A polar bear looking into an ice hole, a mosquito sitting on a deadly snake, and a bear relaxing in a swimming pool—these are just a few of the stunning moments captured in this year's top nature photos.
The Natural History Museum in London has revealed the shortlisted images for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition. The contest highlights beautiful and rare moments of animal life from around the world.
One highly commended photo shows a curious polar bear peering down into an ice hole. Norwegian photographer Audun Rikardsen placed a camera with a motion sensor under the ice where seals breathe. He waited eight hours for the bear to move away before retrieving his camera to find the amazing picture.
Another unique shot by twin brothers Andrea and Maceo Grammatico shows a mosquito resting on top of a fer-de-lance viper in Costa Rica. The snake is the most dangerous viper in Central America, but the photographers only noticed the tiny mosquito drinking from the snake's head when they checked their photos later.
In California, photographer Loren Elliott took a picture of a black bear resting inside a residential swimming pool. Such encounters are becoming more common as human housing moves closer to natural bear habitats.
The overall winner of the contest will be announced on October 13, 2026. A public exhibition showing all the winning photographs will open at the Natural History Museum in London on October 16 and run until July 2027.