Winner spotlight of World Nature Photography Awards 2025: #3
Here's this week's inspiration for you, showcasing winners across four of our diverse categories. Many congratulations to them again for winning in WNPA 2025, the nature photography contest for planet Earth.
Image © Marti Phillips
In this image by Marti Phillips, a Namib sand gecko appears to flash a grin, an unexpectedly expressive moment in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
Endemic to the Namib Desert, this species, also known as the Namib web-footed gecko, is a master of survival.
It is nocturnal, nearly translucent and perfectly adapted to life in shifting sands.
Its webbed feet allow it to run across loose dunes with ease, and its burrowing habits help it escape the extreme daytime heat.
Lacking eyelids, these geckos have a remarkable adaptation: they keep their eyes clean by licking them.
This photo reminds us that even the most extreme environments are home to fascinating creatures. It won Marti bronze in the 2025 category of 'Behaviour - Amphibians and reptiles'.
Image © Pawel Tyl
Sometimes the most striking opportunities appear when you least expect them.
On a warm summer morning in Puszcza Bukowa, near Szczecin, Poland, Pawel Tyl was simply taking off his sweatshirt as the sun’s heat intensified.
That’s when he spotted a large insect clinging to his clothing. Initially startled, Pawel quickly recognised the opportunity and reached for his camera.
What he captured was a macro photograph of a robber fly, a fierce and fast predator known for its impressive hunting skills and distinctive appearance.
It wasn’t until Pawel reviewed the image up close that he fully realized the detail and drama he had captured. This image won bronze in 2025's category 'Behaviour - Invertebrates'.
Image © Mohammad Murad
In this intense and precisely timed image, photographer Mohammad Murad captures a dramatic moment of conflict between two white-cheeked terms on Kubbar Island, Kuwait. This image won bronze in the category 'Behaviour - Birds'.
Suspended mid-air, one tern drives its sharp beak into the chest of its rival, a fierce show of territorial dominance that mirrors the mechanics of a swordfight. These confrontations are not rare. During the breeding season, Kubbar Island becomes a critical nesting ground for large colonies of terns.
With no shade from the seating summer heat, the birds nest on bare, elevated ground or among sparse grasses. Despite the harsh conditions, they vigorously defend their nesting sites, ensuring the survival of their young against both the elements and intruders.
Image © John Edwards
After returning to his tent from a safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, John Edwards discovered an unexpected guest: a wild leopard napping on his day bed, just a few metres away.
With only a screen and wooden slats separating them, John carefully composed this image from inside the tent, capturing the big cat in a moment of total relaxation. The leopard stayed for nearly three hours before a troop of baboons finally chased it off.
The biggest challenges? Achieving focus through the screen and not being attacked by the subject matter!
This photo highlights not only a rare encounter but also the extraordinary setting in which it occurred. The Okavango Delta is one of the largest inland deltas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a seasonal floodplain that transforms into a rich mosaic of wetlands and islands, attracting an incredible diversity of wildlife.
It’s one of the few places on Earth where predators like leopards, lions and wild dogs roam freely in close proximity to safari camps, offering raw, unscripted moments like this.
This image won bronze in 2025’s category ‘People and nature’.