Elephant Seal Scolds Penguins in Superb Photo Shortlisted for Wildlife Award

Matt Growcoot
A large seal with its mouth wide open faces a group of crested penguins standing closely together on a rocky shore, with more seals blurred in the background.
‘Right of Way’ by John Harrison. A group of royal penguins draw the ire of an elephant seal as they walk to the shoreline, prompting them to change course.

The 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year has unveiled its shortlist — and there are some real bangers on there.

The contest takes entries from the majestic Australasian Realm, including the ANZANG bioregion consisting of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, and New Guinea.

Photographers documenting nature Down Under were invited to enter across 10 categories: Animals in Nature, Animal Behavior, Botanical, Macro, Landscape, Threatened Species, Monochrome, Our Impact, Portfolio, and Junior.

The competition attracted 2,129 entries from over 500 photographers in 17 countries. PetaPixel has picked out a selection of outstanding images.

A tall white bird with a long neck, viewed from behind, tosses a small silver fish into the air from the tip of its yellow beak against a blurred brown background.
‘Spearfishing’ by David Stowe.
A green trash bin labeled "Noosa" with its lid slightly open, revealing the head and neck of a red toy ostrich. Another bin with a yellow lid is beside it. A wooden fence is in the background.
‘Bin Turkey’ by Emma Perry.
A baby sea turtle crawls across sandy beach toward the ocean as the sun sets, casting a warm glow over the water and sky.
‘One in 1,000’ by Kendra Campbell.
A penguin leaps out of the water onto an ice floe surrounded by icy blue water and distant icebergs, under a cloudy sky.
‘Penguin Poe’ by Matt Bell. “Huddled in a Zodiac boat in icy waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, I waited patiently for an Adélie penguin to propel itself from the water to the safety of an iceberg. Persistence delivered as I captured this penguin in an almost levitational-like state, as if posing for the camera.”
A black and white photo of a misty lake surrounded by trees. Sunlight streams through the fog and branches, casting dramatic rays and reflections on the still water. © Paula McManus.
‘In the Morning’ by Paula McManus. Mullinger Swamp is a protected area just outside of Kybybolite, near Naracoorte in South Australia.
A Tasmanian devil with visible facial tumors stands in snow beside the carcass of a dead animal. Snowflakes are falling and the background is white.
‘Resilience — A Fight for Survival’ by Matt Cornish. ‘While exploring the highlands, I witnessed a scene of pure despair and pain, a Tasmanian devil fighting against the odds to maintain existence. Ravaged with the relentless ‘devil facial tumour disease’, this animal was captured slowly consuming a wombat corpse while navigating the environmental hardships of another freezing winter.
A bat is caught on a barbed wire fence at sunset, its wings spread wide against the orange and purple sky. The landscape is dark, and the bat hangs upside down, silhouetted by the fading light.
‘Caught Between Sky and Barbs’ by Jasmine Vink. An endangered spectacled flying fox fatally entangled on a barbed wire fence.
A firefighting plane drops water over a forest fire, with thick, dark smoke rising above the trees under a cloudy sky.
‘Battling the Bushfire’ by Georgina Steytler. ‘On a hot, dry January day, a diesel water pump sparked a fire on a nearby farm. Wind swept it into the surrounding native forest, and the eucalypt oils turned the dark, billowing smoke-clouds orange. Incredibly, and bravely, a water bomber flies straight into the heart of this inferno.’
A white and black tern runs across sandy ground, wings partly spread, with sand kicking up beneath its feet. The background is a soft, blurred yellow.
‘Strutting Tern’ by Georgina Steytler.
A dense colony of king penguins, with thousands of birds standing closely together on a rocky ground, their yellow and black markings visible across the crowd.
‘Oakum Boy’ by Andrew Peacock.
A close-up of a red and black ant on rough, dark soil, with a tiny flying insect nearby. The ant's body details and textures are sharply visible.
‘Miniscule but Deadly Dive Bomber’ by Francois Brassard. ‘This ant-decapitating fly is diving towards an ant. It aims to inject an egg into the ant’s head. The emerging grub will burrow in the ant’s head and eat it from within. Once the grub matures, it emerges and decapitates the ant, thus giving the fly its macabre name.’
A sawfish and a sea turtle swim side by side in clear, blue water. The sawfish's long, flat snout and the turtle's patterned shell are both visible from above. Light filters through the misty water.
‘Ethereal Encounter’ by Matt Deakin. A critically endangered green sawfish swims through a shallow reef.
A black-and-white photo of a heron standing on one leg on a branch, with ruffled feathers and a piercing gaze against a softly blurred background. The photographer is credited as Bernard Shore.
‘The White Faced Heron’ by Bernie Shore.
A large moss-covered tree branch extends over a calm, turquoise lake, reflecting a lush green forest on the opposite shore. Dappled sunlight filters through the dense leaves, creating a serene, natural scene.
‘Ancient Arms’ by William Patino.

The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year is organized by the South Australian Museum (SAM) in Adelaide, where an exhibition of all 100 shortlisted images will be held starting from August 29.

The overall winner will receive $10,000 Australian ($7,000). More information and all of the shortlisted images can be found on the SAM website.

Update 6/22: Typo correction.

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