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia, China

While exploring the highlands of Malaysia, Lam Soon Tak came across this spider, Heteropoda davidbowie, named by arachnologist and Bowie fan Dr. Peter Jägerthe in 2008. Perched on broken branches beside a river, its orange body stands out against the lush green moss.

Particularly recommended, Behavior: Invertebrates

Location: Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

A standout moment on Tamara’s nine-week expedition to Antarctica’s Weddell Sea was when two seals surfaced to take a breath of air after falling asleep next to the ship.

Particularly praised: animals in their environment

Location: Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Mussels use their hair-like “beards,” also called byssus threads, to attach themselves to rocks or other shells on the sea floor. Theo likes to photograph species that are neither beautiful nor important, to highlight their overlooked importance.

Particularly praised: animals in their environment

Location: Praia da Ursa, Sintra, Portugal

Thomas captured this image, a composite panorama of 26 individual images, with his drone and offers a spectacular view of meltwater cascading over the edge of the Bråsvellbreen glacier.

Particularly recommended: Oceans: The Big Picture

Location: Svalbard, Norway

On the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, Tommy photographed a requiem shark, its body contorted in a final act of defiance. He was on a research expedition to document the bycatch, or accidental capture, of sharks by tuna and swordfish boats.

Particularly recommended: Oceans: The Big Picture

Location: International waters, South Atlantic

Shreyovi discovered the two blue peacocks while walking in the forest with her parents.

Second place, 10 years and younger.

Location: Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, India