The Breathtaking Winners of the British Wildlife Photography Awards
In this year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA), more than 14,000 incredible wildlife images were whittled down to a single grand prize winner, photographer Ryan Stalker.
Stalker’s powerful image was captured off the coast of England and shows a colony of creatures that traveled thousands of miles attached to a floating soccer ball.
While the mollusks’ journey is remarkable and makes for an incredible image, it underlies how ocean pollution can cause problems. In this case, garbage floated to England, bringing an invasive species, goose barnacles, along with it.
“Above the water is just a football. But below the waterline is a colony of creatures,” says Stalker. “The football was washed up in Dorset after making a huge ocean journey across the Atlantic. More rubbish in the sea could increase the risk of more creatures making it to our shores and becoming invasive species.”
Alongside winning the overall prize for adult photographers, Stalker also took top honors in the “Coast and Marine” category.
“The British Wildlife Photography Awards brings to light the spectacular tapestry of Britain’s natural heritage,” explains Will Nicholls, Director of BWPA. “This collection is more than just a gallery of images; it is a celebration, a reminder of the enduring beauty of British wildlife and a call to preserve the natural spaces that we are so fortunate to have in Britain.”
Alongside Stalker’s overall title, winners were chosen across 10 categories for adults and three age groups of children.
Young Photographer Max Wood Named ‘Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year’
For his fantastic silhouette image of a coot running across a misty lake at sunrise, Max Wood has been named the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024. The RSPB supports this award to help encourage children to get involved with nature.
Youth Winners
Category Winners
Animal Behavior
Animal Portraits
Botanical Britain
Black and White
Coast and Marine
Habitat
Hidden Britain
Urban Wildlife
Wild Woods
The winners and other awarded photos from this year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards are featured in a hardcover coffee table book, which is available for purchase now. The book includes a foreword by British naturalist and explorer Steve Backshall.
The 2025 edition of the contest is open for entries. While the photos must showcase British wildlife, entrants do not need to be British themselves.
Image credits: All images courtesy of the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA). Individual photographers are credited in the photo captions.
