Jaw-dropping pics showing off the natural world, like an old lion in captivity and an elephant swimming through plastic, have been unveiled as the winners and runners-up of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s 2025 Environmental Photography Award. The yearly photo contest is split into five categories: Polar Wonders, Into the Forest, Ocean Worlds, Humanity versus Nature, and Change Makers: Reasons for Hope.
A snap of marine worms pushing sand plumes out of their burrows, taken by Angel Fitor in Spain in 2023, snagged the Ocean Worlds category and the top grand prize. Fitor said, “These burrowing worms are key players in keeping oxygen and nutrients moving in the sediment layer on the seabed, creating a whole hidden ecosystem under the surface.” The winning pic in the Polar Wonders category was a stunning shot of a lion’s mane jellyfish off the coast of Greenland in 2019 by Galice Hoarau.
The Into the Forest category winner was a pic of two male stag beetles battling it out in Italy in 2022. The Humanity versus Nature category winner showed an elderly tiger named Salamas on a tiger farm in Thailand, captured by Amy Jones in 2023. The Change Makers: Reasons for Hope category winner featured a baby loggerhead sea turtle in Spain in 2022.
Images like these spark conversations about protecting the environment and wildlife. They remind us of the beauty and the threats facing our planet. Through these photos, we can reconnect with nature and inspire action to make a difference.
